The scene is set for 2008 Monsoon Cup start

3:54 AM Wed 3 Dec 2008 GMT

'2008 Monsoon Cup. Sebastian Col during a training session.' Gareth Cooke - Sub Zero Images &copy Click Here to view large photo

The best match racing teams in the world are in town as the world awaits the start of the final event in the World Match Racing Tour.

The strong breezes of last week's Asian and Malaysian qualifying events have eased off and the clouds have temporarily lifted from the relentless downpours of the last couple of weeks to provide a benign start to the most important event this year in the world match racing calendar.

Twelve teams will contest the fourth edition of the Monsoon Cup held off Pulau Duyong in Terengganu, Malaysia from the 3 to 7 December.

Leading the fleet is defending world champion and current tour leader Ian Willams and his Bahrain Team Pindar (GBR) on 92 points. Close on his tail are Sebastien Col (K Challenge, FRA) on 88 points and Mathieu Richard (French Spirit, FRA) on 77 points, Adam Minorprio (Black Match Racing/ETNZ, NZ) on 53 points equal with Torvar Mirsky (Mirsky Racing Team, AUS).

Other teams to contest the Monsoon Cup are Magnus Holmberg (Victory Challenge, SWE) with 51 points, Paolo Cian (Team Shosholoza, ITA) on 43 points, Johnie Berntsson (Berntsson Sailing Team, SWE) on 40 points, Ben Ainslie (Team Origin, GBR) on 15 points, Peter Gilmour (PST, AUS) on 10 points and recently qualified skippers Keith Swinton (Black Swan Racing, AUS) and Nurul Ain bt. Md Isa (Perek Sailing Team, MAL).

For eight the teams that did not get out on the water late yesterday for a training session, they have been allocated just over an hour this morning to settle some of the nerves and gauge today's racing conditions.

Regatta Director Skip Lissiman reports the recent monsoonal deluge, which arrived a bit earlier than in past years, has created quite a lot of river flow coming out of the Terengganu River. The monthly average rainfall for the region for November is 720mm. This year the area has received over double that amount. The affect of rains and subsequent flooding will have a colassal impact on the tactical decisions of all the teams.

'With the race course at the end of the island it makes the course quite challenging for the crews. We have got areas of very little current, or back eddys, areas of a lot current and areas where the current is coming from a totally different direction around the end of the island.'

In some areas of the course the current is running up to five knots while in the middle the tide is virtually stagnant.

For those competitors who have raced here previously they are used to racing in the diurnal in and out type current that Lissiman said they are not seeing this year. 'It is going out all the time. It is just less in different areas'

'The competitors like Keith Swinton and Nurul Ain who have already each done three days of racing have been through this. They know what to expect. The Race Committee has also been through six days of racing so they are quite aware of where they have got to put the buoys.

'It is the competitors who have not been racing this time around; Peter Gilmour, Ben Ainslie and Ian Williams and so on who have got to get out and learn in the first round robin how to handle these new conditions,' Lissiman said.

Even after racing here last week, taking out the Asian Match Racing Championship title, Swinton said the different tidal conditions are still a major factor. 'Especially if the wind is light. You have a lot of current there which makes it difficult especially if they lay the start down where the tide is flowing quite fast. It is going to be hardwork to sort it out,' Swinton said.

Col agrees the tide is going to be a key factor. 'Depending on where the race course is going to be set. I think if it is going to be set just in front of the yacht club, like it was last year, it is going to very tough during pre-starts.,' Col said.

The one advantage he can see for his team and those others that competed in the Portugal Match Cup was that they experienced a lot of current. 'We are a bit trained,' Col said.

Today's scheduled flights in the round robin stage are -
Flight 1 - Gilmour v Nurul Ain, Swinton v Richard, Cian v Holmberg and Col v Ainslie.
Flight 2 - Holmberg v Swinton, Richard v Cian, Bernstsson v Col and Mirsky v Ainslie.

The weather forecast is for light and variable north, north-east winds of 7 to 9 knots and smooth seas.

http//www.monsooncup.com.my

by Tracey Johnstone