8:31 AM Sat 8 Oct 2011 GMT
The Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina Resort & Spa, in Pulau Duyong, Terengganu, Malaysia is the host venue for the sixth edition of the Malaysian Match Racing Championship (MMRC) this week.
Right now seven Malaysian teams are fighting to take just one place with eleven of the best match racing skippers in the world at the prestigious final event of the 2011 ISAF World Match Racing Tour, the Monsoon Cup (November 22-27 at this same venue).
Half way through the qualifying round robins, the event is still wide open. Any one of four teams could win and the leader board is close, each team only having lost to others in the lead quartet, some by very narrow margins.
This morning was very hot. The wind was initially two-three knots from the west and slowly died as the temperature climbed. Even the locals were taking cover in the air conditioned comfort of the magnificent Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina Resort & Spa.
The forecast sea breeze arrived earlier than expected at 1130 hrs and settled in at seven-eight knots from 045 direction and Principal Race Officer David Tallis was able to get the racing started.
One of the key matches today was between Nurul Ain, the 2008 Malaysian Match Racing Champion and Mohd Romzi, one of the up and coming skippers on the Malaysian scene.
Nurul controlled the prestart against Romzi but an uncharacteristic error saw Nurul two metres over the line at the start.
Nurul worked the right hand side of the course and took advantage of the current to close the game up to less than two boat lengths at the top mark. Nurul applied the pressure on the downwind, gybing on to Romzi's air and eventually forced an error with Romzi's kite collapsing during one of the spirited gybing duels.
Romzi held onto the inside advantage at the leeward mark but Nurul had more speed and again elected to work the right hand side upwind.
A close tacking duel ensued with Nurul taking the starboard tack advantage, forcing Romzi to tack away on each encounter. Romzi gained on a crucial left shift and managed to sneak across Nurul's bow at the last mark. It was an excellent spinnaker hoist on both boats, with little more than a boat length separating them.
As the boats neared the course limit markers Romzi gybed close in front and Nurul appealed for a foul from the umpires. The umpires ruled Romzi's gybe was complete and green flagged the incident. Nurul tried in vain to affect Romzi's air and finished 20 secs astern.
A crucial win for Romzi and a sign he is a real threat to Jeremy Koo's title.
This afternoon Malaysian Armed Forces MF2 skipper Masyuri Rahmat is atop the leader board, on a count back after the round round robin and another flight have been completed, with Mohd Romzi and the winners of the 2010 and 2009 events Jeremy Koo and Hazwan Hazim all equal with 5-2 scorecards and the competition is fierce.
Masyuri Rahmat was smiling dockside after his win in the first flight of the second round robin. He said 'I've been match racing since 2006 with regular appearances here. Of all the pre-event training we've done, this week's Match Racing Clinic has been probably the most valuable to us. The combination of a stable team for the last two years and a big improvement in our tactical racing has certainly delivered results for us so far. But there is a long way to go.'
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Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team) on day 1 at the Malaysian Match Racing Championships. Kuala Terengannu, Malaysia. 7 October 2011. Photo: Gareth Cooke/Subzero Images -
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Results after first round robin and another flight
Masyuri Rahmat (MAF2) 6-1 only loss to Jeremy Koo
Mohd Romzi (UPM Sailing Team) 5-2 losses to Masyuri Rahmat and Hazwan Hazim
Jeremy Koo (Abdullah Chan/KRT) 5-2 losses to Hazwan Hazim and Mohd Romzi
Hazwan Hazim (Permai Hotel Sailing) 5-2 losses to Masyuri Rahmat and Mohd Romzi
Mohd Zaidi Md. Amin (MAF 1) 2-5
Nurul Ain Md Isa (Ri-Yaz Heritage Sailing Team) 1-5
Mohd Afendy Abdullah (Team Afendy) 0-7
At the end of the day David Tallis PRO commented, 'An interesting afternoon for course management. The big thunderstorm gave us three 180 wind shifts and we had to blow out one flight late, but all in all a good day on the water. This is a very close series and with more breeze expected tomorrow, it will be very exciting.'
The Asian Match Racing Championship will follow the Malaysian Match Racing Championship, 12th-15th October, with the winner of that event also securing a berth at the Monsoon Cup.
For more information go to
www.monsooncup.com.my
by Monsoon Cup media
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