KUALA TERENGGANU, Oct 23 (Bernama) -- Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team-Evernew) swept past younger sister and two-time champion Tiffany (Koo Racing Team) to win the Malaysian Match Racing Championship (MMRC) at Pulau Duyong here.
The win enables him to sail in the Monsoon Cup at the same venue between Nov 30 and Dec 5.
Jeremy, who crewed for Tiffany when she emerged victorious in the MMRC in 2006 and 2007, had mixed emotions after sailing to a 3-0 victory in the first ever MMRC final to feature siblings.
He was elated he had finally claimed the MMRC as skipper after finishing third last year, but sad he denied his sister a chance to win the title for a third time.
Jeremy admitted he was lucky the wind was strong today, as he felt a lighter wind would have favoured Tiffany.
"I finally did it. The crew were just tremendous today and I am delighted to finally win the MMRC, but a little sad as I beat my sister.
"She was a little unlucky as the strong wind helped me," he said in a press conference later, adding he would be flying to Hong Kong to prepare for the China Cup and train with the South Korean Asian Games squad before competing in the Monsoon Cup.
Meanwhile, Tiffany, who has not competed in the MMRC for two years, said she did not expect to reach the semi-final, let alone the final, as it was a last-minute decision to return to the MMRC.
"Honestly, he was too good today and I have no complaints," she said.
Tiffany stormed into the final when she defeated defending champion Hazwan Hazim Dermawan (Team Pulse-AC Law) 3-1 in a dramatic semi-final. Her win over Hazwan, who topped the qualifying rounds with a 13-3 record, kept up the MMRC tradition of always having a female sailor in the final.
The four-day Asian Match Racing Championship (AMRC) begins on Oct 25.
The winner of the AMRC will also earn a berth in the Monsoon Cup. A third qualifier will be the winner of the Sunseeker Australia Cup, to be held from Nov 24-27, while the World Match Racing Tour will award a wild card.
The Monsoon Cup is the season ending race on the tour.
The world's top sailors will be in Terengganu with five skippers still in the race to be crowned world champion.
Source & Credits
Bernama.com
-- BERNAMA
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