LAUSANNE, Switzerland (Nov. 30, 2004) – American Ed Baird, the leader of the Swedish Match Tour and reigning match-racing world champion, today joined Switzerland’s Team Alinghi, winners of the 2003 America’s Cup, as the team’s third helmsman.
Baird (St. Petersburg, Fla.), the world’s No. 1-ranked match-race skipper, is expected to join Alinghi at its base in Valencia, Spain, next March when the team resumes its sailing program after a winter hiatus.
Alinghi represents Baird’s third Cup campaign. Previously he was a coach and B boat helmsman for Team New Zealand during its triumphant 1995 effort, and skippered the New York Yacht Club’s Young America syndicate in 2000.
“Ed Baird is a great champion and we’re delighted to welcome him on board as helmsman,” said Jochen Schuemann, Alinghi’s Sports Director. “His match-racing skills, he is leading the World Match Race Ranking, and his AC experience as helmsman of Young America in 2000 will add value to our in-house competition and therefore give us an extra boost as Alinghi prepares to defend the Cup.”
“It’s a great privilege for me to join Jochen Schuemann, Peter Holmberg and the whole Alinghi Team,” said Baird. “Alinghi’s efforts in the 2003 Cup were quite impressive, and I am honored to be included on this team and contribute to the defense of the America’s Cup in 2007.”
This year represents Baird’s best ever in match-racing. He leads the Swedish Match Tour standings at the halfway point of the eight-event season, totaling 65 points through four events and owning a 20-point lead.
He won three events on the Tour this year, the 40th anniversary Congressional Cup, the inaugural Portugal Match Cup and the 15th anniversary Nippon Cup. Baird is one of eight skippers with three or more victories on the 5-year-old Tour and has recorded 11 top-3 finishes in 18 career starts.
Baird’s regular Tour crew of Andy Horton and Jon Ziskind has been complemented since July by Piet Van Nieuwenhuyzen, a bowman for Team Alinghi.
Baird also won his third overall and second consecutive match-racing world championship last summer. He was crowned the winner when the winds were too light to conduct the final, so Baird won by virtue of winning the round robin with a 17-5 record. Previously Baird won the match-racing worlds in Italy (2002) and New Zealand (1995).
Baird is an all-round sailor, has competed in two Whitbread Round-the-World races and is an eight-time world champion. Besides the three match-racing worlds, he’s also won the world championship in the Laser and J/24 one-design classes.
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RELATED INFORMATION
Ed Baird Bio
Baird Regains Tour Lead in Japan (Nov. 21, 2004)
Double No. 1 (Aug. 5, 2004)
Team Musto Wins Second Tour Event (July 31, 2004)
Baird’s Resiliency and Luck Lead to Victory (April 25, 2004)
