With the announcement of a new era in the America’s Cup, where nationality rules may be introduced for crew, development of non-olympic sailors is starting to be lo0ked at. In the UK, the British Keelboat Academy has been relaunched with an eye to creating the America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean Race competitors of the future, but elsewhere, non-Olympic sailing has been identified by governments as a way of not just developing talent, but national pride.

This week, Malaysia announced a development plan to help develop the nation’s sailing fraternity and raise its international potential on the professional yacht racing circuit. The new initiative, spearheaded by Malaysia’s Youth and Sports Minister Dato’ Ahmad Shabery Cheek, is aimed at accelerating the progress of local athletes in the sailing arena and propelling them towards international sailing events. These prestigious global yacht racing events include the ISAF World Match Racing Tour (WMRT), the Volvo Ocean Race and the America’s Cup as “Special Events” in the sport as sanctioned by ISAF (International Sailing Federation).

The athletes enrolled on the programme will have access to the world’s top racing events that will also provide the most intense test of a sailor’s character.

This new professional sailing programme for Malaysia is of particular importance for talented sailors looking to move into more professional and challenging yacht racing disciplines. Currently, the country supports a healthy following of sailors in the Optimist, Laser and 470 dinghy classes. Dinghy sailors are regular competitors with support of the Malaysian Yachting Association in the SEA Games, Asian Games and the Olympic Games.

Malaysia has identified the big void of talent when it comes to racing in keel boats and on the professional world circuits. Dato’ Shabery agrees that this situation is due to the lack of a planned development route that sailors could follow and move up to the professional global circuit.

He said:

The Sports Industry Division of the Malaysian Youth and Sports Ministry is to be commended for bringing forth the idea that a dynamic programme is needed, where amateur sailors will receive high level coaching. Currently Malaysia is focusing on the medal sports but I would like to one day, see our athletes taking part in professional sailing events such as the ISAF World Match Racing Tour and possibly the America’s Cup”.

Dato’ Shabery informed the media at a press conference that the programme will involve an initial four-year plan which will see the participation of 10 athletes. This programme will run closely with the organisers of the Monsoon Cup, the final event of the WMRT.

“We will work closely with the organisers of the Monsoon Cup as they have the expertise to train and provide opportunities to our sailors. They are delighted to support the programme as it fits in nicely with their own development work which they have been carrying out for the past several years.”

Peter Gilmour, Acting President of the World Match Racing Tour was invited to present what the Tour has learnt and specifically the Monsoon Cup, Malaysia in running commercial events. The main objective of the forum was to discuss how different yacht clubs manage their services and what they can do better.

Peter strongly endorsed the role that yacht clubs play in events, however he contemplated that clubs looking to host commercial sailing events without wanting to take the risk of affecting their core business can set up a separate entity to do so. He said that most yacht clubs were not originally established by their members to organise commercial events.

“However, they can establish a separate entity with a Board of Directors as event promoters capable of taking on risk, establishing a balance sheet, seeking commercial partners and making contracts for service. Some of the biggest yacht clubs in the world have been successful in organising such events with an entity set up alongside their usual operations.”

He talked about the role of yacht clubs in commercial sailing events where he drew a distinction between what is considered “commercial” and what is not – this is dependent on the amount of risk the yacht clubs are willing to take.

For instance, if a yacht club’s turnover is say USD5 million per annum, then the board of management and club members are most likely going to risk say 10 percent on a sailing event and this then limits the size and scope of the event. In defining commercial sailing events he indicated a budget of USD 500,000 and above was the benchmark.

Using the Monsoon Cup as an example, Gilmour highlighted that an important component of world-class events is drawing a significant crowd to justify the importance of televising the event and went into a more detailed explanation of the key drivers behind the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia. Gilmour elaborated on the growth in both domestic and international tourism and the important role sports tourism is now playing in society as well as the critical part that government play in assisting commercial events.

At the forum attended by key personnel from yacht clubs all over the world, Gilmour reiterated the important role the top sailors have in representing themselves and being the brand ambassadors for the event that is being hosted.

“With significant sailors at these events the importance of presenting them to the public as celebrities is something that yacht clubs really need to embrace and pay careful attention to. The interest of the yacht club community to seek significant expansion into various different commercial areas is amazing! Currently, there is tremendous interest from all over the world on running commercial sailing events and how to run such businesses better. I was really impressed with the knowledge, capability and desire to improve in a range of areas.”

This is the fifth year the forum has been held and it is something that the International Council of Yacht Clubs has done to get participants up to speed and compare notes with their peers in the industry.

“There is still much more that can be done and I am excited to see so many yacht clubs considering how they can learn from each other and outside events.”

The 6th Commodores Forum for the ICOYC will be held at the Seattle yacht Club in September 2011.

Most have welcomed the change of ownership, with a belief that the Tour will benefit from increased investment. Certainly if the prize pool for the 2009 Monsoon Cup is anything to go by, the World Match Racing Tour may be able to deliver a truly professional global sailing series.

The Monsoon Cup, which starts later this week in Malaysia, is offering total prize money of MYR1.57m (US$ 454,000). The winner pockets MYR 360,000 (US$104,000) while the last team (12th place) receives MYR 50,000 (US$14,400).

Monsoon Cup Race Advisor, Datuk Peter Gilmour said,

‘This makes the regatta the biggest prize pool available throughout all sailing events in 2009. Importantly, the Monsoon Cup marks the final stage of the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) where the ISAF World Champion will be crowned.’

Gilmour noted that the increase in prize money is attributed to the increased sponsorship commitments from the key sponsors and the State Government of Terengganu in providing such outstanding facilities and intra-government support that takes the event to a new level.

While there are many pretenders to the overused and largely misleading phrase, ‘the F1 of sailing’, the World Match Racing Tour is probably the only sailing event that comes close. It is truly global, visiting more diverse markets than any other event on an annual basis. It features some of the worlds best professional sailors and confers upon the winner the genuine title of World Champion.

Leaving aside the fact that it is effectively a ‘one-make’ championship, the World Match Racing Tour has the potential to deliver a truly recognisable World Championship outside of the Olympic classes.

The Monsoon Cup is owned and organised by the same team that has now acquired the Tour commercial rights. If other events on the Tour are to be run in the same manner, with the same prize money, then it will attract attention from sailors, sponsors and media alike.

Like many sailing platforms, The Monsoon Cup is backed by Government tourism and development budgets. It is project of the Malaysian Ministry of Youth and Sports and it is proudly hosted by the State of Terengganu and is supported by key sponsors Richard Mille, TM, Cartrade Group (CTG), Astro, Firefly Airline, and Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina Resort & Spa.

Like many, we are eager to learn more about the plans for the WMRT 2010 and beyond.

With bonus points on offer at the Monsoon Cup, 5 skippers have a mathamatical chance of taking out the title including Adam Minoprio, Torvar Mirsky, Mathieu Richard, Peter Gilmour and Ben Ainslie.

Founded by the same team that has recently aquired the rights to the World Match Racing Tour, The Monsoon Cup is a fantastic example of using sailing as a platform for entertainment and investment.

The Monsoon Cup has announced via its Facebook page that Permanis Sdn Bhd, one of the largest beverage manufacturers in Malaysia will be an event sponsor with its isotonic drink – Revive Isotonic.

Ms Hemalatha Ragavan, Marketing Manager of Permanis Sdn Bhd said:

“This new generation isotonic drink will efficiently re-hydrate and replenish our body fluids so that it helps to revive and sustain the drive in performing our daily activities with as much vigour and verve,”

Monsoon Cup Race Advisor, Dato’ Peter Gilmour welcomed Permanis’ sponsorship, noting that Revive Isotonic was the first isotonic drink to be associated with the Monsoon Cup and reflected its commitment to the development of the sporting industry.

“This is definitely a boost for us and we are sure Revive Isotonic will do a great job of ensuring everyone is refreshed for the race. I am happy with Permanis’s sponsorship as it goes beyond the usual advertising and we see it as a wonderful partnership to make the Monsoon Cup a great experience for all.”

The four-year sponsorship deal signed in 2008 will see the company continue to provide all on the ground transportation solutions and logistical management in Pulau Duyong, Kuala Terengganu during the Monsoon Cup, to be held 1- 6 of December 2009.

The group is already well associated with sponsorship of many prestigious sporting events and will also be sponsors of the upcoming MotoGP at Sepang Circuit.

Dato’ Ilyas Mohamed Executive Chairman of Cartrade Group said the Monsoon Cup is however the most interesting and exciting event to sponsor.

“The Monsoon Cup is unique as it is our first sponsorship of an event on water. Providing logistical solutions to the event during the monsoon season in Terengganu in itself is a complicated process. Last year for example we experienced flooding of up to a metre in some areas. It makes for some interesting challenges.

This year that is expected to increase that to up to 60 vehicles that will be branded as “MonsoonWagen”.

Meanwhile, Monsoon Cup Race Advisor Dato’ Peter Gilmour commended the Cartrade Group for it’s continued support of events such as the Monsoon Cup which he said shows a commitment to the development of the sporting industry amongst others.

“Cartrade Group’s sponsorship goes beyond the traditional methods of advertising, it is engaging and we appreciate the group’s ability to think in broader terms, with a complete understanding of the needs of the event. It allows for a more impactful partnership.”

For the Cartrade Group that includes a unique opportunity to raise awareness of the brand and it’s association with an exclusive lifestyle sport. This also benefits its clientele who are invited to attend the event and enjoy the benefit of sponsorship packages.

Dato’ Ilyas said:

“The event held during Monsoon season in Terengganu allows us an opportunity to provide our customers with a lifestyle experience of international sport. We invite our customers to join us in Terengganu for the event,”

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Peter Gimour is also the Chairman of the World Yacht Racing Forum in 2009. This information could win you a free delegate pass to the event in December in Monaco. Enter our competition to win.

Apart from the Americas Cup, the Monsoon Cup is the only yachting event to utilise Virtual Eye; a real time, 3D sports graphics package for television and the big screen.

During the races, the technology tracks the boats live, by installing custom-built trackers in each yacht.

Virtual Eye helps the ‘unskilled eye’ to see the position of the yachts during races to allow spectators to keep track of the action, aided by computer graphic overlays.

Supporting features such as grid lines showing the yacht’s position, and circles indicating changes in speed, help viewers to understand the subtleties of match racing.

Like a video game, there are an endless range of camera angles, with fast-forward and rewind functions available for post race analysis.

For more information on the Monsoon Cup, visit: http://www.monsooncup.com.my/

‘We’re proud to be one of the principal local sponsors of the Monsoon Cup event, which has over the past three years, grown into a prestigious international sailing event,’ noted Dato’ Ilyas Mohamad, CEO, VW Cars. ‘We take pride in supporting internationally recognised events that puts Malaysia on the world map.’

Dato’ Ilyas expressed confidence that the VW Cars sponsorship will be a long-term collaboration with the Monsoon Cup. He added that VW Cars is keen to support more home-grown events having previously sponsored such national events as Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit conference, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Petronas Murphy Oil, and Gourmet Indulgence.

The Monsoon Cup 2008, featuring 12 teams, is the climax of the World Match Racing Tour. Last year’s champion, Ian Williams from Britain, will return to reclaim his title this year.

More than 100,000 visitors are expected at the fourth instalment of the event to watch the action as the competitors vie for the World title.

Among the peripheral events organised during the Monsoon Cup 2008 include the kick-off concert, Monsoon Cup Feast, Monsoon Cup Fishing Competition, and daily cultural performances.

www.monsooncup.com.my

Australia’s 22-year-old Torvar Mirsky and New Zealand’s 23-year-old Adam Minoprio will be heading to the cup, to be held from the 3rd to 7th December in Terengganu, Malaysia, as two serious challengers on the World Tour.

They are currently tied for fourth place on the 2008 ISAF Match Racing World Championship standings and they both are positioned to beat out any of the other teams as they vie for both the Monsoon Cup and overall championship titles.

Mirsky started sailing when we was 10 and was introduced to Match Racing at the tender age of 15. Ironically, he was coached by Peter Gilmour and Skip Lissiman, both of whom are involved in the Monsoon Cup.

By 2006 Mirsky was competing internationally and his dream of becoming the best match racer in the world was launched.

‘I came out of school and went to the University of Western Australia to study Mechanical Engineering and Physics, which was quite a handful. I was quite fixated on sailing and so I was concentrating more on sailing than studying. It showed in my studies so I decided to just focus on sailing and really gave it a go.

‘I thought if I missed an opportunity with sailing I would really regret it, but if I missed an opportunity with studying, I could go back and do it. I went flat out with sailing just to see what would happen. I paused my studying and went overseas and did it. And here I am now and it’s been the best call of my life.’

Since 2006 Mirsky has achieved podium finishes in key international match racing events. His first time competing at the Monsoon Cup in 2007 saw him finish fifth ahead of Minoprio.

Minoprio started sailing when he was seven and competed in his first world championship at 12 years old.

‘This year we were a little off the pace compared to Torvar at the start, but after half the year we raced Torvar in the final of the Blurimini Match Cup and we won 3-0. So after that we felt like we were starting to get on top of our own game more and up to Torvar’s team’s level, and with recent progress we are feeling like we are pulling ahead.’

Since 2006 Minoprio has also achieved podium finishes in international match racing events. His best results have been first in the 2007 and 2006 Asian Match Racing Championships, and first in the 2006 Warren Jones International Youth Regatta.

Mirsky’s style is very different. ‘I feel our boat handling and our team is really solid now. I’m confident in all the situations that we’ve experienced. I feel I can pull of a lot of different things and intimidate and push the other boat.’

But with Mirsky and Minoprio fourth on the overall leader board, these two skippers are the ones Tour leader Ian Williams will be watching the closest. .

‘We are certainly very wary of both those teams. They have sailed at times very, very well. Like everyone on the World Match Racing Tour, the key is consistency. I think that’s what comes with experience; more consistent results.

‘They are putting a lot of time in, and they are training really hard. Both teams have been pretty much full time match racing this year. They’ve each done 20 or 25 events and it’s made them very strong. They’ve got a consistent team. They are young, hungry, strong teams.

‘In any individual race you’ve got to go out and obviously sail better than them to beat them. That’s the beauty of the World Match Racing Tour events. Because it’s in supplied boats, on any day you actually have to out-perform your opponents. You don’t go into any race having an inherent advantage of having better equipment; you have to go out and beat them. That’s hard to do sometimes.’

Minoprio thinks Mirsky has the jump on his team, but believes they are closing the gap. ‘We will hopefully (close it further) with this last regatta so we can drive ahead,’ Minoprio said.

Williams believes there is quite a bit of rivalry between Minoprio and Mirsky. ‘Whoever comes out on top between them will make a big difference for them.’

More at http://www.mirskyracingteam.com/

First Published http://whitepearl.com.au/