Like last year, with the cancellation of the Steinlager Line 7 Cup, the Marseille International Match Race is the first ISAF Grade 1 event of the year.

The event, which came into the limelight of international sailing only a year ago, has immediately gained a reputation in the international match racing circuit and has again attracted an outstanding field of international skippers.

Great media interest will be focused on Bertrand Pacé, who has replaced Kiwi Hamish Pepper as tactician aboard NZL82 during the last America’s Cup and who hasn't sailed for a long time in a match race event.

The starter´s list is also topped by France's Mathieu Richard and Luc Pillot, currently ranked 4 and 24 in the world match race rankings of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF).

Other prominent matchracers such as the reigning champion Karol Jablonski from Poland (1st on ISAF rankings), Sweden's Björn Hansen and Mattias Rahm, British Match Racer Ian Williams or Lars Nordjberg from Denmark will make this event very difficult to win for any of the competitors.

Rounding out the field of competitors are Alinghi's Allan Coutts and native son Dimitri Deruelle.

After a practice day, the action sailed in Beneteau J80 starts on Thursday, the series featuring two Round robin, semi-finals followed by final on sunday.

Competitors (Skipper/ISAF Rankings)

Karol Jablonski (POL), n° 1
Mathieu Richard (FRA), n° 4
Björn Hansen (SWE), n° 8
Ian Williams (GBR), n° 10
Mattias Rahm (SWE), n° 13
Lars Norjdberg (DEN), n° 14
Luc Pillot (FRA), n° 24
Dimitri Deruelle (FRA), n° 213
Bertrand Pacé (FRA), n° 239
Allan Coutts (NZL), n° 912