History of the Swedish Match Tour

Swedish Match is no stranger to the sport of sailing. In 1997, Swedish Match created the Swedish Match Global Team and sponsored the team for the 31,600 mile Whitbread Round the World Race. Swedish Match also hosts it's own match racing event, in Marstrand, Sweden each July. Now in it's seventh year, the event is recognized as the largest on the match racing circuit, attracting more than 100,000 spectators each year.

A new level of sailing
The formation of the Swedish Match Tour takes Swedish Match's experience in the sport of sailing to a new level. Recognizing the increased interest in the America's Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race (formerly the Whitbread around the Worlds Race), Swedish Match has seized the opportunity to provide sailors around the world with a consistent unified series of events that occur on a regular schedule. Furthermore, Swedish Match is providing the world's leading sailors and best up and coming stars, with a fair, even forum to which to test their skills. The company believes the professionalism, teamwork and dedication seen in the participating athletes is synonymous with the ideals Swedish Match practices in their everyday business.

The Swedish Match Tour
The Swedish Match Tour is a joint venture between Swedish Match, the World Match Racing Association and international sports and entertainment company, Octagon Marketing. The tour consolidates the world's top match racing events under a single name and sponsored annual series and overall championship. Sailors will enjoy the organized competition and the selected individual match racing events will gain international exposure and recognition through partnerships with the tour.

Final rankings 2000/2001
Magnus Holmberg US$60,000 104
Gavin Brady US$40,000 70
Bertrand Pacé US$25,000 61
Russell Coutts US$20,000 50
Dean Barker US$16,500 45
Peter Gilmour US$16,500 45
Chris Dickson US$12,000 42
Ed Baird US$10,000 36

Final rankings 1999/2000
Bertrand Pacé US$50,000 114
Dean Barker US$35,000 103
Magnus Holmberg US$20,000 77
Peter Gilmour US$15,000 71
Sten Mohr US$11,000 62
Peter Holmberg US$8,000 42
Luc Pillot US$6,000 40
Ed Baird US$5,000 36

About Swedish Match:
Swedish Match is an international company that manufactures and markets a wide range of tobacco products, matches and disposable lighters. Swedish Match's business focus is based on the company's broad and deep knowledge in the smokeless ( snuff and chewing tobacco ) and brown ( cigars and pipe tobacco ) tobacco product areas. Currently the products are sold in 140 countries, the majority of which hold leading market-share positions. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, the company employs over 10,000 people worldwide and boasts total annual sales of approximately 1.1 billion USD.