Monsoon Cup Qualifier -Malaysian Match Racing titles -Tight at the Top

by Monsoon Cup Media 2010 on 20 Oct 2010 Monsoon Cup Qualifier - The Malaysian Match Racing Championship 2010 day one was the start of the Round Robin. Nine Malaysian teams are racing against each other at the Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina Resort and Spa in Pulau Duyong, Terengganu Malaysia, for the title.

This event is the most important on the local match racing calendar as the winner will earn a precious spot as one of the 12 teams competing at the 2010 Monsoon Cup, the final round of the ISAF World Match Racing Tour.

This morning light weather sailing conditions greeted the competitors in the first set of qualifying matches. As the land heated up the light five to six knots south, south westerly breeze shut down with the Pulau Basin turning to glass, forcing the abandonment of Matches 3 and 4.

The competitors back at the dock enjoyed lunch as the sea breeze built slowly delivering the promise of good conditions for the afternoon’s racing.

Hazwan Hazim Dermawan, (Team Pulse-AC Law), the reigning Malaysian Match Racing Championship (MMRC) winner had a good start to his 2010 campaign, finishing the day at 5-0.

‘This is going to be a tough year; my team mates and I came out fighting today. We sailed well with a 5-0 result, but we are yet to face Jeremy and Tiffany Koo and Mohd Razali Mansor (MAF1).

‘Today, in the morning races the right hand side of the course was favoured, but PRO David Tallis evened up the course by putting bias on the pin, so the left hand side of the course became favoured.’

While the breeze peaked at 12 knots it faded as the afternoon wore on, providing tricky racing conditions for the Malaysian Match Racing fleet.

The Jeremy Koo versus Tiffany Koo match was anticipated by all. Tiffany has twice won the Malaysian title and has not disappointed in the Monsoon Cup.

Tiffany went within two metres of beating one of the young icons of modern match racing, James Spithill, at the Monsoon Cup in 2006. Spithill had to fight hard to overhaul Tiffany in the dying seconds of their match.

In Koo versus Koo today, Jeremy held a tiny three-four metre advantage off the start line. After a fierce tacking duel Tiffany trailed by two boat lengths at the windward mark. A 180 degree wind shift turned the downwind into an upwind and put Tiffany back level on the race track but her brother held on to win.

Dock side Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team- Evernew) was smiling. ‘I was disappointed to finish third last year after doing so well in the round robin stage.

‘I'm determined to win the title this year as I love the winning feeling I had when I was part of Tiffany's winning crew in 2006 and 2007.

‘The last race win (against sister Tiffany) was important today - it puts us just one win behind Hazwan (Hazim Dermawan).'

Sister Tiffany Koo, (Koo Racing Team) was grinning even in defeat, after the last race of the day.

‘It is great to be back here in Terengganu for the Malaysian titles. We have won here twice in 2006 and 2007 but the standard has kept rising and Hazwan and that pesky Jeremy Koo are going to be very tough to beat.’

Today’s final words came from the hard working race officials.

Principal Race Officer David Tallis said ‘Terengganu never fails to disappoint and today was just awesome. Great match racing and when the wind did a 180 degree shift it was spectacular to see the crews were up to the challenge.’

'It was hot and intense and we are expecting more of the same tomorrow' concluded Chief Umpire Gary Manuel.

The leader board was crowded at the top after an exciting day on the water and it’s clear that the series is wide open after the first six flights.

The Leaders

Hazwan Hazim Dermawan (Team Pulse – AC Law) 5-0
Mohd Razali Mansor (MAF1) 4-1
Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team – Evernew) 4-1
Tiffany Koo (Koo Racing Team) 3-2
Nurul Elia Anuar (Sail Putrajaya) 3-2
Nik Asraf Nik Qaed (Malaysia One) 3-2

Flight 1
Nurul Elia Anuar (Sail Putrajaya) VS Hazwan Hazim Dermawan (Team Pulse – AC Law) 0 - 1
Jerome Welch (Putrajaya 5 0) VS Nik Asraf Nik Qaed (Malaysia One) 0 - 1
Mohd Masyuri (Malaysian Yacht Associations) VS Tiffany Koo (Koo Racing Team) 0 - 1
Rizal Mahadi (Royal Selangor Yacht Club) VS Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team – Evernew) 0 - 1

Flight 2
Jerome Welch (Putrajaya 5 0) VS Tiffany Koo (Koo Racing Team) 0 - 1
Mohd Masyuri (Malaysian Yacht Associations) VS Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team – Evernew) 0 - 1
Nurul Elia Anuar (Sail Putrajaya) VS Mohd Razali Mansor (MAF1) 0 - 1
Rizal Mahadi (Royal Selangor Yacht Club) VS Hazwan Hazim Dermawan (Team Pulse – AC Law) 0 - 1

Flight 3
Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team – Evernew) VS Jerome Welch (Putrajaya 5 0) 1 - 0
Mohd Razali Mansor (MAF1) VS Nik Asraf Nik Qaed (Malaysia One) 0 - 1
Rizal Mahadi (Royal Selangor Yacht Club) VS Nurul Elia Anuar (Sail Putrajaya) 0 - 1
Hazwan Hazim Dermawan (Team Pulse – AC Law) VS Mohd Masyuri (Malaysian Yacht Associations) 1 - 0

Flight 4
Rizal Mahadi (Royal Selangor Yacht Club) VS Mohd Razali Mansor (MAF1) 0 - 1
Mohd Masyuri (Malaysian Yacht Associations) VS Nurul Elia Anuar (Sail Putrajaya) 0 - 1
Hazwan Hazim Dermawan (Team Pulse – AC Law) VS Jerome Welch (Putrajaya 5 0) 1- 0
Nik Asraf Nik Qaed (Malaysia One) VS Tiffany Koo (Koo Racing Team) 0 - 1

Flight 5
Nurul Elia Anuar (Sail Putrajaya) VS Jerome Welch (Putrajaya 5 0) 1 - 0
Nik Asraf Nik Qaed (Malaysia One) VS Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team – Evernew) 1 - 0
Tiffany Koo (Koo Racing Team) VS Mohd Razali Mansor (MAF1) 0 - 1
Mohd Masyuri (Malaysian Yacht Associations) VS Rizal Mahadi (Royal Selangor Yacht Club) 1 – 0

Flight 6
Tiffany Koo (Koo Racing Team) VS Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team – Evernew) 0 – 1
Hazwan Hazim Dermawan (Team Pulse – AC Law) VS Nik Asraf Nik Qaed (Malaysia One) 1 – 0
Mohd Razali Mansor (MAF1) VS Mohd Masyuri (Malaysian Yacht Associations) 1 – 0
Jerome Welch (Putrajaya 5 0) VS Rizal Mahadi (Royal Selangor Yacht Club) 0 – 1