The 6th St. Moritz Match Race event is on course !

(c) Juerg Kaufmann go4image.com

ST. MORITZ – In early September, the sixth edition of the St. Moritz Match Race will take place, guaranteeing sailing at the highest level.

The sixth edition of the St. Moritz Match Race will take place from 2-7 September in the Engadine Valley, and will, once again, form part of the World Match Racing Tour for 2008. The Tour stages 10 events throughout the world and the prize money totals more than 2 million Swiss francs. In St. Moritz, the teams will be competing for a total purse of 150,000 Swiss francs.

Among the interested skippers is title-holder Ian Williams (GBR); the current No 1 of the world ranking list, Mathieu Richard (FRA); and the America’s Cup skippers Ed Baird (USA), Paolo Cian (ITA), Peter Gilmour (AUS), Sebastien Col (FRA), Magnus Holmberg (SWE), Jochen Schümann (GER) and Ben Ainslie (GBR). Already qualified for the event is Swiss National Match Racing Champion Eric Monnin.

On the sponsor side, contracts with the three existing partners – AFG Arbonia-Forster-Holding, UBS and Badrutt’s Palace Hotel – have been renewed. These companies will be supporting this top sailing event in Switzerland this year as main partners.

New OC President and America’s Cup sailor Christian Scherrer is delighted about the secured finances for the St Moritz Match Race 2008. “Now we can concentrate on the sport and organisation side of the event.” Following uncertainty about the next America’s Cup, Scherrer looks forward to a fuller than average turnout of top sailors for the Match Race in the Engadine.