Friday 14 September, 2001 marked the start of the RYA British Match Racing Finals at the Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy. Four qualifying weekends have taken place throughout the year with the top two or three teams going through from each event. The 13 finalists were split into two round robins, enabling each of the teams to race against each other once.

Ian Williams dominated Group B proving his expertise in Match Racing and winning all of his five races. Owen Modral also showed good form in this group, only dropping one race to Williams.

At the end of day one, Group A was still incomplete but it was the 2001 BUSA Match Racing Champion, Mark Campbell-James, who took an early lead. Tied also with three wins was Simon Shaw, who has just come back from his victory at the Tour Voile this summer.

Both groups will be combined today and the sailors will begin a knock out process to determine the final six. A final round robin will then be sailed to determine the 2001 RYA British Match Racing Finalist.