Champions collide: Final four emerge after thrilling quarterfinals

Day four at the WMRT Final Shenzhen Baoan for the 2025 Match Racing World Championship saw the final four skippers emerge from a challenging and hard fought quarterfinals in light and unpredictable airs.

Defending world champion Ian Williams/GBR and his Manuport by Logistics team lead the semi-final pack alongside USA’s Chris Poole/Riptide Racing, Nick Egnot-Johnson – NZL/Knots Racing, and Sweden’s Oscar Engström/ Team Liros.

Today’s quarterfinals schedule was underway early with each of the eight teams looking for the  first-to-three points to grab their slot in the semi-finals.

As the day started in a light breeze, all four quarterfinals were locked at one win apiece, with the exception of defending world champion Ian Williams/GBR, who edged a commanding 2–0 lead over Australia’s Cole Tapper and his Kairos Racing team. Even money would have pitted Williams for a swift victory with match point against Tapper, but the determined Australian crew of Tapper, Jack Frewin, Hamish Vass and Max Brennan refused to yield, clawing back to 2-2 and forcing a decisive fifth race and pushing the reigning champion to the limit.

In a heart-stopping finale, Tapper trailed at the first weather mark but masterfully played the pressure and shifts to reel Williams in. By the final windward mark, the Australian had seized the lead but was still carrying an earlier penalty. A tense final run saw Tapper slow aggressively to force an error, triggering a near-race-winning luff. However, a split-second umpire decision handed Tapper an additional penalty, allowing Williams to slip past and secure a dramatic semifinal berth.

“Credit to Cole and his team — they pushed us all the way,” said Williams. “They put us under huge pressure at the finish and nearly pulled it off. It was incredibly close, and we were fortunate to come out on the right side of it.”

Elsewhere on the course, Chris Poole (USA) delivered a composed and authoritative performance to defeat France’s Aurélien Pierroz 3–1, adapting quickly after a 95-degree course reset caused by a major wind shift.

New Zealand’s Nick Egnot-Johnson edged Denmark’s Jeppe Borch in another thriller, levelling the match at 2–2 before claiming the deciding race to win 3–2 and punch his ticket to the semifinals.

The final quarterfinal pairing also went the distance as France’s Timothée Rossi forced Sweden’s Oscar Engström into a deciding race. But when it mattered most, Engström and Team Liros found another gear, dominating the final encounter to secure the last spot in the semifinals.

“We had a good day, but tomorrow will be even tougher,” said Engström. “We’ll review the footage, reset, and be ready to manage whatever conditions we get.”

Semifinal racing begins Saturday, featuring a blockbuster clash between former world champions Williams vs Egnot-Johnson, and Poole vs Engström in the second pairing — setting the stage for a thrilling conclusion to the championship.

WMRT Final Shenzhen Bao’an 2025 Semifinalists

1.  Ian Williams, GBR – Pindar by Manuport Logistics (World ranking #10) Crew Gerard Mitchell, Richard Sydenham, Jon Gundersen
2.  Oscar Engström, SWE – Team Liros (World ranking #24) Crew Rasmus Alnebeck, Emil Wolfgang, Filip Karlsson
3.  Chris Poole, USA – Riptide Racing (World ranking #1) Crew Malcolm Parker, Matthew Cornwell, Joachim Aschenbrenner
4.  Nick Egnot-Johnson, NZL – Knots Racing (World ranking #7) Crew Samuel Barnett, Zak Merton, Chris Main, Zach Main

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