DEFENDING CHAMPION SUFFERS SHOCK EXIT

KUALA TERENGGANU, Dec 3 (Bernama) -- The shock exit of current world champion Adam Minoprio has opened the door for Mathieu Richard and Ben Ainslie to make a no-holds barred charge for the 2010 World Match Racing Tour title.

Richard from France shot straight back into contention with his victory over Minoprio despite a string of disappointing performances throughout the week so over the final two days, the spotlight will fall on Richard, Torvar Mirsky from Australia and Ainslie.

Minoprio, the defending World and Monsoon Cup Champion Minoprio crashed out of this year’s event when he finished with a 4-7 record, thus ending his chances of retaining the world title.

Richard looks set to clinch the title but Ainslie and Torvar Mirsky can dent the Frenchman''s hopes of winning his first world crown.

Ainslie must win the regatta to land the title while Richard has to finish in the top two to beat Ainslie overall.

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SPORTS-MONSOON CUP 2 (LAST) KUALA TERENGGANU

Meanwhile, local hopeful Jeremy Koo who was sailing under Koo Racing Team-Evernew will come away from the 2010 Monsoon Cup a better sailor, despite not achieving his target.

The 29 year-old, who was competing in his third Monsoon Cup but first as skipper, has lost 10 of his 11 matches against the world’s best sailors with one more match left against four-time World Champion Datuk Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing.

Prior to the competition, Jeremy, who crewed for his sister Tiffany in the 2006 and 2007 Monsoon Cup, said he wanted to avoid last place or win at least two matches to beat his sister’s record of being the only Malaysian to have won a match in the Monsoon Cup.

Tiffany won one match in 2006 while no other Malaysian skipper, be it Nurul Ain Md Isa or Hazwan Hazim Dermawan have been able to better that.

"I knew it was going to be difficult to achieve my target but I always think positive and wanted to create some records. Having said that, the gap between the qualifiers and the full time sailors is obvious for all to see," said the Malaysian Match Racing Champion. Quarterfinalists: Ian Williams (Team GAC Pindar) 8-1; Ben Ainslie (TEAMORIGIN) 8-2; Jesper Radich (Gaastra Racing Team) 8-2; Francesco Bruni (Team Azzurra) 6-3; Bjorn Hansen (Hansen Global Team) 6-4; Torvar Mirsky (Mirsky Racing Team) 6-5; Peter Gilmour (YANMAR Racing) 4-5; Mathieu Richard (French Match Racing Team) 5-6.

-- BERNAMA