Yesterday morning, shortly after press deadline, began the final match in Fremantle, Western Australia, the first WMRT final countdown on M32 catamarans. Contrary to the previous rounds, the wind remained moderate. Winning the start meant winning the match, and it was three times the multiple (monohull) Match Race World Champion Ian Williams GBR taking the early lead, controlling Hans Wallen SWE and winning 3-0. The upper hand in the Petite Final had Yann Guichard FRA over Nicolai Sehested DEN with 2-1.
The final results, the report and the video of the final day.

The Freemantle Doctor filled in as usual and the Quarter Finals were sailed in a fresh breeze again. Early this morning UTC, the Semi Finals were sailed with Ian Williams GER defeating the surprising newcomer Nicolai Sehested DEN 3-1, and Hans Wallen SWE eliminating Yann Guichard FRA, new in matchracing but experienced in multihulls, with 3-0. The first final match has already been completed with Ian Williams leading against Hans Wallen 1-0.
The results as well as the daily news and the video of yesterday. The livestream window on this website will be open as from 6h UTC for the remaining Final matches.

The 16 best-ranked teams after the fleetraces continued the competition with matchraces in the Round of 16 in still challenging 20+ kn Western Australian seabreeze conditions. Not all duel have been completed. Among the already qualified for the Quarter Finals are Ian Williams GBR and Taylor Canfield ISV. The results of the Round of 16. At press deadline this morning (6h UTC), the first Quarter Final matches were underway. Ian Williams GBR leads against Matthias Rahm SWE 1-0.
The daily news of yesterday and the video of the day. As every day, the races can be followed in the livestream window of this website as from 6h UTC.

The strong breeze impeded the conclusion of the fleetrace qualification races yesterday, and the sailoff of the eight 4th and 5th ranked teams had to be cancelled. The report.
Today, the Round of 16 is underway already, and the breeze is again around 20 kn. The livestream on this homepage will be on as from 6 h UTC. The first duels of this best-of-three knockout round have already been completed, and Ian Williams GBR and his team are the first Quarter finalist, having defeated Sam Gilmour AUS 3-1.
The event website.

3 of the 4 Groups concluded the Qualification phase, Group A was forced to postpone the last 4 races, as the cat used by Joachim Aschenbrenner DEN was damaged in the capsize. Here the video. The teams finishing on the ranks 4 and 5 will meet in a sailoff race to determine the last four of the Round of 16.
The daily news and the results.
Apparently, racing started later today in Freemantle, as no results or information has been posted on the event website. We shall know more when the livestream windows will open on 6h UTC.

The first 2016 World Match Racing Tour race day with the new M32 catamarans was spectacular. Three fleetraces were sailed and 4 more have been scheduled for today. The first four of each of the four Groups will qualify for the matchracing beginning tomorrow.
Today's racing is underway at press deadline (6 h UTC) this morning. Groups D and C have already finished with Nicklas Dackhammer SWE as clear winner in Group D with 3 bullets in four races today. Eric Monnin SUI on 3rd - he was 1st after day 1 - is also qualified for the next round. Group C races are also concluded with Phil Robertson NZL on 1st ahead of Hans Wallen SWE and Yann Guichard FRA. Eliminated are the two Australian development teams of Sam Gilmour AUS and Mark Whittington AUS.
The results and the the report of yesterday.
The livestream coverage of the Group A and B races will begin on this homepage at 6h UTC, as every day until next Sunday.

The 2016 World Match Race Tour, for the first time on the M32-catamarans and a new format, began this morning in Freemantle, Westaustralien. The 20 teams, split in four groups start with two fleetraces to define the matchrace seeding. The top teams of the past season received 2016 Tour Card, such as the World Champion Ian Williams GBR, or Taylor Canfield ISV. Eric Monnin SUI, after a successful WMRT 2015 season, will endeavour to benefit from his Décision-35 catamaran experience to keep the level. In addtion, a number of Scandinavian teams participate, as the M32 are built in Sweden and quite a class activity emerged already.
This morning UTC, two of the four Groups have been sailing already. Ian Williams GBR and his team won all three heats in Group A. Taylor Canfield ISV and Matthias Rahm SWE share the lead of Group B after 3 races. Eric Monnin SUI will be sailing in Group D with the Freemantle local and GC32-experienced Keith Swinton AUS, as well as Niklas Dackhammar SWE with vast M32 experience as main opponents. The results of Group C and D will be posted during the morning UTC on the event website. The livestream transmission from Freemantle will start on this website at 6h UTC.