Tuesday, December 28, 2010

My Sailing Year End Report

Dear blog,

I have not been writing much here, as I have been focussing on the Koo Racing Team blog and web site. I am trying now to fill in all voids that I have left out here,

After winning the Malaysian Match Racing Championship 2010, I was then involve in the annual Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta which our team Mata Hari came in 3rd in our class, it was exciting as usual, racing againts kuku kerchu , rapscallion and now piccolo.
Sadly skandia one of our RSYC club boat was written off at phuket race week, the same happened to rapscallion in the recent Phuket's King's Cup. Written off as in both are wrecked now.Rapscallion beached
Skandia on the Rock

This is not good news for the club 's already declining fleet of yachts.

At the end of the year, we competed in the Monsoon Cup, it was tough, we were much better at the prestart winning atleast 3 to4 of them but we just couldnt sustain the pace, as others match racing team shows their class, and I personally identified it as course reading, their course reading and placement were exceptional, its not just separating the course side to good side or bad side, it also invlove determining when the bad side can be a good side which most probably will stay a good side for a few minutes unless you find another puff.

Anyway it was a good experience, showed us what we lack, we will try to do more match racing in 2011 and hope to receive more sponsors to aid us in our endeavor to be a top match racing team.

In 2011, First Stop Royal Langkawi International Regatta, I will be sailing with Rolf (Team ViewPoint)on a Platu

Sean

Monday, December 20, 2010

KooRacingTeam.Com

http://kooracingteam.com/V1/index.php
http://kooracingteam.com/V1/

Monday, December 6, 2010

List of Match Race Grade 3 / 4 Asia Pacific Events for 2010/2011

List of Grade 3 events

Now that I am back from the Raja Muada International Regatta and the Monsoon Cup 2010.

I am back to this blog,
Our Team had a very good learning experience at the Monsoon Cup. Though we did not win any races, we did win 4 pre starts and lead the race but we couldnt sustain.

We need more experience, so I am going to list out all grade 3 events from the ISAF site from 2010/2010 and hopefully we can go join those competition next year, gaining ISAF ranking points and experience

14th Asian Sailing Championship 20/03/2010 29/03/2010 Guangzhou (CHN)
Korea Match Cup Qualifier 06/05/2010 07/05/2010 Gyeonggi (KOR)
Match Race Thailand Spring Cup 1 05/06/2010 05/06/2010 Pattaya (THA)
Match Race Thailand Spring Cup 1 06/06/2010 06/06/2010 Pattaya (THA)
IODA Asian Championship 03/07/2010 11/07/2010 Pattaya (THA)
Match Race Thailand Cup 3 18/09/2010 19/09/2010 Pattaya (THA)
Malaysian Match Racing Championships 20/10/2010 23/10/2010 Terengganu (MAS)

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Monsoon Cup 2010 Round(Stage 1) Pairing List


Click on the Image for a larger View

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Monsoon Cup 2010 - 10 skippers confirmed

WITH less than 30 days to go before the Monsoon Cup starts, 10 skippers have confirmed their places in the season-ending World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) with two more places still up for grabs.

The final qualifier will be determined at the Sunseeker Australia Cup on Nov 24-27 while the Monsoon Cup organisers will announce a wild card soon to complete the 12-sailor lineup who will compete in Kuala Terengganu.
The 10 skippers are France’s tour leader

  1. Mathieu Richard (French Match Racing Team),
  2. New Zealand’s Adam Minoprio (ETNZ/Black Match Racing),
  3. Ian Williams (Team GAC Pindar),
  4. Great Britain’s Ben Ainslie (TEAMORIGIN),
  5. Australia’s Torvar Mirsky (Mirsky Racing Team),
  6. Denmark’s Jesper Radich (Radich Racing Team),
  7. Italy’s Francesco Bruni (Azzurra) and
  8. Australia’s Peter Gilmour (YANMAR Racing), together with
  9. Malaysia’s Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team-Evernew) and
  10. New Zealand’s Phil Robertson (WAKA Racing).


Monsoon Cup operations manager, Muhamed Shafique Mohamed Iqbal, said: “It is going to be an exciting 30 days before the Monsoon Cup.”

The Monsoon Carnival, which started on Oct 1, is also a move by the organisers to promote the event in all seven districts of Terengganu.
The event kicked off in Jerteh, Besut on Oct 1-2 before moving to Permaisuri, Setiu on Oct 8-9. It was followed by Kuala Berang, Hulu Terengganu (Oct 15-16) and Kemasik, Kemaman (Oct 22-23).
Upcoming events are in Marang (Fri-Sat), Dungun (Nov 12-13) and Kuala Terengganu (Dec 1-5).

“We are delighted the public has been supportive of the carnival and I’m sure they will flock to the main carnival which will coincide with the staging of the Monsoon Cup,” Shafique added.
Shafique confirmed that more side events for the Monsoon Cup are still in the planning stage and will be announced shortly.

Source & Credits

Read more: 10 skippers confirmed http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/10skippersconfirmed/Article#ixzz149A0BeFf

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Mathieu Richard in Confident Mood Ahead of the Monsoon Cup



London, UK – 1 November, 2010

Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team, is in buoyant mood ahead of the World Match Racing Tour’s decider event, the Monsoon Cup, confident in the belief he can exploit the weaknesses of his nearest rivals to win the Match Racing World Champion title that has so far eluded him.

Richard, said: “We are in great form and getting ready for the Monsoon Cup. We’ve had a great season, with three victories and five podiums and we’ve been leading the world ranking throughout the year so yes, our goal is definitely to win. This title is very dear to us. The ball is now in our camp and it is our duty to get the job done!”

Read more on Richard’s thoughts about Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing and Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN as well as his preparations ahead of the Monsoon Cup (30th November to 5th December 2010) at www.wmrt.com
http://www.wmrt.com/news/90-2010-news/11404-mathieu-richard-in-confident-mood-ahead-of-the-monsoon-cup.html

2010 ISAF World Match Racing Tour Standings
(After Stage 8 of 9)
1. Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 105 Points
2. Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing 90 Points
3. Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN 88 Points
4. Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 76 Points
5. Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar sponsored by Argo Group 72 Points
6. Jesper Radich (DEN) Gaastra Racing Team 60 Points
7. Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra 53 Points
8. Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 51 Points
9. Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team 33 Points
10. Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Sigma Racing Team 29 Points

Source and Credits
WMRT.COM

Monday, November 1, 2010

Contest : Celcom's Blackberry Torch 9800 Smartphone


Having owned 3 blackberry phone before, a Pearl, Storm and Storm 2. I am excited that Blackberry Torch is finally here and I hope it will ends my jinx with blackberry phones!!!

My first blackberry a pearl was nice and compact but water came into the boat when i was sailing a platu, basically my pearl was submerge in the sea water,so it couldn't be saved at all

My Storm was great, lag-gy at first but with continuous OS update from Blackberry it became great until I ripped the touch screen off accidentally.

My Storm 2 then came into the picture, It was great and better than an Iphone, I was just waiting to update it to Blackberry OS 6 and then someone stole it from me =( .

Days after that was difficult as I try to cope with using another smart phone..receiving emails wasnt that great on my nokia e72 and that eventually made me gave up on it, and I heard it wasn't too great either on an Iphone (for receiving emails) and most of my friends had to turn emails off to avoid unexpected data cost. I never had that problem using a blackberry, for blackberry service always compress the emails, and I have never exceeded my usage having received mails from my gmails, my hotmails and also my corporate mail server on my blackberry before.

That kinda prompted me to look at blackbery again and Celcom's deal is looking really really good at the moment!

The Blackberry Torch 9800 comes installed with the latest OS 6 , and ofcourse the 1st smartphone with a BlackBerry® keyboard and full 3.2 inch touch screen



The Launch Event was at 29th October 2010, plenty of crazy deals was given.


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- 5 MP camera with flash, continuous auto-focus and image stabilization, plus 11 photo modes and video recording

- Integrated social feeds to update multiple social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Buzzd and much more with a single post or gather and filter all your social network and feeds in one view.

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Friday, October 29, 2010

Robertson Books his Ticket to the Monsoon Cup

Terengganu, Malaysia, 28 October 2010


Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing put in a sublime performance against the emerging talent of David Gilmour (AUS) Team Gilmour to win the Asian Match Racing Championship (AMRC) and book his place in next month’s World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) finale event, the Monsoon Cup.

Gilmour, son of four-time Match Racing World Champion Peter Gilmour, had the upper hand on Robertson earlier in the week at the five-star Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina Resort and Spa in Pulau Duyong having triumphed over him in both qualifying matches. It was howeverthe defending Champion Robertson who masterfully defeated his nearest rival 2-0 in the final.

Robertson will now join Jeremy Koo (MAS) Koo Racing Team-Evernew - winner of the Malaysian Match Racing Championship (MMRC), the top eight skippers in the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) standings, the winner of the upcoming Sunseeker Australia Cup and one wildcard entry for the Monsoon Cup which takes place from 30th November to 5th December at the world class Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina Resort and Spa.

A delighted Robertson said: “This year’s competition was so much harder to win as the skill level of all the skippers has gone up tremendously. David was a worthy opponent as he beat me twice in the qualifying sessions, but I think my experience of taking part in more match racing events around the world was the deciding factor. My crew performed tremendously and got better as the event went on.”

Looking ahead to the Monsoon Cup, Robertson was in buoyant mood: “I was sixth last year but am confident of doing better this year,” said Robertson. “I will be taking part in two events before the Monsoon Cup and it will certainly help me sharpen up my skills.”

With the Match Racing World Champion crown and a large slice of the USD475,000 prize money on the table at the Monsoon Cup on the table, the thoughts of the top 5 teams in the WMRT standings will be very much focused on Malaysia. Only 17 points separate the top three teams of Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team, Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing and Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN. With the Monsoon Cup offering 1.5 times more points than a standard WMRT race, that 17 point gap is easily closed with the winner set to scoop 38 points and the remaining places the following: 30 (2nd), 22 (3rd), 18 (4th), 15 (5th), 12 (6th), 9 (7th), 6 (8th).

Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team and Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar are fourth and fifth in the series and still in with a mathematical chance of winning but will need results of their opponents at the Monsoon Cup to go their way.

Asian Match Racing Championship - Final Standings
1. Phil Robertson (NZL) WAKA Racing
2. David Gilmour (AUS) Team Gilmour
3. Wataru Sakamoto (JPN) Team Siesta
4. Reuben Corbett (NZL) MAF1/Black Sheep Racing
5. Peter Nicholas (AUS) Freshie Racing Team
6. Graeme Sutherland (HKG) Team Hermes
7. Mark Lees (GBR) Team ECHO
8. Tan Wearn Haw (SIN) SINYIDAI
9. Neil Semple (THA) Capital TV

About the Asian Match Racing Championships (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) - WAKA Racing

Source & Credits
WMRT.COM

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Winning The Malaysian Match Racing Championship 2010 (MMRC) Monsoon Cup Qualifier



Summary of our Days at Kuala Terengganu

We won the Championship last weekend at Kuala Terengganu, everything looks so easy on the news we were kinda portrayed liked it was an easy win but was it?...
It wasn't.

The level of match racing in Malaysia keep increasing every year, and the event were much more worthy of the grade 3 event tag compared to the years before. Winning it was an uphill task and here is our account...


Despite not being the defending champion we have always been one of the firm favorites to win it. For on paper every single crew member have won something on their own or with the team .

On day one and two, we were rusty and nervous, almost throwing our first race away. We also took a lot of penalties and even received a black flag on day one. We tried to improve on day two but our progressed was slow but was lucky to end the day winning 3 matches in a row and also taking a race off the defending champion

On day 3, we identified 2 weakness, our speed was not up to the par in the light wind, and we were too aggressive in trying to get other teams penalty. So we took some measure in overcoming the weakness, we made 2 rules, rule 1 we are not allowed to point at all today and rule 2, we remained aggressive but avoid contact with
another boat at all cost.

It started really well, until we gave away 2 races in a row, putting us in a very vulnerable position. We had to win the remaining 2 matches for a spot in semi final, winning one race only may tie us at 9 point with Tiffany and Razali but we will lose out on count back.

so it was risky, but the matter are still on our hand, and we could not rely on others result as we starts early for the last two flight.

We hold on to our breathe and made it. Winning the race against the defending champion and the finalist of MMRC 2009. Both races we won the pre start and lead from the start to the end.

After racing two round robins we begins to feel weary and tired, but despite that we were convinced we are fitter than the other teams and in the semi final against Nik, we took first race without any problem, on second he was late on the pre start, we made most of the opportunity to give him a penalty and he ended up with a black flag.
On the last final race, the pre start was pretty neutral with Nik reaching the windward mark first, we pressed on, and was unfortunate to be penalized for not giving him enough room when we passed by a navigation buoy where our spinnakers touches.

Yet we were not nervous, we tailed him closely, and manged to get under him near windward mark, luffed him up just enough to give us space , while he had bear off to round the mark, we gybe and bear off to offset our penalty inside him...that was our best move in the MMRC2010, we came back side by side heading towards the finishing line, a gybing battle ensued and we came out on top to win the race!

On the Final race, the wind continues to blow, Tiffany started the race really well, we knew her team was tired, and engaged her in a taking duel. We were spot on as she loses out about 2 boats length after few tacking. Knowing that we can take advantage of her weary crews. We continuously engage her in the next two races. We were really tired too but we had our game face on. We were relieved at the end of the day for managing to live up to our team's name.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Notification of Host Venue Bidding Process

World’s Premier Sailing Series Launches Venue Bidding Process

The ISAF World Match Racing Tour (WMRT), sailing’s premier global match racing tour, has today opened the bidding process for cities, regions and countries from around the globe to enter the race for the right to host a stage of sailing's leading world series.

WMRT is an exciting and spectator friendly discipline with leading skippers and their teams taking each other on in short, sharp, high adrenalin, head-to-head battles in identical boats. Recognised by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) with special event status, WMRT is a professionally managed tour currently consisting of nine events worldwide. The Tour culminates in the crowning of a World Champion.

The bidding process, which will be managed by venue acquisition consultancy Regatta International, will see six new venues selected to join the Tour from the 2012-2013 seasons. The new venues will win the right to hold a World Championship stage, each lasting for 5 days.

Cities, countries and regions interested in finding out more about WMRT, the benefits associated with being a host venue, and what the application process is, can find full details and register their interest at http://application.wmrt.com/

Commenting on the opening of the bidding process, WMRT CEO Jim O’Toole commented, “The World Match Racing Tour is a well proven marketing platform for destinations wishing to showcase their facilities, infrastructure and organisational capacities, increase their international tourism profile and attract inward investment."

“We are currently undergoing an intense period of expansion and are looking forward to partnering with venues who share our ambition. We have already fielded strong levels of interest from potential venues and by opening up the bidding process we’ll be requiring bidding venues to meet certain criteria."

“These will range from essential requirements such as proving they can ensure good winds, to logistical, marketing and financial commitments, as well as guaranteeing they can provide the level of infrastructure associated with a world class level sporting event.”

Regatta International’s Director Terry Newby said, “The World Match Racing Tour is already one of sailing’s most respected brands with outstanding events around the world. The opportunity to work with interested parties to develop the series to 15 stages by 2013 is a hugely exciting prospect.

“Over the past 10 years WMRT has developed into a very well organised series which attracts top class sailors while drawing a huge global audience and media footprint. The benefits for venues looking to host a stage are numerous, ranging from strong economic returns to developing international awareness. We look forward to collaborating with bidding cities to maximise their chances of success.”


For further information contact:
World Match Racing Tour
Name: Jim O’Toole
Tel: +44 7921 020845
Email: jimotoole@wmrt.com

Regatta International
Name: Terry Newby
Tel: +44 61 413644287 or + 60 173382144
Email: terrynewby@regattainternational.co.uk

Credit & Source
WMRT.com

Check Out Koo Racing Team Blog

http://kooracingteam.blogspot.com/.
As this is my personal sailing race log,

For Koo Racing Team News please visit
http://kooracingteam.blogspot.com/.

So do follow the blog for news on KRT!

Thanks
Sean

Friday, October 22, 2010

MMRC- 2010 Monsoon Cup Qualifer Round Robin 1 & 2 Results


Click on the image for larger view

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

MMRC- 2010 Monsoon Cup Qualifer Round Robin 1 Pairing List


Generally a good pairing for our team, with us only taking the stronger teams towards the end of the Round Robin.

Round Robin 1

Flight 1

Elia 0 Hazwan 1
Jerome 0 Nik 1
Masyuri 0 Tiffany 1
Rizal 0 Jeremy 1

Flight 2
Jereome 0 Tiffany 1
MAsyuri 0 Jeremy 1
Elia 0 - Razali 1
Rizal 0 - Hazwan 1

Flight 3
Jeremy 1- Jerome 0
Razali 1- Nik 0
Rizal 0- Elia 1
Hazwan 1- Masyuri 0

Flight 4
Rizal 0 - Razali 1
Mahsyuri 0 - Elia 1
Hazwan 1- Jerome 0
Nik 0 - Tiffany 1

Flight 5

Elia 1 - Jerome 0
Nik 1 - Jeremy 0
Tiffany 0 - RAzali 1
Masyuri - Rizal

FLight 6
Tiffany 0 - JEremy 1
HAzwan 1 - Nik 0
Razali 1 - Masyuri 0
Jeremoe 0 - Rizal


HAzwan 5
Razali 4
Jeremy 4
Elia 3
Tiffany 3
Nik 2

To Race

Flight 7
Jeremy - Razali
Jerome - Masyuri
Elia - Nik
HAzwan -Tiffany

FLight 8
Razali - Jerome
Tiffany - Elia
Jeremy - Hazwan
Nik - Rizal

Flight 9
Nik - Masyuri
TIffany - Rizal
Jeremy-Elia
Razali-Hazwan

Sunday, October 17, 2010

3 days before Monsoon Cup Qualifier and We are Kings of Broga Hill !



3 days more, and we decided we needed some fresh air, something that would inspired us.
We decided to wake at 5 am in the morning, and drive all the way from Kuala Lumpur to Broga Hill, Semenyih to catch the Sunrise



Hiking up was not easy for the wrong reason, good spot always means lots of people and Broga Hill is just that lots of people.

Although reaching the bottom of the hill at 6am in the morning, there were already packs of people ahead of us. And passing them to be on time for sunrise was our mission.



Thinking back, waking up early wasn't easy,but today its one of those days, we made up our mind or a more exact phrase, we made it a point we are going to be inspired today and we are going to do just that.

Oh boy it was worth it.The few hours of extra sleep replaced by a breathtaking view of calmness . The view was just what we needed, while the hike up with lots of avoiding people maneuver brings out the determination in us.

By end of the day we have already receive news of the confirm teams, the list was not much of a big surprise, with only one new team from Putrajaya. We welcome them and hope they will enjoy match racing.

We also heard there were a lot of sun and wind in the afternoon ,and that kinda contradicts to the weather forecast of Kuala Terengganu, where lots of rains was forecast-ed. What ever the weather condition we do hope it blows there.

See you guys at the Monsoon Cup Qualifier.

Friday, October 15, 2010

WMRT- Press Conference, More events and double the prize money



With the recent announcement that catamaran would be used for the America Cups.
WMRT took their opportunities well, announcing that 6 Tour Event would be added and the prize money pool would be doubled from 250k USD to 500k USD.

The Match Racing events has always been deemed as a feeder events to the America Cups, This I believe has always been the main attraction of it, although the America Cups is using Catamaran now, still..its always still going to be a feeder events, or at least one of the feeder events for America Cups.

But with continuous promotion effort from the WMRT, the increased of prize money and tour events all over the globe, I believe they are moving away as just being a feeder event.

I personally feel that WMRT will do well, all because it offers accessibility which allows more participation from fellow sailors and that will generate the feeling of affiliation to it. And people going to follow it, because someone you know are involve in it, I believe they are 18 qualifying events, correct me if I am wrong, with at least 1 qualification event for each Tour events.

Now that Match Racing for Men is already in Asian Games, I can only see more Tour Events being held in Asia. And I am waiting for that to happen.

Sean Ong

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

3 Teams from Royal Selangor Yacht Club will participate in the National Qualifier for Monsoon Cup 2010

16 days before the qualifying, the Royal Selangor Yacht Club has always been very supportive of the Malaysian Match Racing Championship. Where we have been well represented every year since 2006 with the exception of year 2008.
In 2006 we were represented by 2 Teams, in 2007 3 Teams, In 2009 4 Teams
and this year 3 Teams !


Tom will be taking helm in Team RSYC,



Tiffany Koo will be taking helm in Koo Racing Team and Jeremy will be taking helm in Koo Racing Team Evernew !

We will face Teams from around Malaysia, these Team will will definitely give us a run for our money.

Last Year Winner Hazwan, with his Silver Match Race Team

Last Year Finalist Elia with her Sail Putrajaya Team

and Semi Finalist Razali from the Malaysian Armed Forces.

Other Team We May see include a Team from MYA, which could be represented by Masyuri. He is the Asian Games representative of Malaysia who may use this as his practice ground before leaving for Asian Games,

A Team from Johor and a Local Team from Terengganu.

So we May only sees 9 Teams only this time around.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Live and Breathe The Thrilling Argo Group Gold Cup Action

-WMRT NEWS-

London – 1 October – The one-on-one battles, heated rivalries and twists of fate which embody the ISAF World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) will be played out on the waters of Hamilton Harbour, Bermuda next week at the Argo Group Gold Cup where the introduction of a mobile website and live blog with audio feed promise to bring the action closer to fans than ever before.

The Argo Group Gold Cup 2009. Photo - Charles Anderson

The WMRT is already well-known for providing virtual on-the-water stadiums to the scores of spectators who annually attend the Tour’s events and next week that fan experience will be further enhanced with the launch of the Tour’s new mobile website, www.wmrt.com. Spectators in Hamilton Harbour and around the world using iPhone, iPod, iPad as well as all Android, BlackBerry, Palm and Windows mobile devices will be now be able to access live results, reports, image and video galleries as the action unfolds. Mobile users can also access the Tour’s daily news vodcast and ‘Play of the Day’ via YouTube and fans of specific teams will have the unique option to personalise their homepages with the latest team information, images and biographies.



In addition, fans will be able to get further under the skin of the action from Bermuda where testing will take place for a live audio and video feed broadcast alongside the race blog at www.wmrt.com. Live spectators and web viewers will enjoy additional insight and race commentary from Scott Dickson, a renowned match racing figure who is well-versed in the Argo Group Gold Cup having competed there on numerous occasions.



The Tour already boasts an impressive global TV broadcast distribution, with highlight programmes aired by 25 broadcasters in over 183 countries. Next week’s action will be broadcast on Sky Sports, Eurosport and CNBC amongst other channels whilst highlights will also include exclusive interviews with the world’s best skippers, including reigning Champion Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing, two-time World Champion Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar sponsored by Argo Group and Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team.



The launches are the result of a focused strategy by the WMRT to increase the series’ global multimedia footprint and are a timely addition with the Tour standings delicately poised as the teams approach the sharp end of the series. All eyes in Bermuda will be on Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team as he bids to stave off his arch rivals and take another step towards his first ISAF Match Racing World Championship title. That will suit his nearest challenger, Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing who could potentially draw level with a win in either of the last two WMRT events. Just as the teams are busy calculating and computing all the permutations, the added insight that these new media platforms will bring will make it easier to follow than ever before.



Jim O’Toole, CEO at the World Match Racing Tour, said: "Sailing is often cited as being a poor spectator sport however the WMRT is unique in its ability to bring the action up close to spectators. We also have a huge global following and our focus on developing the Tour’s multimedia channels is targeted towards that audience and to build our overall fanbase. What better time to showcase the Tour’s ever-expanding multimedia offering as we head towards a thrilling finale at the final two events in Bermuda next week and then the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia in late November early December.”

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Its My 27th Birthday !

So when I started this blog, I made it a point to just write about my sailing stuff, and I am going to continue to do just that,


I am not going to write about my birthday celebration, but on why am I still sailing till today.

I started when I was 12 at the Royal Selangor Yacht Club, before long I was already sailing for the Kuala Lumpur the federal territory of Malaysia, and then the State of Selangor, and when I passed the age limit of 15 for Optimist class,

I started sailing Lasers,Laser 2, 420, and 470, I was then included in the national programme but heartbreakingly I didnt get to represent my country,

straight after then I enters my college years. Doing my diplomas and kinda stopped sailing for awhile,

and then Royal Selangor Yacht Club launched the youth programme, I was roped into it, and I kinda find myself at the bow, for no one wants to do it. Obviously I screwed up lots, but lucky to be given alot of space and time to learn at the bow.

Before long I joined Vincent's Mata.Hari,I was then given more oppurtunity to learn at the bow, gaining more seamanship, navigating, plotting maps! , anchoring the boat right! and so on... . With more experience I was invited to do bow in Thailand and Singapore and was sailing quite actively, and was more than happy to do bow on different boats designs/class .

I love to be in the rain, in the storm, shivering and at times down with sea sick.., but still have to do my job of sail change, hoisting of spninaker and jib, pushing me pass my limit and trying my best not to let my mates down!

With Experience my job get easier every year, but there are always so much to learn and always interesting to see how other bowman do stuff and try to improve myself.

A sport I couldnt really see myself learning everything, but I am stubborn and wants to learn more, the reason I still sails.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

23 Days to go before the National Qualifier for the Monsoon Cup

23 days to go before the noational qualifier for the Monsoon Cup 2010
and what is in our head?


After the dissappointment last year, this year we are trying to be better prepared physically and mentally, what was our mistake?, and things we should work on before the qualifier.

Well, I had a great workout with yew yesterday, both of us have been doing alot of pulls ,alot of lat workout, basically lots of shoulder exercise. And we are looking forward to checking out Fariz's fitness level this weekend.

We also have some sponsors stuff in our head, on trying to get a long term one, for after the Han River Match race at Seoul, we are beginning to think of getting exposure oversea, Jeremy and Tiffany was getting alot of invites, but we werent able to do it for yew and I just got off college and it was difficult for us do all the races, but now that we are nearing 3 years of working life, things are slowly getting better for us.

And if we can get a long term sponsor, we could do alot of races, we have the potential, for everyone in the team isnt a college boy anymore. And that we should work together to get sponsors.

Teams that could feature in the National Qualifier,
This isnt so difficult to figure out, last year we had 4 team from Royal Selangor Yacht Club, namely Team RSYC, Team ViewPoint ,Team AsianYachting, and us.

This year only Team RSYC and us will represent the Royal Selangor Yacht Club.

Predictions !
Other Teams, We may see
3 teams from the Malaysian Yachting Association including the Asian Games Selection Winning Team,

2 Teams from PutraJaya, including Last year's finalist Sail Putrajaya,

1 Team from our Malaysian Armed Forces Team ,

1 Team from the State of Perak , Last year's Winner Silver Match Race

1 Team from the State of Johore, Harimau Selatan

2 Team from the State of Terengganu.

Making it 12 Teams again this year.


Sean

Asia’s Biggest Loser- Monsoon Cup Challenge

HI Guys,

I just received an email to watch this,
my first thought, wow this is a great affiliation with the Asia's Biggest Loser definitely going to give Monsoon Cup a greater presence in Asia!

Dont forget to watch !

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Preperation towards the National Qualifier for Monsoon Cup


Hi Guys,

Today, we have less than 30 days towards the start of the national qualifier for Monsoon Cup.

We have finalized our crew members.
Koo Racing Team will again be lead by
Jeremy Koo as the skipper,

me, Sean as bowman again this time, and

Fauzi Mustaffa our evergreen main trimmer.

Looi Sing Yew as trimmer aka our speed master !!lol


Fariz Sawal our latest addition !!! will be our pit man this time.

with Fariz inclusion, we are undoubtedly the most experience team for the qualifier!

With every member having at least four match racing event experience!



Having all sailed before as a team, there are mutual trust among us that we will do well in our own job while complimenting each another, I could not hide but be proud and confident, that we are gonna get what we want this time!

We have confirmed and completed our registration.
and We have also secured sponsors to aid our financial needs !
This year we will be joined by Evernew IT Solution as our Main Sponsor,
and we still enjoy continuous support from AC LAW .

We are very proud to have both Evernew and AC Law as our sponsors this year!

Our Team shirt this year!!

All our team members are currently working hard to bring up the team's fitness level. May the Monsoon Comes early again this year for the qualifier!!


Dear All,

In preparation for the National Qualifier, We intend to go a day earlier on the 19th October for some practice, we invite you guys to do the same too, so that we can have some sparring session ...!


my next post will speculate on teams that may be competing this time!

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Han River International Match Race - Day 4

Just finish the Skipper briefing, we are just going to finish the Round robin today to decide the leader based on number of match won..........

and then the wind die off, and with high water level we were asked to leave the river.

no sailing again today.

Another day for sight seeing!

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Han River International Match Race - Day 2 and Day 3 morning

Hi guys,

Finally got my luggage bag,

we started day 2 with 2 wins over 2 Korean team, but lost the 3rd race to local favorite , Park Gun woo. We lost the start but took the lead at the windward mark and also giving him a penalty, but apparently we hook some floaties/garbage on the way to the offset mark and they just sailed away with...



Now team from New Zealand leads the leader board,followed by team from Australia, while after losing to one of the Korean team we are now joint 4th place,with anothe korean team that we have met and beaten.

Today on Day 3, there may not be any race, as the Dam accumulated lots of water from yesterday and during the night, and apparently one of the bridge is already submerge in the the river, and last heard from the authority they are going to release the stress from the Dam, so our sail/office area will be flooded till the car park area.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Han River International Match Race - Day 1

Day 1, and we already handicapped, yew couldn't make it. In the end we invited a Korean laser sailor to join us.

Kim Our last minute replacement


We are far from match fitness, and unfortunately we met the Australia team early on, with 2 new crew on board is was too much to handle, we won the start but lost it approaching the windward mark, that was the only race we had today,

Team from Australia lead day 1 with 2 win .

We are still confident in reaching the semi final.

Thats all for now, until I get my camera!

Sean

Monday, September 6, 2010

Mathieu Richard Wins the 'King of the Mountain' Title in Spectacular Style

St. Moritz, Switzerland - 5 September 2010 - Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team won the 'King of the Mountain' title today in spectacular style, taking a huge stride towards his quest to become the 2010 ISAF Match Racing World Champion.

Having toyed with the teams all week at the St. Moritz Match Race, it was on the final day that the Maloja wind truly kicked in, bringing with it a supreme display of match racing for which the ISAF World Match Racing Tour is renowned. Richard, despite not always being on top of his game throughout the week, knuckled down when it mattered most, grinding out a series of hard-fought victories against his nearest rivals today.


L-R Mathieu Richard,Greg Evrard, Olivier Herledant, Yannick Simon, French Match Racing Team, winners of the St Moritz Match Race 2010. World Match Racing Tour. St Moritz, Switzerland. Photo: Ian Roman/WMRT.
When the two British skippers, triple Olympic gold medalist Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN and double ISAF Match Racing World Champion Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar won their first semi-final matches, the prospects looked good for an all-British final. However, Richard had no intention of playing second fiddle and led Ainslie all the way round the course in their next race to level the score.

It was standing room only in the packed grandstands and with everything hanging on the final race of both semi-final matches, the crowds of spectators were in for a treat. A dogfight before each of the starts characterized the races. With a penalty to his name in his deciding semi-final battle against Ainslie, it appeared Richard's only option as they approached the final mark was a brutal one - to pin a penalty on Ainslie. Fortunately for Richard, his Blu26 found a gust, giving him enough time to complete his penalty turn and dispense with the Brit.

Meanwhile, in the Williams vs Minoprio bout Williams took the first match, but Minoprio responded in the second with a move at the windward mark, where Williams collected two penalties in rapid succession, allowing Minoprio to take a decisive victory. Williams though regained his composure for the final race of his dual with the New Zealander, with just enough control over Minoprio to maintain a slim lead to the finish and a place in the final.



L-R Yannick Simon (holding cheque), Olivier Herledant, Greg Evrard, Mathieu Richard, French Match Racing Team, winners of the St Moritz Match Race 2010. World Match Racing Tour. St Moritz, Switzerland. 5th September 2010. Photo: Ian Roman/WMRT.
The scene was set for a fitting British-French finale, with the title going to the first team to win two races. This was sailing's version of 'Le Crunch'. At times, both played underdog, exchanging glances and penalties. It was one all after two races and in the deciding race, it seemed only right that the wind, so unpredictable and challenging all week, should have the final say. Richard, playing a string of gusts and shifts to perfection, pulling five lengths clear, a lead he maintained to take the 'King of the Mountain' crown and CHF36,000 in prize money.
Richard, reflected: "I wasn't happy after losing the first race against Ian in the finals. I was too excited, made mistakes and didn't have a positive feeling. So, we picked ourselves up, changed our mood and took the match to them. We go to Denmark with a healthy lead however we know there is still all to play for. For now though, we're overjoyed."
As the Tour heads to the island of Bornholm, Denmark, next week, it is possible that the next few weeks will determine not just the outcome of this year's World Match Racing Tour but also shape the future of match racing with the America's Cup announcements that have been a hot topic all week in St. Moritz. Whatever the outcome, Richard and his rivals will remain focused on their endeavours to take the World Match Racing Tour title.

To view the 'Play of the Day' - Williams collecting two penalties against Minoprio, click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQEuRU4HumU


Results for the top four positions at the 2010 St. Moritz Match Race:
Finals Semi-final Quarter-final Round Robin
Final:
Mathieu Richard 2-1 2-1 1-0 (7-4)
Ian Williams 1-2 2-1 (straight to SF) (8-3)
Petit Final:
Adam Minoprio 1-0 1-2 1-0 (6-5)
Ben Ainslie 0-1 1-2 2-0 (7-4)

Overall Standings the 2010 St. Moritz Match Race:
Skipper/Teams Points
1 Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 25
2 Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 20
3 Adam Minoprio (NZL) BlackMatch Racing 15
4 Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN 12
5 Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team 10
6 Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team 8
7 Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team 6
8 Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra 4
9 Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team
10 Eric Monnin (SUI) Swiss Match Race Team
11 Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team
12 Jerome Clerc (SUI) Team CER Geneve

For fans around the world, the event will be featured in a TV highlights programme called The St Moritz Match Race. Featuring all the action from Lake St. Moritz, it will premiere on Eurosport at 21.35 on 6 October and also show on Eurosport Asia Pacific at 13.45 on 13 October. The programme will be screened on Sky Sports 3 at 18.00 on 22 October.

The St. Moritz Match Race highlights show will be broadcast on channels across the globe including CNBC, Setanta, Showtime, Sky NZ, Sevenload, Yacht and Sail International, America One, ESPN Star Sports, PCTV Mexico, Melita Cable, Bands Sports Brazil as well as local Swiss broadcaster Teleclub. The latest TV schedule for all the races can be viewed at: http://www.wmrt.com/multimedia/tv-schedules.html

*Note: times are subject to change without notification

Sunday, September 5, 2010

A Touch of Luck Defines Day 4 of The St. Moritz Match Race

St. Moritz, Switzerland - 4 September 2010 - On a frustrating day for the six teams battling to reach the semi-finals of the St. Moritz Match Race, perhaps the biggest fight was off the water between the gradient northerly wind and the thermally induced southerly, which left the racecourse peppered with monumental wind shifts, holes and gusts.

The weather has tested the skippers' mettle all week and today it created a spectacular sporting moment that had the crowd holding its breath. It looked as if it was all over for reigning 'King of the Mountain' Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing in his match against Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team. Iehl, looking to build on a remarkable previous day, had what seemed like an insurmountable lead however he hit a hole and unfavourable wind shift just before the finish line. At the same time, Minoprio caught a big gust that he rode all the way to the end, storming past Ihel just two boat lengths from the finish. The King of the Mountains clearly controls the wind however it was a hollow victory: "Damien did a really good job extending his lead around the course. Then, when it was almost all over, he sailed into a hole and we sailed round him. I really don't feel good about it, but we need the points."


Ben Ainslie, TEAMORIGIN (foreground) vs Bjorn Hansen, Hansen Global Team. St Moritz Match Race 2010. World Match Racing Tour. St Moritz, Switzerland. Photo: Ian Roman/WMRT.

No skipper was given Minoprio's luck forcing them to relentlessly pursue every possible advantage. A pre-start incident between triple Olympic gold medalist Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN and Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team saw the umpires find in favour of the British team, as Ainslie explains: "It was a 50-50 situation in which we had to keep clear when Hansen luffed us hard. It was a difficult decision for the jury as to whether he had been too aggressive, or whether our response was too slow. Luckily they decided in our favour."

Next up was a French derby between Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team against Bertrand Pacé (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team. There was no love lost though as Richard tried to pin Pacé outside the line at the start. In a super-close rounding of the second mark, Richard had the favoured inside line, while Pacé collected a penalty for failing to give him space giving Richard the advantage which he held to the finish.



St Moritz Match Race 2010. World Match Racing Tour. St Moritz, Switzerland. Photo: Ian Roman/WMRT.

In what proved to be the final chapter of the day, Ainslie held a big lead over Hansen when a wind shift of such magnitude made it difficult for Hansen to hold the spinnaker. Despite vehement protest from Hansen's team, the race was not abandoned giving Ainslie a second and decisive win to join Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar in the semi-finals.

The battle between the two wind systems continued through the afternoon, and despite supreme efforts by the race committee, racing eventually had to be abandoned for the day. The remaining quarter-final races to decide the two teams that will face Ainslie and Williams in the semi-finals, will take place at 1000 local time tomorrow morning.

Quarter-final results at the St. Moritz Match Race:
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar: goes straight to semi-final
Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAM ORIGIN: 2
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team: 1
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing: 1
Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team: 0
Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team: 0
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team: 0


You can follow the live blog at www.wmrt.com from 1 to 5 September from 11.00am until racing finishes at approximately 18.00

A preview to the St Moritz Match Race can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCqmo-2i3gs

For fans around the world, the event will also be featured in a TV highlights programme called The St Moritz Match Race. Featuring all the action from Lake St. Moritz, it will premiere on Eurosport at 21.35 on 6 October and also show on Eurosport Asia Pacific at 13.45 on 13 October. The programme will be screened on Sky Sports 3 at 18.00 on 22 October.

The St. Moritz Match Race highlights show will be broadcast on channels across the globe including CNBC, Setanta, Showtime, Sky NZ, Sevenload, Yacht and Sail International, America One, ESPN Star Sports, PCTV Mexico, Melita Cable, Bands Sports Brazil as well as local Swiss broadcaster Teleclub. The latest TV schedule for all the races can be viewed at: http://www.wmrt.com/multimedia/tv-schedules.html

*Note: times are subject to change without notification

Mountains of Suspense at the St. Moritz Match Race

St. Moritz, Switzerland - 3 September 2010 - The tension was palpable deep in the Swiss Alps at the St. Moritz Match Race today as the final push to qualify for the quarter-finals reached fever pitch. While three teams were assured of their place, a further six started the day virtually tied on points, preparing to fight tooth-and-nail for the remaining four places and a chance to have a crack at taking the 'King of the Mountain' title.

At the head of the pack, Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar, Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN and Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team were majestic on the water, making light work of the tricky and shifty conditions that have characterised the racing on Lake St. Moritz. With their path to the next round soon assured, the scene was set for the other teams to front up and put their rivals on the next plane home.

Team GAC Pindar beats Mirsky Racing Team. St Moritz Match Race 2010. World Match Racing Tour. St Moritz, Switzerland. Photo: Ian Roman/WMRT.

What ensued was match racing at its most intense - the skippers pushed and often broke the rules of match racing and sportsmanship, keeping the on-water umpires fully occupied. Bill Edgerton, Chief Umpire, said: "The competition here is red hot, with sailors making quick-fire decisions and straying well into the interpretative part of the rules."

The heavyweights of Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team, lying second overall on the Tour before this event, America's Cup sailor Francesco Bruni (ITA) AZZURRA and reigning 'King of the Mountain' Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing, knew they each had a dogfight on their hands if they were to progress any further. Unfortunately for them, these three skippers faced a formidable challenge in the might of triple Olympic gold medalist Ben Ainslie, double ISAF Match Racing World Champion Ian Williams, and current overall tour leader Mathieu Richard. Before going afloat, Mirsky summed up the challenge: "It's a do or die day for us. We need to overtake at least one team but we're up against Ainslie, Williams and Richard."

In the first bout between Williams and Bruni, a constant mix of aggressive yet measured sailing created a fantastic spectacle in front of the grandstand, Williams eventually showing why he's is a 2-time ISAF Match Racing World Champion by taking a closely-fought victory. The clouds were drawing in on the trio of increasingly apprehensive skippers, as Ainslie and Richard similarly outgunned Mirsky and Minoprio respectively.

Francesco Bruni, Azzurra. St Moritz Match Race 2010. World Match Racing Tour. St Moritz, Switzerland. Photo: Ian Roman/WMRT.

Down but not out and with pride and the added incentive of substantial prize money at stake, the underdogs came back for more with renewed determination and eventually Bruni, Minoprio and Mirsky all led their opponents home.
The fight back meant four teams were then tied on 6-5 each, with the final three quarter-final places ultimately decided on count back, with Minoprio, Hansen and Iehl going through, while Bruni and Mirsky left to rue their missed opportunities.

A delighted Ainslie commented: "Conditions out there were very tough for everyone and we're very happy to be going through to the quarter-finals. It was an interesting last race for us, we tried to offload a penalty by gybing on the layline to the windward mark instead of tacking but it didn't work and Bruni got ahead."

Ian Williams, added: "We're very pleased to have a guaranteed top four position and, by winning the round robins, we've secured a place in the semi-finals. We'll be watching the quarter-finals very carefully, trying to learn more about how the breeze is structured on the course, and look for ideas to improve our boat handling."

Elsewhere, Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team and Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team both notched up a impressive victories to leave them each with a 6-5 scoreline whilst Bertrand Pacé (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team took two bullets to secure his place in the next round.

Results after the Round Robin at the St. Moritz Match Race:
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar: 9-2
Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAM ORIGIN: 8-3
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team: 7-4
Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team: 7-4
Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team: 6-5
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team: 6-5
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing: 6-5

Francesco Bruni (ITA) AZZURRA: 6-5
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team: 5-6
Eric Monnin (SUI) Swiss Match Racing Team: 4-7
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team: 2-9
Jérôme Clerc (SUI) CER: 0-11


You can follow the live blog at www.wmrt.com from 1 to 5 September from 11.00am until racing finishes at approximately 18.00

A preview to the St Moritz Match Race can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCqmo-2i3gs

For fans around the world, the event will also be featured in a TV highlights programme called The St Moritz Match Race. Featuring all the action from Lake St. Moritz, it will premiere on Eurosport at 21.35 on 6 October and also show on Eurosport Asia Pacific at 13.45 on 13 October. The programme will be screened on Sky Sports 3 at 18.00 on 22 October.

The St. Moritz Match Race highlights show will be broadcast on channels across the globe including CNBC, Setanta, Showtime, Sky NZ, Sevenload, Yacht and Sail International, America One, ESPN Star Sports, PCTV Mexico, Melita Cable, Bands Sports Brazil as well as local Swiss broadcaster Teleclub. The latest TV schedule for all the races can be viewed at: http://www.wmrt.com/multimedia/tv-schedules.html

*Note: times are subject to change without notification

Friday, September 3, 2010

The French Apprentice Turns Master at the St. Moritz Match Race

St. Moritz, Switzerland - 2 September 2010 - Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team was the aggressor on day two of The St. Moritz Match Race in Switzerland, storming through a run of five successive victories including a comprehensive defeat of the reigning 'King of the Mountain', Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing.

If the spectators expected the relative newcomer to the ISAF World Match Racing Tour to be apprehensive after a disappointing opening day, he did not show it. As the thermally-induced Maloja wind rushed in, the young Frenchman exhibited some deft moves on the water, leading Minoprio around mark one by three lengths and eventually extending his lead all the way to the finish.

Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team in action on day two – photo Ian Roman/WMRT

The ISAF World Match Racing Tour has a rich history of nurturing the best match racing talent and Iehl looked every bit a champion in the making today. His next fight was against another super-tough opponent, Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team, currently ranked second in the Tour. The two skippers jostled and jabbed like boxers to gain the upper hand at the start with only inches separating them. This was toe-to-toe action. Mirsky gained the initial advantage, but Iehl read the subtleties of the wind to perfection, building what proved to be an insurmountable 10-length lead at the first mark.

With two victories under his belt Iehl was unstoppable, even by the might of triple Olympian and America's Cup sailor Francesco Bruni (ITA) AZZURRA. At the start the French team gained the favourable lee bow position and led the accomplished Italian round all three laps of the course.

Iehl, commented: "We had a clear game plan today which gave us the great starts we needed, as well as a strategy that delivered the best course through all the wind shifts. Our teamwork and manoeuvres were spot on too - it was a perfect progression for us from yesterday."



Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar takes charge on day two – photo Ian Roman/WMRT

A classic French - British dogfight is developing between the front runners and if anyone is going to put a counter-attack together on Iehl, there's a strong chance it will come from Ian Wiiliams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar who leads the standings overnight, having won all three of his races today.

Triple Olympic gold medalist and America's Cup skipper, Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN also demonstrated total dominance of his opponents with a clean sweep of victories, as did Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team.

With seven teams advancing to the next stage, three are confirmed as having made the quarter finals, but another six - including some veteran stars - are still in the hunt for the remaining four places.


Results after Day 2 of the St. Moritz Match Race:
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar: 7-1
Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN: 6-2
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team: 6-2
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing: 5-3
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team: 5-4
Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team: 5-4
Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team: 5-4
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team: 4-4
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra: 4-4
Eric Monnin (SUI) Swiss Match Racing Team: 2-7
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team: 2-7
Jérôme Clerc (SUI) CER: 0-8

You can follow the live blog at www.wmrt.com from 1 to 5 September from 11.00am until racing finishes at approximately 18.00

A preview of the St Moritz Match Race will be aired on 1 September on SF1 at 22:20.

A preview to the St Moritz Match Race can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCqmo-2i3gs

For fans around the world, the event will also be featured in a TV highlights programme called The St Moritz Match Race. Featuring all the action from Lake St. Moritz, it will premiere on Eurosport at 21.35 on 6 October and also show on Eurosport Asia Pacific at 13.45 on 13 October. The programme will be screened on Sky Sports 3 at 18.00 on 22 October.

The St. Moritz Match Race highlights show will be broadcast on channels across the globe including CNBC, Setanta, Showtime, Sky NZ, Sevenload, Yacht and Sail International, America One, ESPN Star Sports, PCTV Mexico, Melita Cable, Bands Sports Brazil as well as local Swiss broadcaster Teleclub. The latest TV schedule for all the races can be viewed at: http://www.wmrt.com/multimedia/tv-schedules.html

*Note: times are subject to change without notification

Thursday, September 2, 2010

All To Play For At The St. Moritz Match Race

St. Moritz, Switzerland - 1 September 2010 - The opening day of racing at the St. Moritz Match Race dawned bright but cold, with the surface of the lake covered in a thin layer of picturesque mist. However, the tranquil setting belied the intensity of racing that was to come most notably between the British and French teams.

The first start saw double ISAF Match Racing World Champion Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar pitched against local sailor Jérôme Clerc (SUI) Team CER Genève, who gained a wildcard invitation to the event. The young Swiss sailor proved from the outset that he has the talent to mix with sailing's biggest stars, taking the lead just after the start and holding it until tantalisingly close to the finish.

Clerc was next up against Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN. Approaching the first windward mark, Clerc held a small advantage slightly to windward of the British boat, but Ainslie pulled just far enough forward to slip above the Swiss skipper in a deft manoeuvre that cleared his way to round the mark first.
Clerc commented: "It was a lot of fun today - we're not really favourites, but we are really happy to be in contact with them and playing with them."
On board Team GAC Pindar. St Moritz Match Race 2010. World Match Racing Tour. St Moritz, Switzerland. 31st August 2010. Photo: Ian Roman/WMRT.

Ainslie's fight with Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team saw the event's first piece of red-hot anger, including a collision, much shouting between the two teams, and a rapid succession of penalties even before the start gun was fired. With a red flag penalty - to be taken immediately - Iehl's race was effectively over at the start.

The Brits went on to dominate the first part of the day's racing, with both teams winning all their races, including Ainslie's match against current World Match Racing Tour leader Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team. "It's the start we wanted, even though we're a bit rusty having missed the last two events. The conditions were very tricky with 20-25 and even 30, degree windshifts and it was important to connect the gusts, especially downwind."

So what would happen when Ainslie and Williams went head-to-head? After close sparring in the pre-start, Williams held Ainslie out to the wrong side of the committee boat, winning the start by a length and a half. At the windward mark Williams misjudged his tack and collided with Ainslie, but maintained a tenuous lead. At the beginning of the final leg he had extended this to three-lengths, but still had a penalty turn to take before finishing - it was impossible to predict the result, until a gust allowed Williams to extend his lead 150m from the finish line.
Ian Williams,Team GAC Pindar, beats Ben Ainslie, TEAMORIGIN in the round robin of the St Moritz Match Race 2010. World Match Racing Tour. St Moritz, Switzerland. 1st September 2010. Photo: Ian Roman/WMRT.

The French teams came to the fore in the final races of the day. Ainslie and Bertrand Pacé (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team were evenly positioned at the start, with Pacé at the left-hand end of the line. With the stronger gusts on the left-hand side of the course he quickly pulled out a small lead. Pacé, reflected: "Then we just tried to sail with the best wind, choosing the right side of the course and staying in phase with the wind shifts - it's easy to stay ahead of the other guy if you do that in these conditions."

The last race, between Mathieu Richard and Ian Williams, was also the closest. With 15 seconds to go the French skipper looked much too early, yet he found enough wriggle room to make a perfect start, much to the surprise of the spectator crowds. He led throughout the race by the tightest of margins - at the finish just one metre separated the two boats.

Richard, said: "The match with Williams was the most challenging for us today - it was so close all the way. We're very pleased with our results and the way we sailed, although we know we can still make small improvements."

It was also a good day for defending champion St. Moritz Match Race Champion, Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing, Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team, who top the rankings along with Williams at the end of day one, each of these skippers having won four races and lost one.

Results after Day 1 of the St. Moritz Match Race:
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing:4-1
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar: 4-1
Björn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team: 4-1
Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN: 3-2
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team: 3-2
Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team: 3-2
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team: 2-3
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team: 2-3
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra: 2-3
Eric Monnin (SUI) Swiss Match Racing Team: 2-3
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team: 1-4
Jérôme Clerc (SUI) CER: 0-5

You can follow the live blog at www.wmrt.com from 1 to 5 September from 11.00am until racing finishes at approximately 18.00

A preview of the St Moritz Match Race will be aired on 1 September on SF1 at 22:20.

A preview to the St Moritz Match Race can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCqmo-2i3gs

For fans around the world, the event will also be featured in a TV highlights programme called The St Moritz Match Race. Featuring all the action from Lake St. Moritz, it will premiere on Eurosport at 21.35 on 6 October and also show on Eurosport Asia Pacific at 13.45 on 13 October. The programme will be screened on Sky Sports 3 at 18.00 on 22 October.

The St. Moritz Match Race highlights show will be broadcast on channels across the globe including CNBC, Setanta, Showtime, Sky NZ, Sevenload, Yacht and Sail International, America One, ESPN Star Sports, PCTV Mexico, Melita Cable, Bands Sports Brazil as well as local Swiss broadcaster Teleclub. The latest TV schedule for all the races can be viewed at: http://www.wmrt.com/multimedia/tv-schedules.html

*Note: times are subject to change without notification


- Ends -


About the ISAF World Match Racing Tour:

The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) is the leading professional sailing series featuring 9 World Championship events across the globe, sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) with "Special Event" status.

The World Tour awards over US$1.5million in prize money with points awarded at each event culminating in the crowning of the "ISAF Match Racing World Champion". In addition, an incentive to compete in the world's premier sailing series just got bigger. A US$250,000 overall prize pool for the top nine teams with a $50,000 bonus for the outright winner of next year's World Match Racing Tour is now on offer.

Events utilise the same "match race" format used in the America's Cup with racing taking place in identically supplied racing yachts which places a focuses on team work and skill. Racing takes place close to the shore for the general public to follow the races as virtual on-the-water stadiums.

Media and television highlights coverage reaches over 2.1 billion households in excess of 183 countries around the world.

ISAF World Match Racing Tour Calendar
Match Race France 6 - 11 April Marseille, France
Match Race Germany 19 - 24 May Langenargen, Germany
Korea Match Cup 8 - 13 June Gyeonggi, South Korea
Portimão Portugal Match Cup 22 - 27 June Portimão, Portugal
Match Cup Sweden 5 - 11 July Marstrand, Sweden
St Moritz Match Race 31 Aug - 5 Sept St Moritz, Switzerland
Danish Open 8 - 12 Sept Bornholm, Denmark
Argo Group Gold Cup 4 - 10 Oct Hamilton, Bermuda
Monsoon Cup 30 Nov - 5 Dec Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia


2010 ISAF World Match Racing Tour Standings
(After Stage 5 of 9)

1. Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 77 Points
2. Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 60 Points
3. Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing 54 Points
4. Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 52 Points
5. Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN 45 Points
6. Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 43 Points
7. Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra 41 Points
8. Jesper Radich (DEN) Radich Racing Team 40 Points
9. Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Sigma Racing Team 29 Points
10. Paolo Cian (ITA) Team Italia 16 Points


2010 Tour Card Holders:
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team
Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team
Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar


Access to Images, Audio Visual and Press Releases
To download high resolution pictures, audio and video files, and press releases, click on the following link to register your details: http://www.wmrt.com/multimedia.html

Please note: Registration is not automatic and will be reviewed. If you have previously registered on our old website, your username and password will be in our new database. For further enquiries or assistance, please contact media@wmrt.com

Social Media

Facebook Group name - World MatchRacingTour http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/World-Match-RacingTour/307841498309?ref=ts

Twitter Profile name - worldmrt
http://twitter.com/worldmrt

YouTube www.youtube.com/worldmrt

For more information on WMRT, please visit: www.wmrt.com

Issued by Communications Department, WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR
Name : Audrey Lakai
Mob : + 6 012 502 2206
Email : audreylakai@wmrt.com


Press information, please contact Capitalize:
Name: Rupert Hains
Tel: +44 (0) 207 940 1700
Mob: +44 (0) 7887 993 240
Email: media@wmrt.com

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Testing Conditions At St. Moritz Match Race Set To Challenge Tour Leaders And Wildcard Qualifiers

TEAMORIGIN. St Moritz Match Race 2010. World Match Racing Tour. St Moritz, Switzerland. 31st August 2010. Photo: Ian Roman/Subzero Images.

St Moritz, Switzerland – 31 August 2010 – The race village at the Segel-Club St. Moritz was buzzing today, with 12 world-class sailing teams making their final preparations for a week of fierce head-to-head competition in the St. Moritz Match Race, the sixth stage of the ISAF World Match Racing Tour Championship.

After a light dusting of snow on the hills above the lake overnight, St. Moritz sparkled in the morning sun. However, the unseasonably cold weather meant the trademark Maloja wind was absent today, leaving sailors to contend with an erratic and chilling northerly breeze. This was light and fitful at the start of the competitors’ registration and weigh-in session, but built to a useful 10-15 knots for the first practice session.
With the Maloja not expected to be fully active for a few days, the challenge of making the most of the shifty winds is uppermost in the minds of many skippers.

Johnie Berntsson (SWE), Berntsson Sailing Team, commented: “This is the second time for us here – it’s a stunning venue and we’re looking forward to it. The shifty winds make it a very challenging place for us, but we are used to that from our home waters near Gothenburg.”

One skipper who is not so worried about the tricky conditions, however, is Eric Monnin (SUI) Swiss Match Racing Team. Switzerland’s best match race helmsman, Monnin is currently ranked 26th in the world and has competed at every St. Moritz Match Race. He stepped ashore after today’s practice session relaxed and smiling, saying:
On board with Mathieu Richard and his crew at the St Moritz Match Race 2010. World Match Racing Tour. St Moritz, Switzerland. 31st August 2010. Photo: Ian Roman/Subzero Images.

“We like sailing at our home event. We know the boats and we know we can do well in the shifty conditions – it’s what we’re used to. We do as many of the WMRT events as we can – it’s always great to sail against these people.

“The standard of racing is increasing over time, with dedicated teams having a chance of winning against the America’s Cup sailors. There were coaches on many of the boats today – you didn’t see that here five years ago.”

The WMRT is well established as a pathway to stardom for sailors. Jérôme Clerc (SUI) Team CER Genève is an up and coming Swiss sailor, with the distinction of being the second amateur team in this year’s Tour de France a la Voile. The St Moritz Match Race will be Clerc’s first ISAF Grade WC event, having been awarded a wildcard entry after finishing second in the Qualifier Event 2010 Volvo Match Race, Zug.

Clerc added: “This is a very big challenge for us – we’ve been match racing during the winter for training, but this is our first time with the Tour. It’s a great pleasure to be able to race against the big sailing stars we’ve seen on TV. Match racing is perfect for improving our manoeuvres and crew communication – the courses are very short, so you must be very precise.”

Tomorrow morning will see Clerc pitched straight into one-on-one battles with three of the biggest names in the sailing world, starting with double ISAF World Match Racing Champion Ian Williams (GBR), Team GAC Pindar. In his next race the young Swiss sailor will face Mathieu Richard (FRA), French Match Racing Team, who’s currently at the top of the Tour rankings. Clerc will then go head-to-head against triple Olympic gold medallist and America’s Cup skipper Ben Ainslie (GBR), TEAMORIGIN.

You can follow the live blog at www.wmrt.com from 1 to 5 September from 11.00am until racing finishes at approximately 18.00

A preview of the St Moritz Match Race will be aired on 1 September on SF1 at 22:20.

A preview to the St Moritz Match Race can also be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCqmo-2i3gs

For fans around the world, the event will also be featured in a TV highlights programme called The St Moritz Match Race. Featuring all the action from Lake St. Moritz, it will premiere on Eurosport at 21.35 on 6 October and also show on Eurosport Asia Pacific at 13.45 on 13 October. The programme will be screened on Sky Sports 3 at 18.00 on 22 October.

The St. Moritz Match Race highlights show will be broadcast on channels across the globe including CNBC, Setanta, Showtime, Sky NZ, Sevenload, Yacht and Sail International, America One, ESPN Star Sports, PCTV Mexico, Melita Cable, Bands Sports Brazil as well as local Swiss broadcaster Teleclub. The latest TV schedule for all the races can be viewed at: http://www.wmrt.com/multimedia/tv-schedules.html

*Note: times are subject to change without notification

- Ends -

About the ISAF World Match Racing Tour:

The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) is the leading professional sailing series featuring 9 World Championship events across the globe, sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) with “Special Event” status.

The World Tour awards over US$1.5million in prize money with points awarded at each event culminating in the crowning of the “ISAF Match Racing World Champion”. In addition, an incentive to compete in the world’s premier sailing series just got bigger. A US$250,000 overall prize pool for the top nine teams with a $50,000 bonus for the outright winner of next year’s World Match Racing Tour is now on offer.

Events utilise the same “match race” format used in the America’s Cup with racing taking place in identically supplied racing yachts which places a focuses on team work and skill. Racing takes place close to the shore for the general public to follow the races as virtual on-the-water stadiums.

Media and television highlights coverage reaches over 2.1 billion households in excess of 183 countries around the world.

ISAF World Match Racing Tour Calendar
Match Race France 6 - 11 April Marseille, France
Match Race Germany 19 – 24 May Langenargen, Germany
Korea Match Cup 8 – 13 June Gyeonggi, South Korea
Portimão Portugal Match Cup 22 – 27 June Portimão, Portugal
Match Cup Sweden 5 – 11 July Marstrand, Sweden
St Moritz Match Race 31 Aug – 5 Sept St Moritz, Switzerland
Danish Open 8 – 12 Sept Bornholm, Denmark
Argo Group Gold Cup 4 – 10 Oct Hamilton, Bermuda
Monsoon Cup 30 Nov – 5 Dec Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia


2010 ISAF World Match Racing Tour Standings
(After Stage 5 of 9)

1. Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team 77 Points
2. Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 60 Points
3. Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing 54 Points
4. Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar 52 Points
5. Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN 45 Points
6. Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing 43 Points
7. Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra 41 Points
8. Jesper Radich (DEN) Radich Racing Team 40 Points
9. Magnus Holmberg (SWE) Sigma Racing Team 29 Points
10. Paolo Cian (ITA) Team Italia 16 Points


2010 Tour Card Holders:
Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team
Ben Ainslie (GBR) TEAMORIGIN
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Azzurra
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing
Bjorn Hansen (SWE) Hansen Global Team
Bertrand Pace (FRA) Aleph Sailing Team
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team
Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar


Access to Images, Audio Visual and Press Releases
To download high resolution pictures, audio and video files, and press releases, click on the following link to register your details: http://www.wmrt.com/multimedia.html

Please note: Registration is not automatic and will be reviewed. If you have previously registered on our old website, your username and password will be in our new database. For further enquiries or assistance, please contact media@wmrt.com

Social Media

Facebook Group name – World MatchRacingTour http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/World-Match-RacingTour/307841498309?ref=ts

Twitter Profile name – worldmrt
http://twitter.com/worldmrt

YouTube www.youtube.com/worldmrt

For more information on WMRT, please visit: www.wmrt.com

Issued by Communications Department, WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR
Name : Audrey Lakai
Mob : + 6 012 502 2206
Email : audreylakai@wmrt.com


Press information, please contact Capitalize:
Name: Rupert Hains
Tel: +44 (0) 207 940 1700
Mob: +44 (0) 7887 993 240
Email: media@wmrt.com