Monsoon Cup is top World Match Racing Tour event for third time

by Monsoon Cup on 13 May 2011 All the hard work put in by the organisers of the prestigious Monsoon Cup has paid off once again when it received the coveted title for the Best Overall Event for the third time.

The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) awards, which were voted for by the sailors and media, saw winners selected in seven further categories which included the best overall management; marketing; media operations; audience engagement initiative; TV innovation and most improved event.

The Monsoon Cup was also judged the Best Overall Event in 2009 and 2007 while the event also bagged the Best Spectator Experience and Best TV Innovation for the 2009 edition.

Besides being named the top event for 2010, the Monsoon Cup also bagged the Best Media Operation and Best Race Committee awards.

The winners of the 2010 World Match Racing Tour Awards were unveiled today with Ben Ainslie and his TEAMORIGIN recognised as the Best Team.

The awards were voted for online in two categories. The first was made up of sailors, media, TV and marketing community. The second category was made up solely of sailors, as the rationale was to give the sailors a big voice on the awards.

Tan Sri Sabbaruddin Chik, Chairman of Monsoon Cup, was elated with the announcement.

'The team has been working hard trying to find innovative ways to top their achievements of the previous years and I’m extremely proud they have done so by once again winning the Best Overall Event,' said the chairman, who was a former Culture, Arts and Tourism Minister.

'I would like to thank the World Match Racing Tour and the people involved in the awards for recognising the Monsoon Cup and I pledge we will continue working hard to maintain our position as the most prestigious event in the WMRT calendar.

'A heartfelt thank you goes out to the Youth and Sports Ministry as their support has been invaluable to us. Ours has been a wonderful partnership and these awards also belong to them.'

David Tallis, Principal Race Officer of the Monsoon Cup, who won the 2009 Best Race Officer Award for Korea and Monsoon Cup, was delighted to receive the award for the Best Race Committee.

'Every year the race committee try our best to give the sailors and spectators what they want. My team and I are deeply honoured to have won this award at the Monsoon Cup.'

World Match Racing Tour Chief Executive Jim O’Toole said, 'As a Tour we have very ambitious aims for the continual improvement of the Tour and ensure we provide the sailors, fans and sponsors with the best sailing tour in the world.

'The success and progress the Tour has made over the last few years has only been possible thanks to the tireless work of the Event Teams throughout the year. The awards are a great way to recognise the huge efforts they have gone to and show the breadth activities, which they are all working on improving each year.

A full break down of the Awards Winners is below.

2010 World Match Racing Tour Awards
Best Overall Event: Monsoon Cup
Best Media Operation: Monsoon Cup
Best Event Management: St Moritz Match Race
Best Event Marketing: Match Cup Sweden
Most Improved Event: Match Race France
Best Audience Engagement: Match Cup Sweden
Best TV Innovation: Match Race Germany
Best Team: TEAMORIGIN

2010 World Match Racing Tour Sailor Awards
Best Sailing Experience: Portugal Match Cup
Best Race Committee: Monsoon Cup
Best Overall Event: Korea Match Cup

2011 WMRT Tour Card Holders
Johnie Berntsson (SWE) Berntsson Sailing Team
Francesco Bruni (ITA) Mascalzone Latino
Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR Racing
Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team
Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team
Jesper Radich (DEN) Radich Racing Team
Mathieu Richard (FRA) French Match Racing Team
Phil Robertson (NZ) WAKA Racing Tea
Ian Williams (GBR), Team GAC Pindar