'A delighted Tiffany after her victory in 2007' Monsoon Cup © Click Here to view large photo
The biggest name in this year’s Malaysian Match Racing Championship (MMRC) is undoubtedly Tiffany Koo, a two-time winner of the event.
Tiffany, who emerged champion in 2006 and 2007, has been training hard in her attempt to make it a hattrick of victories and will represent the Royal Selangor Yacht Club (RSYC). She will race under the name of Koo Racing Team.
This year’s MMRC is at Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina Resort and Spa in Pulau Duyong from Oct 20-23. It will be followed by the Asian Match Racing Championship from Oct 25-28. The winners of both events will each earn a berth to the prestigious Monsoon Cup at the same venue from Nov 30-Dec 5. A third qualifier will be the winner of the SunseekerAustralia Cup.
The three will join the top eight sailors in the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) plus one wildcard entry in the Monsoon Cup.
The Monsoon Cup is the season ending race on the WMRT. The world’s top sailors will all be in Terengganu with five skippers still in the race to be crowned World Champion.
Tiffany and her crew celebrate winning the 2007 MMRC - Monsoon Cup © Click Here to view large photo
After eight of the nine rounds in this season’s WMRT, Mathieu Richard has accumulated 105 points, to lead defending World Champion and 2009 Monsoon Cup winner Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing by 15 points.
Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN, a multiple Olympic gold medallist, is a further two points behind Minoprio, but has the momentum after his stunning victory last weekend in the Argo Gold Cup, the penultimate round of this season’s WMRT.
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team (76 Points) and two-time World Champion Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar (72 Points) are the other skippers still in with a chance to top the standing as 38 points will be awarded to the Monsoon Cup winner.
Jesper Radich (DEN) Radich Racing Team (60 Points), Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra (53 Points) and Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing (51 Points) round up the top eight, who all get automatic berths to the Monsoon Cup.
Tiffany, who won a gold medal in the laser category at the 2001 SEA Games, will start as the hot favourite to regain the title.
Defending MMRC champion Hazwan Hazim, who has returned to Perak a year after winning the title while sailing for Terengganu, will be Tiffany’s main rival in this year’s competition. Nurul Ain Md Isa, the 2008 MMRC Champion, will not be racing this year.
For more information, please contact:
Mira Navaretna
mira@tbest.com.my
+603-22833324
www.monsooncup.com.my
About the Malaysian Match Racing Championship (MMRC)
Back in 2006, the Monsoon Cup was the first race to have a series of qualifiers to encourage the participation of young, upcoming local sailors in the professional match race scene. Those qualifiers were the Malaysian Match Racing Championship (MMRC) and the Asian Match Racing Championship (AMRC).
From 4 teams at its inception in 2006, the Malaysian Match Racing Championship has now grown to have 13 local teams taking part in last year's event.
The winner will be the sole Malaysian representative at the Monsoon Cup, the final and deciding leg of the World Match Race Championships. It is a chance to compete with the world’s top match race sailors.
Malaysian Match Racing Championship Winners
2006: Tiffany Koo (MAS) – Team Selangor Gapurna 1
2007: Tiffany Koo (MAS) – UK Halsey Gapurna
2008: Nurul Ain Md Isa (MAS) – Perak Sailing Team
2009: Hazwan Hazim (MAS) - Taring Pelangi
About the Asian Match Racing Championship (AMRC)
At its debut in 2006, the AMRC saw participation from five regional teams, including from Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong, racing in the world-class Pulau Duyong match race circuit, which is also the venue for the Monsoon Cup.
Last year saw a massive increase in interest with over 30 international teams applying for a chance to compete. But only seven selected teams were racing in the AMRC, including two from Malaysia.
Now it has grown to include the participation of youths under 25 from around the globe.
Asian Match Racing Championship Winners
2006: Adam Minoprio (NZL) – BlackMatch Racing
2007: Adam Minoprio (NZL) – BlackMatch Racing
2008: Keith Swinton (AUS) – BlackSwan Racing
2009: Phil Robertsson (NZL), Team New Zealand WAKA Racing
by Monsoon Cup 2010
Source & Credits
This article was published at http://www.sail-world.com/newsfeed_show.cfm?nfid=19&nid=75898
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