Past King Edward VII Gold Cup winner, Mathieu Richard, has surged to the top of the World Match Racing Tour points standings at the half-way stage of the 2009 campaign.

The softspoken Frenchman finished runner-up at last week's Match Cup Sweden after losing 0-3 to three-time World Match Racing Tour champion Peter Gilmour in the final to knock last year's beaten Gold Cup finalist, Adam Minoprio, off the top of the season points standings.

Richard (68 points) now holds a seven-point lead over second-placed Minoprio (61pts) of New Zealand while two-time defending World Match Racing Tour champion and past Gold Cup winner Ian Williams (49 pts) of England remains in fifth.

Richard and his French Match Racing Team crewmates defeated Swede Bjorn Hansen 2-0 to lift a maiden King Edward VII Gold Cup in Hamilton Harbour two years' ago and are again expected to be in contention for top honours during this year's event, now referred to as the Argo Group Gold Cup, to be held from October 6-11.

This year's match racing spectacle will comprise of the eight World Match Racing Tour card holders, winners of the two qualifying events in Bermuda (Bermuda National Match Race Championship) and the US Knickerbocker Cup as well as the 14 invites handed out by regatta hosts Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.

Sweden's Johnie Berntsson is the reigning King Edward Gold Cup champion.

"Match racing for the King Edward VII Gold Cup is recognised as a premier event on the World Match Racing Tour. It has always been a highlight for sailors and attracts the top sailors in the International Sailing Federation's and World Tour's rankings," commented RBYC commodore Ralph Richardson.

The Argo Group Gold Cup is the oldest match racing competition in the world for one-design yachts.

The coveted trophy presented to the winning team was originally given at the Tri-Centenary Regatta at Jamestown, Virginia in 1907 by King Edward VII in commemoration of the 300th Anniversary of the first permanent settlement in America.

The World Match Racing Tour sees a total of 100 points allocated to the top eight finishers at every event except for the final (Monsoon Cup) which offers 150 points to the top eight performers.

Skippers will count their best five scores towards the overall championship as well as points earned from the season-ending Monsoon Cup to be held in Malaysia.

The skipper with the highest score at the conclusion of the season will be recognised as the ISAF Match Racing World Tour champion.

n Laser Radial sailor Cameron Pimental remained in 27th position in an overall fleet of 53 boats heading into yesterday's third day of racing at this year's Volvo Youth Sailing World Championships in Buzios, Brazil.

The Bermudian skipper placed 23rd and 31st during Saturday's opening day of racing.

Sunday's scheduled races were postponed due to wind gusts in excess of 30 knots that buffeted the Bay of Buzios.

Since its inception in 1971, the Youth Worlds has helped shape the careers of renowned skippers such as New Zealand's Russell Coutts, the only sailor with seven King Edward VII Gold Cup crowns under his belt.