Monsoon Cup 2009 Qualifiers open for teams registration

7:54 AM Wed 25 Mar 2009 GMT

'Nurul Ain and her Perak Sailing Team- Photography by Gareth Cooke - Sub Zero Images' Gareth Cooke - Sub Zero Images &copy

The Monsoon Cup Malaysia 2009 is looking for young sailors and fresh talents across Malaysia and Asia for its qualifiers with the winners getting the opportunity to race with the world's best sailors in the Monsoon Cup the final event of the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) at Pulau Duyong in Kuala Terengganu from Dec 1- 6.

The Monsoon Cup Race Advisor, Dato' Peter Gilmour said today entries are FREE and each team must comprise of 5 sailors to participate in the Qualifier Series to be held in the match circuit in Kuala Terengganu. The Asian Match Racing Championship from Nov 9 to 12 is open to members of Asian yachting clubs and is followed by the Malaysian Match Racing Championship which is open to Malaysian sailors is from Nov 23 to 26.

Registration for both qualifiers will close on October 31, 2009, but first in will secure their spot. Gilmour said.

Gilmour added that the overwhelming response from both Malaysian and Asian sailors have encouraged us to expand the number of participants in the qualifiers which has also extended over four days instead of three previously.

Apart from qualifying to race with world-class sailors in the Monsoon Cup, the Malaysian and Asian Match Racing Championship winners are also racing for the RM1 million prize money that awaits the Monsoon Cup teams.

The season-ending Monsoon Cup - the last leg of the WMRT - was the first race to start the qualifying series in 2006. The qualifiers are now part of all WMRT races to unearth and provide new talents opportunities to race with seasoned sailors.

One of those who found success through the qualifying rounds is 24-year old Adam Minoprio (NZL), who first took part in the Monsoon Cup by winning the Asian Match Racing Championship in 2006 and 2007. By 2008, he was the losing finalist for the Monsoon Cup and fourth on the WMRT leader board.

Just last week, Minoprio and his Emirates Team New Zealand/BlackMatch Racing team of David Swete, Tom Powrie, and Dan McLean won the Marseille International Match Race, the first event of the 2009 World Match Racing Tour. After two years of trying, this is Minoprio's first-ever victory on the Tour, for which he and his team earn ?10000 of the ?50000 purse and 25 points on the Tour leader board.

Malaysian sailing protege, Nurul Ain Md Isa of the Perak Sailing Team said that the experience she gained from winning her first Malaysian Match Racing Championship last year helped her in the Monsoon Cup 2008.

'Otherwise, I would be scared to death at the prospect of racing against defending World Match Racing Tour and Monsoon Cup champion Ian Williams or other contenders like Sebastian Col and Mathiew Richard,' she said.

The organisers hope that talents like Minoprio and Nurul Ain will enter this year as the sport rises in popularity among enthusiasts and fans across Asia.

For more details participation in the Qualifier Series, please contact Ms. Mira Navaretna at Tel : +603-2142 2882 or E-mail your enquiries to: mira@tbest.com.my

by Audrey Lakai

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