Sailing Bow to Bow

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

THE MONSOON CUP PROVIDES INCENTIVE FOR NEXT GENERATION OF SAILING STARS

18 AUGUST 2010

Sailors aged 25 and below from outside Asia can compete at Asian Match Racing Championship

Phil Robertson (NZL), Team WAKA Racing at 2009 Asian Match Racing Championship - photo by subZero Images

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – 18 August 2010: A ground breaking initiative announced today by The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) will ensure that young sailors have the chance to compete for a place in the WMRT’s prestigious season ending finale, the Monsoon Cup.

The Asian Match Racing Championship (AMRC), a qualifying event for the glittering Monsoon Cup, is set to allow sailors under the age of 25 from outside of Asia to compete in the event for the first time this year, as well as other Asian teams.

This unique decision was taken by the AMRC to help encourage the development of match racing, a unique style of competitive sailing which sees participants go head-to-head in close quarters on the water. Current ISAF World Match Racing Tour Champion (WMRT), Adam Minoprio, has shown just what the AMRC can do for a sailor’s career having first made a name for himself by winning the AMRC in 2006 and 2007 respectively.

2009 Asian Match Racing Championships in action! - photo by SubZero Images

The AMRC will now look to replicate that story by allowing more young sailing talent from around the world the opportunity to race in the Championship, which gives the winner a berth in the Monsoon Cup at the end of the year. The sailing hotspots of Australia and New Zealand already come under the territory of Asia with regards to the WMRT and so the decision to open the field yet further is sure to make this year’s AMRC the most competitive yet. The World Match Racing Tour is the well worn pathway to the America’s Cup and is targeted by many of these young sailors.

Monsoon Cup Race Advisor, Peter Gilmour, said: “We have had many requests from professional sailors globally who want to compete in the Monsoon Cup. I sincerely believe the decision to open the field to youth sailors from around the world will be a step in the right direction for both the sport and Malaysian sailing.

“We need to develop more events for the youth and I’m happy the AMRC is taking that step forward. Three Turkish sailors and two from the Philippines signed up for the recent Monsoon Sailing School. This shows there is real interest in the sport from all over the world and many are looking at Malaysia as the hub for Asian Match Racing. As such, I feel all the initiatives taken under the Monsoon Cup umbrella will help achieve this.”

Asian Match Racing Championship - photo by SubZero Images

Besides Minoprio, last year’s AMRC winner, Phil Robertson, has also started to stamp his name in match racing with victory in the Korea Match Cup qualifiers earlier this year. He went on to finish 11th overall in the Korea Match Cup.

This year the AMRC takes place from the 26th to 29th October at the Ri- Yaz Heritage Marina Resort & Spa in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia, the home venue of the Monsoon Cup.

The AMRC is one of two events of which the winners will gain a berth into the Monsoon Cup, the other being the Malaysian Match Racing Championships (MMRC) which take place on 20th to 23rd October at Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina Resort & Spa.

For further information contact Mira Navaretna at mira@tbest.com.my or visit www.monsooncup.com.my for more information

-Ends-

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 its 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

About the ISAF World Match Racing Tour:
The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) is the leading professional sailing series featuring 10 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
Qingdao Match Cup 19 – 24 Oct Qingdao, China
Monsoon Cup 30 Nov – 5 Dec Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia

2010 ISAF World Match Racing Tour Standings
(After Stage 5 of 10)
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 Yvonne Reid at yvonnereid@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

Friday, August 6, 2010

WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR APPOINTS CAPITALIZE TO HANDLE GLOBAL PR CAMPAIGN

www.capitalize.co.uk

London, UK – 4 August 2010 - The world’s leading professional sailing series, the ISAF World Match Racing Tour (WMRT), has appointed sports marketing and communications specialist, Capitalize - the BrandFan® agency - to manage its global PR series for the remaining 5 races of this year’s Tour.

With the World Match Racing Tour embarking on an exciting development period which hopes to see the 10 race series double its size in the next five years, Capitalize will work alongside WMRT Communications Director, Audrey Lakai, to focus on increasing the Tour’s profile across key global markets by targeting international news, business, lifestyle, specialist and broadcast media.

The PR, sponsorship and experiential agency will also provide specialist on-event press office support and bring new media to the Tour events as the series draws towards its climax at the Monsoon Cup in December.

Capitalize will also manage the Tour’s social media channels and develop digital platforms to engage with fans and bring the thrill of match racing to a growing global audience with live video streaming and behind-the-scenes interviews and news features.

Sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) with “Special Event” status, the Tour sits amongst the prestige of the America’s Cup and The Volvo Ocean Race by attracting the world’s best sailors. The epic Tour features 10 World Championship events across the globe, including races in France, Germany, Sweden, Korea and China, culminating in November/December 2010 with the high-profile Monsoon Cup in Malaysia.

Competing teams go head-to-head on identical racing yachts, ensuring the overall ‘ISAF Match Racing World Champion’ is crowned on the merit of teamwork and individual skill. A US$250,000 overall prize pool for the top nine teams with a $50,000 bonus for the outright winner of this year’s World Match Racing Tour provides added incentive.

Jim O’Toole, Chief Executive Officer of WMRT, commented, “The World Match Racing Tour is well established as the World Championship of head-to-head sailing and features the very best sailors year after year. What we are now focusing on is taking the series on to the next phase, by increasing the number of events, enhancing our commercial partnership proposition and increasing our multi media footprint around the world.

“We have set some ambitious goals to develop the series and Capitalize’s expertise in engaging both global media and new fans will be a key component in helping us achieve our objectives. We are looking forward to starting work with Capitalize immediately as we start the build up to the next round in St Moritz, Switzerland which runs from 31 August to 5 September.”

Jonathon Bates, Associate Director at Capitalize, said, “Sailing is one of the few sports to have a truly global footprint and also the genuine scope to increase its profile in both traditional and emerging sailing territories. We’re delighted to be working with the World Match Racing Tour and look forward to helping the series develop its footprint by generating engaging and inspiring media coverage and social media activations around the Tour.”

-Ends-

2010 ISAF World Match Racing Tour Standings
(After Stage 5 of 10)

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

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

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
To View Footage http://www.wmrt.com/video-archive.html
Access to Footage ftp.wmrt.com

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: wmrtmedia@capitalize.co.uk

Malaysian Match Racing 2009 Youtubes Videos

HI Guys,

We are exactly 76 days from the Malaysian Match Racing Championship 2010. Its time I pep my self up by watching videos ,and bring up my fitness level,

Here all the link from last year 2009 qualifier,

My objectives are to spot my own mistake and not repeat them, then I will move on to the tour videos to learn new tricks.

Day 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LljMRqcOAww

Day 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1Ancwxt1TA

Day3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9YNJRotMm4

Day4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLZGeGoUfYw

Sean

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Qingdao, China's Sailing City

Qingdao International Marina & Olympic Sailing Center

London, UK, 26 July 2010 - The coastal city of Qingdao has gone from virtually unheard of outside China to a venue synonymous with world class sailing events. China's "Sailing City" grabbed the international spotlight with the organization of the highly successful 2008 Olympic games but sailing will be the spirit and legacy of Qingdao. Two years after the Olympics, Qingdao continues this strong and successful sailing legacy by welcoming the world's premiere match racing circuit, the World Match Racing Tour. This is no coincidence as Qingdao has long been connected with sailing events. The earliest sailing race in Qingdao dates back to 1904, when the German Royal Yacht Club held a regatta there. This was also the earliest sailing event recorded in Chinese history. It truly is the birthplace of sailing in China.

Olympic Games 2008
The Qingdao International Marina & Olympic Sailing Center (QIMOSC) is located at the former Beihai dockyard and covers approximately 45 hectares. Built at a cost of almost half a billion US dollars, including the re-siting of the old shipyard, the QIMOSC covers 111 acres of land and comprises a the purposely-built Olympic village, an athletes' centre, administrative centre, a large media centre and a logistics block. Former ISAF President Goran Petersson had stated that Chinese city was "the best venue I have ever seen for an Olympic sailing event."On the organizational side Qingdao demonstrated its ability to host big international events as a total of 400 athletes from 62 countries and regions participated in the Olympic sailing event and 80 athletes from 25 countries and regions participated in the Paralympic sailing event.The 2008 Olympics in Qingdao also marked another historic moment for the world's most populous nation. When Chinese sailor Yin Jian crossed the finish line at the medal race on her RS:X windsurf she gave her country the first ever gold medal in sailing. Never before was the Chinese national anthem heard at the prize-giving ceremony of a sailing event in the history of Olympic Games.

Clipper Round the World Race
Qingdao's participation in the Clipper Race was instrumental in the city's emergence as a world class sailing venue and helped secure the rights to stage the sailing events of the 2008 Olympic Games. Qingdao was a stopover of the round-the-world race in three consecutive editions, 2006, 2008 and 2010, taking part as well with a yacht bearing its name.

Volvo Ocean Race 2008-9
Banking on the successful Olympic games and the Clipper stopovers, becoming a port of the Volvo Ocean Race was a natural step in the progression of the city towards becoming a premier world sailing venue. After a grueling race that started under the hot weather in Singapore, the VOR fleet arrived in Qingdao in January 2009 only to be met by a cold winter climate. Despite the windy sub-zero winters, the Qingdao stopover proved to be a success with tens of thousands of locals that swarmed the race village.

World Match Racing Tour - Qingdao Match Cup
Given the ambitions and efforts of the city to further consolidate its position as a premier yachting venue not only in China but throughout Asia and the world, it was evident its next step would be to host an event of the World Match Racing Tour. In fact it will be the very first match racing event to be staged in China and will undoubtedly bring the Chinese public close to the sport of sailing in general and match racing in particular.

The Qingdao Match Cup will, obviously, make use of the existing facilities while racing will take place between the Olympic Sailing Centre and the new city area that will host tens of thousands of spectators on a daily basis. It is also forecast that the Qingdao Match Cup will benefit from windier conditions in late October but with the current adding another element of difficulty to the already tricky conditions, Qingdao will prove to be an unforgiving venue for the world's best match racers. Small errors will be heavily punished.

While still quite a number of match racers in the World Match Racing Tour have never sailed there, for two of the Tour's top sailors Qingdao will be a familiar place, bringing back fond memories of gold Olympic medals. Team Origin's Ben Ainslie and Iain Percy climbed on the highest position in the podium, the former in the Finn class and the latter in the Star class.

For Ben Ainslie, "Qingdao is a tricky place to sail, it will be interesting to see where they put a match racing course in for Qingdao Match Cup and how different the conditions will be in China during October compared to August when I was there for the Games".

Ainslie's teammate Iain Percy is confident "the addition of Qingdao this year as a Stage in the World Match Racing Tour is a real turning point for the series. It introduces the Chinese market to the global match racing world and the sailors get to race on waters used for the 2008 Games. I feel that it is an important step in the future of the WMRT to take the racing to every corner of the globe and inspire yet more fans to get involved in a sport we all love. Qingdao Match Cup will have top class facilities as part of the Olympic legacy and I am personally positive to be returning to a venue that holds very fond memories for me from my experience of competing at the last Games".

One aspect of Qingdao Match Cup though that sailors will not find tricky at all is the total prize pool. For the first time ever in the World Match Racing Tour, the local organizers in Qingdao will put at stake an impressive US$ 500,000, setting a new standard, not only for the Tour but also for the sport of sailing.

Article provided by Valencia Sailing

Friday, July 23, 2010

Malaysians to train under Olympic Champions

Australia’s Tessa Parkinson and Belinda Stowell to share know how in Monsoon Sailing School

Putrajaya, Malaysia, 23 July 2010 - The lure of the Monsoon Sailing School has proved irresistible to Australia’s Olympic champions Tessa Parkinson and Belinda Stowell, who have come on board as coaches.

Parkinson, who won Olympic gold in the 470 class with Elise Rechichi in China two years ago, is one of five coaches for the four-day Monsoon Sailing School which will be opened by the Malaysian Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek next Thursday.

Stowell was a gold medalist in the 470 Class with Jenny Armstrong at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. She is currently the head coach of sailing at the Western Australian Institute of Sport.
The other coaches are Torvar Mirsky and Kinley Fowler, skipper and mainsheet trimmer of Mirsky Racing Team who finished runners-up in the 2009 World Match Racing Tour Championship and Brad Sheridan, who helped Singapore win a sailing gold medal in the last Asian Games.

All five Australians will share their experience with 10 Elite Malaysian sailors handpicked by the Malaysian Yachting Association (MYA) and 18 other top sailors from around the country.

Initiated in 2009 under the patronage of the Malaysia Ministry of Youth and Sports, Monsoon Sailing School is the perfect training opportunity for teams vying to participate in the Malaysian and Asian Match Racing Championship of the Monsoon Cup as participants will train on the actual yachts used in Monsoon Cup.
Four F-36 match racing yachts have been brought down from Terengganu, Malaysia especially for the event to be held at Maritime Centre, Precinct 5 Putrajaya.

Parkinson works with the Yachting Foundation in Western Australia, taking corporate clients out sailing on the Swan River in Perth and agreed to coach in Malaysia through her links with her mentor Peter Gilmour, who is the Monsoon Cup Race Advisor.

“I’m delighted to be here in Malaysia for the Monsoon Sailing School. I’m sure it will be a unique experience for me and the sailors,” said Parkinson. “I’m looking forward to working with some of Malaysia’s best sailors.”

Meanwhile, Monsoon Cup Race Advisor, Peter Gilmour, said: “We are ecstatic that not one, but two Olympic champions and three very highly rated coaches have come to the Monsoon Sailing School this year. We definitely have an all-star line-up here. Their combined experiences cover the Asian Games, Olympics and the World Match Racing Tour.”

The Monsoon Sailing School is an initiative of the Monsoon Cup, the final leg of the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) to industrialise the sporting scene, spurring economic activities in the marine industry, namely in boat making and repair facilities, sales and servicing of accessories, coaching and training of local expertise and merchandising. Another major economic component is the sponsorship and marketing opportunities available which have a direct impact on the bottom line of its partners.

For more information, please contact:
Mira Navaretna
Email: mira@tbest.com.my
Telephone: +603-22833324.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

ISAF World Match Racing Tour Announces Latest TV Schedule

Korea Match Cup - Tonight on SKY at Primetime

If you haven’t been lucky enough to see the teams in action, we have all the details of where you can watch exclusive footage in the highlights programmes, news shows and of course live action at future events on TV channels around the world.

In a what can only be termed a tremendous result, Sky Sports UK will broadcast the highlights of Stage 3 of the World Match Racing Tour, Korea Match Cup, tonight, Monday July 20, 2010 in prime time on Sky Sports 3, at 20:00 UK time.

Mathieu Richard (FRA) and his French Match Racing Team crew won the 2010 Korea Match Cup defeating two time World Champion and UK native, Ian Williams (GBR) Team GAC Pindar, 3-1 in a final that was covered live across the globe.

The camaraderie of the teams and friendly rivalry between racers is captured beautifully as the programme includes exclusive interviews with contenders and behind the scenes moments of quiet contemplation.

The Korea Match Cup highlights show will be broadcast to 180 countries across the globe including CNBC, Setanta Africa, Showtime, Sky NZ, Sky Sports, Yacht and Sail International, Klarner Medien, RTP Portugal, Sevenload as well as America One, ESPN Star Sports, Sportsmax, Fox Sports US, Canal Plus, PCTV Mexico, Untamed Sports and Melita Cable.

For the full TV schedule please visit http://www.wmrt.com/multimedia/tv-schedules.html

Additional information on the ISAF World Match Racing Tour available at www.wmrt.com

For access to high resolution images please register at www.wmrt.com under Multimedia.

Access to Footage ftp://videos.wmrt.com
For access please contact:
LIVE, Post Event Highlight Shows:
Alex Colebeck or Matt Jeschelnik | Boulder Creek International
Tel: +44 208 996 5079; Mobile: +44 (0) 7748708568
Email: alex@bouldercreekinternational.com or matt@bouldercreekinternational.com
Skype : alex.colebeck or matt.jeschelnik

International News and Daily Highlights:

Simone Felsberger | eye-sprint Communication
Email: simone@eye-sprint.com
Tel: +49 89 200 62 614; Mobile: +49 (0)151 588 473 67
Skype: simonefels

Friday, July 16, 2010

Monsoon Cup 2010 Qualifiers

Monsoon Cup 2010 Qualifiers
This isn't official yet but the dates for Malaysian Match Racing Championship have been set from 20-23 Oct while the Asian Match Racing Championship is on 26-29 Oct.

Enters the time I will updates my blog more regularly as I get excited once more to compete in the qualifier!

More to come!
Sean Ong