Ian Williams and his Team Pindar crew have got off to a strong start at the St Moritz Match Race in Switzerland. The team remain undefeated in the round robin stages, scoring 6.5 from a possible 7 points, with 4 flights remaining.

The event began yesterday in perfect sailing conditions, with the local Maloja wind blowing a consistent 15-20 knots, enabling organisers to complete the first 10 flights. Williams and crew dominated all five of their races, securing maximum points but were later penalised half a point, following a collision in the first race with Bruni.

Today conditions were very different. Lack of breeze and rain this morning resulted in the day’s racing being postponed until the afternoon. Winning his two races today against Marinho and Monnin, Williams now has 6.5 points, which places him in second place, after Bruni who has won 7 of his 10 races.

Speaking from the event, Williams commented: “Things are going well and we’re delighted not to have lost any races yet. Conditions today were certainly a lot more challenging than yesterday with some big holes and unpredictable wind shifts. We’ve got some tough matches tomorrow but will be pushing hard for the top spot, which carries a great incentive of advancing straight to the semi-finals.”

The sixth of nine events on the 2009 World Match Racing Tour, St Moritz Match Race has attracted eight of the world’s top 10 match racers, each competing for a share of the CHF100,000 prize purse.

Set at over 5,000 feet above sea level on Lake St Moritz, against the spectacular backdrop of the Swiss Alps, 12 teams are competing in Blu26 one-design sailing boats.

The action continues tomorrow with the closing round robin flights and the start of the quarter-finals.