David Gilmour earns Asian Match Racing entry at Monsoon Cup

by Bernie Kaaks on 6 Nov 2012 T-Best Events SdnBhd, organising authority of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour’s (AWMRT) season ending Monsoon Cup together with the Warren Jones Foundation have today announced that the top placed Australian from the 2012 Warren Jones International Regatta will be invited as the Asian Match Racing entry to the upcoming Monsoon Cup.

David Gilmour, the top placed Australian from the Warren Jones Regatta, was obviously very pleased to be given the news.

'Cool! – I have been trying to qualify for the Monsoon Cup for the past two years, where I have travelled to Kuala Terengganu to compete in the Asian Match Racing Championships and although I have made the finals on both occasions, haven’t quite made it to the big event. So to qualify from my result at the 2012 Warren Jones Regatta is especially rewarding,' said Gilmour when contacted at his hometown in Perth.

No stranger to match racing events, David was the runner up at the 2011 and 2012 Warren Jones Regatta. He is also the son of four time World Match Racing Tour Champion and two time Monsoon Cup winner, Dato’ Peter Gilmour. Peter commented 'This is exciting times for young sailors, especially to have David and his team race in the Monsoon Cup. I am sure when we come to meet each other it will be a bit of old dog versus young pup! Jokes aside I am proud of the achievement my boys have made in sailing, it is a great family sport.'

Skip Lissiman, the Regatta Chairman of the Warren Jones International Youth regatta added 'the Warren Jones International Regatta has been a spawning ground for the new ‘young guns’ of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour for a number of years now with past Warren Jones Regatta winners and finalists - Adam Minoprio (NZL), Torvar Mirsky (AUS), Phil Robertson (NZL), Will Tiller (NZL), Keith Swinton (AUS) and Laurie Jury (NZL) now all making their mark on the Tour.

'I am confident that David Gilmour and his team will be knocking off some of the big guns at this years’ Monsoon Cup, maybe even his father!' added Lissiman.

The 2012 Warren Jones International Regatta was sailed from the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club in early February in the Foundation 36 yachts, the same class of yacht used at the Monsoon Cup. The competition is an invitation only event to skippers and crews under the age of 25 years. Over the past 10 years the winners of the event have all come from either Australia or New Zealand.

The Monsoon Cup will see action from some of the best match racers in the world, which includes the top eight teams on the AMWRT leaderboard, the winner of the Malaysian Match Racing Circuit (28-30 Nov), the Asian Match Racing entry (David Gilmour) and two wild card entries, which will be selected by the event organisers. Dubbed the F1 of sailing, the mega sports event will take place on 3-8 December at the Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina Resort and Spa, PulauDuyong, Kuala Terengganu.