Koo - new face of Moonson Cup

source by: Sean McNeill

After a trying day beset by light winds and intermittent downpours, Peter Gilmour took the early lead in defense of his title at the Monsoon Cup, Stage 6 of the 2006-’07 World Match Racing Tour.
Gilmour, skipper of PST, finished the day with a 3-0 record to claim the top spot. Behind him is a group of four skippers – including Jesper Bank, Paolo Cian, Sébastien Col and Ian Williams – at 3-1.
“It was a very hard day. The wind was shifting everywhere,” said Cian, a helmsman for Team Shosholoza. “The starts were important and boatspeed is always important. The difference between crossing and not was a half meter.”
While the names at the top of the leaderboard are familiar, it was a 22-year-old Malaysian woman who stole the show. Tiffany Koo, Malaysia’s rising female match-racer, made a splash in her World Tour debut when she won her first match against Asian rival Wearn Haw Tan from Singapore.

Read more at Match Race Events section

Dean Barker the NZL Match Race Champion

source: www.yachting.org.nz

This is the fourth time Dean Barker has won the New Zealand Match Racing Championships first in 1998 and then three times in a row, 2004, 2005 & now the hat trick 2006. He is the only skipper to win the illustrious title four times; the next skipper winning three times is Gavin Brady.
It was a very tough Final. Barker won the first race and Brady the next two which put the pressure on Barker to take the next to keep his series alive.
It was a close battle and as the boats came down to the finish line Brady luffed Barker. Brady was penalised for the collision and Barker won the race and then the final race to win the 2006 New Zealand Match Racing Championships for the fourth time!

Monsoon Cup lineup confirmed

source by: Sean McNeill

With racing scheduled to begin Wednesday, Nov. 29, the lineup has been confirmed for the Monsoon Cup, Stage 6 of the 2006-’07 World Match Racing Tour and the richest sailing event in the world.
The 12 skippers and crews will be chasing a prize purse of MYR 1 million, approximately $275,000. It is the largest prize purse offered in sailing. The winner will earn MYR 250,000, or nearly $70,000. Racing is scheduled Nov. 29-Dec. 3.
Heading the lineup is the event reigning champion and match racing world champion Peter Gilmour of the PST team from Australia. Another entrant is current world championship leader Ian Williams of Team Pindar from Great Britain.
America’s Cup syndicates are represented by Jesper Bank of United Internet Team Germany, Paolo Cian of Team Shosholoza, Sébastian Col of Areva Challenge, Peter Holmberg of Alinghi, James Spithill of Luna Rossa Challenge and Wearn Haw Tan of China Team.

Monsoon Cup Provisional Entry List (as of Nov. 20)
Jesper Bank (DEN) United Internet Team Germany
Paolo Cian (ITA) Team Shosholoza
Sébastien Col (FRA) Areva Challenge
Peter Gilmour (AUS) PST
Björn Hansen (SWE) Team Apport.net
Peter Holmberg (ISV) Alinghi
Tiffany Koo (MAL) Team Selango Gapurna
Adam Minoprio (NZL) Black Match Racing
Wearn Haw Tan (SIN) China Team
Mathieu Richard (FRA) Saba Sailing Team
James Spithill (AUS) Luna Rossa Challenge
Ian Williams (GBR) Team Pindar

Read more at Match Race Events section

Percy wins round one of the JPMorgan Asset Management Winter Challenge Series

See pictures of the JP Morgan Winter Challenge

RYA Press Release

13 November 2006

The JPMorgan Asset Management Winter Challenge Match racing Series kicked off this weekend (11-12 November) at Queen Mary Sailing Club, Staines. Some of Britain’s top match racers were showing off their match racing skills, including +39 Americas Cup helmsman and Olympic gold medallist Iain Percy.
The series run by the Royal Yachting Association also tempted veteran match racer and commentator Andy Green back to the match racing circuit, alongside British National Match Racing Champions both past and present in the form of Mark Campbell-James and Nick Cherry.  Also competing from overseas was Orkun Soyer from Turkey and Jelle Roos from Holland.

The next stage of the Challenge is in two weeks time on 25 and 26 November.

Overall results
1.      Iain Percy (GBR), Gabrielle Bruni, Andrew Simpson, Michelle Bella
2.      Mark Campbell-James (GBR), Dave Mason, Andrew Yates, Andy Clark
3.      Andy Green (GBR), Graham Sunderland, Tris Nelson, Andy Oliver
4.      Nick Cherry (GBR), Connor Myant, Nick Houchin, Oscar Helmstrom
5.      Christian Hamilton (GBR), Sam Carter, Steph Dawson, Mark Capps, Ed Hill
6.      Jelle Roos (NED), Frans Hin, Maarte Innemee, Kelly Clarjs, Maricke Poulis
7.      Dave Tabb (GBR), Ben, Scroggie, Jason Foster, Stewart Bowen
8.      Orkun Soyer (TUR), Gagatay Soyer, Onursal Soyer, Ismail Inan
9.      Rob Grieg-Gran (GBR),  Ed Walker, Tudor Owen, Gareth Owen

Read more about the JP Morgan Winter Challenge in the Match Race Event Section  

JP Morgan WINTER CHALLENGE MATCH RACING Informations

WINTER CHALLENGE MATCH RACING
Dates for the November 2006 to March 2007 Series
Winter Challenge 1: 11, 12 November 2006 Grade 3
Winter Challenge 2: 25, 26 November 2006 Grade 3
Winter Challenge 3: 8, 9, 10 December 2006 Grade 2
Winter Challenge 4: 13, 14 January 2007 Grade 3
Winter Challenge 5: 27, 28 January 2007 Grade 3
Winter Challenge 6: 9, 10, 11 February 2007 Grade 2
Women’s Winter Challenge: 23, 24, 25 February 2007 Grade 2
Winter Challenge Final: 9, 10, 11 March 2007 Grade 2

Qualification
1. All Winter Challenge events are by invitation but anyone interested may apply.
2. Preference will be given to the top 60 in the World Match Racing Rankings.
3. British teams must have sailed in the RYA National Match Racing Series to be invited to the Winter Challenge or be in the top 100 in the World Match Racing Rankings.
4. The winners of Winter Challenge 1, 2, 4 and 5 will be invited to the Winter Challenge Final.
5. The winners and runners up of Winter Challenge 3 and 6 and the Women’s Challenge will be invited to the Winter Challenge Final.
6. Further places in the Winter Challenge Final may be allocated as necessary. There will be 10 teams in the Winter Challenge Final.

See pictures of the JP Morgan Winter Challenge

Deb Capozzi Leads Team to U.S. Women's Match Racing Championship Title

Newport Beach, CA (November 12) - By the time the teams for the finals of the U.S. Women's Match Racing Championship were lined up on Saturday, spectators were in for a treat and the finalists didn't disappoint. The finals put the team led by Deb Capozzi up against another very strong team led by Katie Pilley-Lovell.

Capozzi won the first race, but Lovell dug back in the second race to tie the series. Race 3 saw a great battle between the two, with Capozzi barely taking the win. After changing boats, the two teams went back at it. After a very exciting pre-start, Capozzi was able to control off the line, then used great boat speed to stay out in front, even with Lovell and her team finding some great pressure and advantageous lifts. Capozzi cruised across the line to take the fourth match and win the title. Capozzi, who was on the winning boat last year and this year sailed with Kelly Hand, Chantal Ledger, and Lindsay Bartel, took home US SAILING's Allegra Knapp Mertz Trophy as the 2006 U.S. Women's Match Racing Champions. For the second year in a row, Pilley-Lovell won the Mrs. Charles Adams Trophy.

Monsoon Cup becomes the richest sailing event

source by: Sean McNeill

The World Match Racing Tour resumes its 2006-’07 season at the end of the month with Stage 6, the Monsoon Cup, Nov. 29-Dec. 3 in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia.
In its second year the Monsoon Cup has gained prominent status on the World Tour. It offers the richest prize purse for a sailing event, MR1 million (approximately $275,000), an increase of more than two and a half times last year’s purse, with the winner set to earn MR250,000 (approx. $68,000).
The Monsoon Cup was created last year to bring world class professional sailing to Malaysia and Southeast Asia. The inaugural event created an unprecedented economic return for Malaysia and the region of Terengganu. That success prompted the signing of Richard Mille Watches as title sponsor, which has helped increase the prize purse.