Williams on the back foot in Pindar defence

(LORIS VON SIEBENTHAL)

Having picked the Frenchman Sebastien Col as his quarter-final opponent, Britain's Ian Williams found himself on the back foot in Team Pindar's defence of the St. Moritz Trophy in the World Match Race Tour.

The first in the best of five went the way of Col with Williams commenting: "It was won and lost at the start. We were forced to the right when the best breeze was on the left."

The forecast for Saturday is good, with sunshine due to replace grey skies and occasional rain but with a good racing breeze continuing. The conclusion of the round robin had, at times, been fast and furious with plenty of action close to the spectators on the shore.

It had been a hectic day for Williams, who had been hoping to by-pass the quarter finals by being top boat in the round robin and taking an automatic place in the semi-finals. But one premature start, two penalties and even a little rock-hopping put paid to that in a breeze that was yo-yoing between six and 16 knots plus oscillating in direction.

Australia's Torvar Mirsky went through as the top boat leaving the next three to pick their victims.

Britain's America's Cup challenger, Team Origin, is awaiting the out-come of final negotiations over its participation in the Louis Vuitton series to be announced in Paris on Tuesday. Eight teams are already part of the newly-formed World Sailing Team Association and there are two remaining places.

Listen to Stuart Alexander talk to Andrew Pindar:

There are more than two candidates, but a spokesman for the event said he thought it very unlikely that the eight would vote to exclude Britain and he thought the matter would be resolved over the weekend.

Origin, which is headed by Sir Keith Mills with Ben Ainslie as skipper, is ready to race at the first regatta in Nice in November followed by a similar event, in which the teams race head to head in matched America's Cup class yachts, in Auckland next march.