Winds of Change Sweeps Jeremy Into Monsoon Cup

by Monsoon Cup 2010 on 23 Oct 2010 Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team-Evernew) swept past younger sister and two-time Champion Tiffany Koo (Koo Racing Team) to win the Malaysian Match Racing Championship (MMRC) at Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina Resort and Spa. As the winner of the MMRC, Jeremy will get the chance to sail in the Monsoon Cup which will be held at the same venue from Nov 30-Dec 5.

Jeremy, who crewed for Tiffany when she emerged victorious in the MMRC in 2006 and 2007, had mixed emotions after sailing to a 3-0 victory in the first ever MMRC final to feature siblings.

He was elated he has finally claimed the MMRC as a skipper after finishing third last year, but sad he denied his baby sister a chance to win the title for a third time. Jeremy also admitted he was lucky the wind was strong today as he felt a lighter wind would have favoured Tiffany.

“I finally did it,” said an elated Jeremy immediately after climbing off his boat. “The crew were just tremendous today and I’m delighted to finally win the MMRC but a little sad as I beat my sister. She was a little unlucky as the strong wind helped me.

“I’m flying off to Hong Kong to prepare for the China Cup. I will then have a training stint with the South Korean Asian Games squad. The rest of my crew will be heading back to their day jobs but all of us will spend lots of time in the gym as we need to be stronger and fitter for the Monsoon Cup.”

Comeback queen Tiffany, who has not competed in the MMRC for two years, could still look on the funny side despite the crushing lost.
“As I said all along, I didn’t even expect to reach the semi-finals, let alone the final as it was a last minute decision to comeback to the MMRC. Actually, took pity on my brother and let him win,” she said with a big laugh. “Honestly, he was too good today and I have no complains. Hopefully this result will help me find some sponsors as I want to do more Match Racing next year.”

Tiffany had stormed into the final when she defeated defending champion Hazwan Hazim Dermawan (Team Pulse-AC Law) 3-1 in a dramatic semi-final.

Her win over Hazwan, who topped the qualifying rounds with a 13-3 record, kept up the MMRC tradition of always having a female sailor in the final.

Tiffany, who trailed Hazwan 1-0 in the first flight yesterday, came out fighting this morning.

She pushed Hazwan to the pin end early, allowing her to start on the hip with full speed. It was a good move as she was never headed and she finished 22 seconds ahead to level the match.

The win gave Tiffany a big confidence boost and she played the current and the shifts beautifully to win the next two flights to take the semi-final 3-1.

In the semi-final match,Nik Ashraf was late for the entry in the day's first semi-final and this allowed Jeremy to line him up on starboard tack and the umpires duly rewarded him with a penalty against Nik Ashraf.

After making the entry with only 1 second to spare Nik Ashraf gybed back and dialed Jeremy up. In the ensuing luffing duel the boats made contact and Nik Ashraf was given a second penalty by International Umpires Roger Wood and Roger Purdy as he was judged to have caused the contact by not giving Jeremy any room to keep clear. After the start, a lapse of concentration in not taking his second penalty forced the umpires to use the black flag to give Jeremy the win. Nik Ashraf never recovered and that set the stage for the first ever brother-sister final in MMRC history.

The Asian Match Racing Championship is from Monday Oct 25, till Thursday Oct 28. The winner of the AMRC will also earn a berth to the Monsoon Cup. A third qualifier will be the winner of the Sunseeker Australia Cup, to be held from Nov 24-27 while the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) will award a wildcard.

The Monsoon Cup is the season ending race on the World Match Racing Tour. The world’s top sailors will all be in Terengganu with five skippers still in the race to be crowned World Champion.

For more information, please contact:
Mira Navaretna
mira@tbest.com.my
+603-22833324
or visit www.monsooncup.com.my

RESULTS

Final (Best of five)
Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team-Evernew) bt Tiffany Koo (Koo Racing Team) 3-0

Petit Final (Best of three)
Hazwan Hazim Dermawan (Team Pulse-AC Law) bt Nik Ashraf Qaedi (Team Malaysia One) 2-0

SEMI-FINALS (Best of five)
Tiffany Koo (Koo Racing Team) bt Hazwan Hazim Dermawan (Team Pulse-AC Law) 3-1
Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team-Evernew) bt Nik Ashraf Qaedi (Team Malaysia One) 3-0

5th-6th (First to one)
Rizal Mahadi Sazli (RSYC) bt Nurul Elia Anuar (Sail Putrajaya) 1-0

7th-8th (First to one)
Mohd Razali Mansor (MAF 1) bt Mohd Masyuri Rahmat (MYA) 1-0

FINAL STANDINGS
1. Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team-Evernew)
2. Tiffany Koo (Koo Racing Team)
3. Hazwan Hazim Dermawan (Team Pulse AC_Law)
4. Nik Ashraf Qaedi (Team Malaysia One)
5. Rizal Mahadi Sazli (RSYC)
6. Nurul Elia Anuar (Sail Putrajaya)
7. Mohd Razali Mansor (MAF 1)
8. Mohd Masyuri Rahmat (MYA)
9. Jerome Welch (Putrajaya 5 O)