London, UK – 26 January, 2012: Match Race Germany, the opening event on the 2012 World Match Racing Tour, has announced world renowned car manufacturer Porsche as a new event partner. This year marks the 15th anniversary of Match Race Germany which will take place on Lake Constance, Langenargen from 23 to 28 May 2012.   Following a successful trial sponsorship by MHP, a subsidiary of Porsche, at Match Race Germany in 2011, Porsche AG will now become a sponsor and boat partner to this year’s event which attracts over 30,000 sailing fans. A marketing campaign, including on-event activation, will allow the brand to engage with current and prospective customers at the annual event.  Porsche AG is noted for its motorsport heritage and feels this venture into sailing is a natural progression for the brand. “Sailing is a very popular and highly respected sport amongst our customers,” said Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of Porsche Germany GmbH.  “Both sailing and motorsport rely on clear rules, teamwork, strategy, tactics and of course good fortune – and these values are also reflected in our management style. Sailing is clean, fair, free of doping and essentially comes down to one thing – working out how to get from start to finish in the fastest possible way.”  “Match Race Germany is what the Carrera Cup represents to us,” said Zellmer. “It offers an enthusiastic sporting audience, all within touching distance, delivering a live experience and not just a satellite transmission.” Speaking about the announcement, Harald Thierer, Match Race Germany Organiser, emphasised that Porsche is joining a group of corporate event partners, including STIHL, MHP, Ultramarin, Rolf Benz and Bavaria, who will each benefit from a year-round activation:  “Our partners can expect much more than the five-day appearance and exposure at an international sporting event, with enthusiastic spectators and associated media coverage. Porsche and all our other partners will benefit from our wider offering which includes an event centre, business coaching, training programmes and yacht charter department.”  As a partner Porsche will also benefit from the Tour’s international broadcast both on television and the internet. Sailing fans can follow each event online via a live blog as well as a few hours of live coverage each day including expert commentary from on and off the water. In addition morning and evening shows are produced daily by Red Handed TV showing interviews with sailors, event organisers and sponsors as well as highlights from all the day’s action on the water. 

London, UK – 13 January, 2012: Bill Hardesty tactician for ISAF Match Racing World Champions Team GAC Pindar has been named the 2011 US Rolex Yachtsman of the Year and in doing so, adds his name to the long and illustrious list that accompanies this prestigious award.  Hardesty was a key member of the team that went to the Monsoon Cup in December, the final of the World Match Racing Tour, with a slender lead over their rivals and not only held their nerve to see off all challengers to the title, but like true champions, went on to win the event thus securing their fourth win of the year.  Hardesty’s other successes last year included winning the Etchells World Championship, in an 81-strong fleet, the 47th Congressional Cup in Catalina 37s and the CMRC Grade 2 Invitational in Tom 28s, along with top finishes at the Rolex Big Boat Series in Express 37s (second) and the Farr 40 World Championships (fourth).  "This is a huge honour," said Hardesty after receiving word that he had been named the 2011 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year. "The long list of past winners is very impressive and includes people who I have always considered to be the best in the world. I would first like to thank Rolex for making sailing what it is today. Without their sponsorship of sailing, the sport would be a lot different." "A lot of credit goes to the teams I raced with this past year," Hardesty continued. "Sailing is truly a group effort and winning this award would never have been possible without great teammates: the Etchells World Championship team of Steve Hunt, Mandi Markee and Craig Leweck, and Team GAC Pindar skippered by Ian Williams."  Hardesty began competing on the World Match Racing Tour in 2006 and has been and invaluable team member. Ian Williams commented on Hardesty’s recent achievement: “I would like to congratulate Bill on winning this prestigious award. Match racing is very much a team sport and it is great that his contribution to Team GAC Pindar has been recognised in this way.  That combined with his brilliant 2nd Etchells World Championship victory makes him a very worthy winner.”   This coveted award was established in 1961 by US Sailing and sponsored by Rolex, USA since 1980, the annual presentation of US Sailing's Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards are considered the sport's ultimate recognition of an individual's outstanding on-the-water achievements for the calendar year.  Jim O’Toole, CEO of the World Match Racing Tour, commented: “On behalf of the World Match Racing Tour, I would like to congratulate Bill on this exceptional achievement. We have long recognised Bill’s talent as a sailor and we are delighted that he as been deservedly awarded this outstanding accolade. Bill joined the WMRT in 2006 and not only has he been a key member of the team crowned World Champions twice during that time, but he has been a true professional of our sport and a pleasure to have on tour.”

London, UK – 26 January, 2012: Match Race Germany, the opening event on the 2012 World Match Racing Tour, has announced world renowned car manufacturer Porsche as a new event partner. This year marks the 15th anniversary of Match Race Germany which will take place on Lake Constance, Langenargen from 23 to 28 May 2012.   Following a successful trial sponsorship by MHP, a subsidiary of Porsche, at Match Race Germany in 2011, Porsche AG will now become a sponsor and boat partner to this year’s event which attracts over 30,000 sailing fans. A marketing campaign, including on-event activation, will allow the brand to engage with current and prospective customers at the annual event.  Porsche AG is noted for its motorsport heritage and feels this venture into sailing is a natural progression for the brand. “Sailing is a very popular and highly respected sport amongst our customers,” said Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of Porsche Germany GmbH.  “Both sailing and motorsport rely on clear rules, teamwork, strategy, tactics and of course good fortune – and these values are also reflected in our management style. Sailing is clean, fair, free of doping and essentially comes down to one thing – working out how to get from start to finish in the fastest possible way.”  “Match Race Germany is what the Carrera Cup represents to us,” said Zellmer. “It offers an enthusiastic sporting audience, all within touching distance, delivering a live experience and not just a satellite transmission.” Speaking about the announcement, Harald Thierer, Match Race Germany Organiser, emphasised that Porsche is joining a group of corporate event partners, including STIHL, MHP, Ultramarin, Rolf Benz and Bavaria, who will each benefit from a year-round activation:  “Our partners can expect much more than the five-day appearance and exposure at an international sporting event, with enthusiastic spectators and associated media coverage. Porsche and all our other partners will benefit from our wider offering which includes an event centre, business coaching, training programmes and yacht charter department.”  As a partner Porsche will also benefit from the Tour’s international broadcast both on television and the internet. Sailing fans can follow each event online via a live blog as well as a few hours of live coverage each day including expert commentary from on and off the water. In addition morning and evening shows are produced daily by Red Handed TV showing interviews with sailors, event organisers and sponsors as well as highlights from all the day’s action on the water. 

London, UK – 13 January, 2012: Bill Hardesty tactician for ISAF Match Racing World Champions Team GAC Pindar has been named the 2011 US Rolex Yachtsman of the Year and in doing so, adds his name to the long and illustrious list that accompanies this prestigious award.  Hardesty was a key member of the team that went to the Monsoon Cup in December, the final of the World Match Racing Tour, with a slender lead over their rivals and not only held their nerve to see off all challengers to the title, but like true champions, went on to win the event thus securing their fourth win of the year.  Hardesty’s other successes last year included winning the Etchells World Championship, in an 81-strong fleet, the 47th Congressional Cup in Catalina 37s and the CMRC Grade 2 Invitational in Tom 28s, along with top finishes at the Rolex Big Boat Series in Express 37s (second) and the Farr 40 World Championships (fourth).  "This is a huge honour," said Hardesty after receiving word that he had been named the 2011 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year. "The long list of past winners is very impressive and includes people who I have always considered to be the best in the world. I would first like to thank Rolex for making sailing what it is today. Without their sponsorship of sailing, the sport would be a lot different." "A lot of credit goes to the teams I raced with this past year," Hardesty continued. "Sailing is truly a group effort and winning this award would never have been possible without great teammates: the Etchells World Championship team of Steve Hunt, Mandi Markee and Craig Leweck, and Team GAC Pindar skippered by Ian Williams."  Hardesty began competing on the World Match Racing Tour in 2006 and has been and invaluable team member. Ian Williams commented on Hardesty’s recent achievement: “I would like to congratulate Bill on winning this prestigious award. Match racing is very much a team sport and it is great that his contribution to Team GAC Pindar has been recognised in this way.  That combined with his brilliant 2nd Etchells World Championship victory makes him a very worthy winner.”   This coveted award was established in 1961 by US Sailing and sponsored by Rolex, USA since 1980, the annual presentation of US Sailing's Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards are considered the sport's ultimate recognition of an individual's outstanding on-the-water achievements for the calendar year.  Jim O’Toole, CEO of the World Match Racing Tour, commented: “On behalf of the World Match Racing Tour, I would like to congratulate Bill on this exceptional achievement. We have long recognised Bill’s talent as a sailor and we are delighted that he as been deservedly awarded this outstanding accolade. Bill joined the WMRT in 2006 and not only has he been a key member of the team crowned World Champions twice during that time, but he has been a true professional of our sport and a pleasure to have on tour.”

Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia – 27 November, 2011: Kuala Terengganu City Centre (KTCC) is set to transform Terengganu by drawing new domestic and foreign investments and creating jobs. The KTCC development project, which covers a 7km radius from the Terengganu river estuary and which the Monsoon Cup venue sits in the middle of, is facilitated by The East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC).  ECERDC CEO Dato’ Jebasingam Issace John said the KTCC would boost Terengganu’s economic potential. “Terengganu has beautiful islands, pristine beaches and eco-tourism resources. Given that resource capability, Terengganu has been identified as the main tourism gateway for the east coast.”  He revealed that this year, the ECER is participating more actively with the Monsoon Cup organisers to promote KTCC. “ECER is ready for development. We have five economic clusters – tourism, manufacturing, agriculture, education, and oil and gas. In the context of the Monsoon Cup, it is part of the tourism cluster.”  KTCC, which sits right in the centre of the Monsoon Cup venue hopes to leverage on the international recognition the event brings. Dato’ Jebasingam explained, “Monsoon Cup has contributed significantly to the development of Terengganu because it has placed it on the international map. With the awareness that the Monsoon Cup brings, people will recognise Terengganu as a place for them to come and experience tourism. The event also brings with it potential for developing real estate in KTCC which covers hotels, resorts, shopping complexes, medical and wellness and service apartments, creating an integrated lifestyle enclave.”  A miniature display of the future KTCC sits in the middle of the Monsoon Cup lounge to give visitors an idea of how the new development will change the way Kuala Terengganu looks.  He added, “Through the Monsoon Cup, we want people to understand the projects, the potential, and the opportunities available in Terengganu and this event brings people together to provide an excellent forum for networking and trying to impress upon potential investors the potential in investing in Terengganu.”

Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia – 27 November, 2011: Upin & Ipin, the loveable characters from the self-named Malaysian animation series came to check out the action at the Monsoon Cup Race Village in Pulau Duyong, Kuala Terengganu.  Their visit to the east coast brought joy and laughter to fans of all ages who were ecstatic to see a 3-D version of their favourite television characters. The animated twins made the journey along with their entourage, Fizi, Mei Mei, Mail, and Jarjit. They even brought with them a replica of their house, “Rumah Opah”.  Located at Cindai Ballroom in Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina Resort & Spa, the house is in fact the main attraction of the Upin & Ipin Carnival TV9. The replica is furnished exactly as seen on television to give fans a chance to enjoy a walk-in experience. Visitors to “Rumah Opah” also had the opportunity to take photos with their favourite show characters while kids had a gala time showing off their skills during the colouring contest which offered them a chance to win exclusive Upin & Ipin merchandise. Upin & Ipin mascots also made an appearance at the Exhibition Centre at theMonsoonCupRaceVillagewhere dance performances and games kept the kids busy. Other activities organised by TV9 included “Idola Kecil”, a children’s singing competition and “Berita Adik”, a two-minute news clip presented by kids for kids.  Head of Brand Management Group, TV9, Feisal Abdul Malik said, “This is our first time organising an Upin & Ipin carnival of this size. Our trip here is meant to provide fans in the east coast a chance to get up close and personal with the characters. It’s something for the family and kids to enjoy during the school holidays. We also want to leverage on the strength of Monsoon Cup to draw tourists to its shores to promote our number one animation series.” 

Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia – 27 November, 2011: Borrowing from the motor sports world, where the driver is in constant contact with his crew via radio comms, real-time coaching has made its debut today in the Quarter-Finals of the Monsoon Cup. Rule 41 of the Racing Rules of Sailing which normally prohibits ‘outside assistance’ has been amended here, so that coaches have been allowed to give advice and insight to their team via radio. Positioned on the third-floor balcony of the Ri-Yaz Heritage pavilion adjacent to the race course area, the coaches have an elevated view of the current and the wind, and can provide, when prompted, their insight on which side of the course to favour in each match.  Having been out on the water themselves and felt the pressure of having to read the course while under fire, the natural choices of coaches were from among skippers and crew who did not make the cut to the Quarter-Final round. When these choices were revealed on the evening prior to racing, it provided great entertainment, as erstwhile enemies now became allies in the fight that lie ahead: having just won his last deciding match by mere centimetres, Francesco Bruni naturally chose his hapless opponent, Torvar Mirsky, to be his coach, and Matthieu Richard was tapped by rival skipper Peter Gilmour YANMAR Racing to help lead him through his next round.  Kidding aside, this shows the depth of respect and trust the teams have in each other’s abilities, even as they have been battling each other throughout the season.  “The concept of prohibiting outside assistance goes back to racing on the Thames in the 19th century,” says Gilmour, who proposed to try this at the Monsoon Cup. “Back then when the tide changed, a boat could hand off their anchor line to someone ashore, who could then tow them up the course. So the principal of being self-reliant became rooted in the game, and not until recently has this changed.”  And the change has been considerable: few yachts venture anywhere now without a GPS, most offshore races now allow weather routing help through downloads of grib files, and the advent of sophisticated electronic tools and modern telecommunications has brought offshore sailors to all new levels of accuracy and access. Most aspects of our lives can now be influenced and enhanced by having access to information made readily available – look at the explosion in apps for iPhones, iPads, and the like.  So it’s not a long stretch to accept real-time coaching help to increase the performance level of the teams, and help allow the game evolve in some new and interesting ways, especially if adopted at other match racing events. Coach positioning, for example, can play a huge role, and not every venue will have the bird’s eye view afforded here in Kuala Terengganu. Will coaches then be allowed.  out on other areas of the course, on the water or even in the air? And what about at the lower levels of the game where teams are still learning: would it be right for the coach to tell them how to execute a difficult manoeuvre and provide detailed tactical advice, rather then just observations of the race course? If so, who will police this?  And once coaches are accepted onto the competitor’s boats, what’s to keep them off the umpire boats as well? Most umpires agree that the integrity of most calls are made based on good positioning, and even the best umpires can find themselves out of position when a good call is needed. Can a coach possibly help them as well? An electronic variant of this concept devised by Stan Honey and his team is already in play at the America’s Cup World Series, where umpire calls are made based on highly-accurate telemetry brought to match umpires pouring over their screens. Honey says the debriefs are no longer arguments about the facts of positioning – the telemetry settles this to within centimetres – but about the tactical options and rules that apply.  But here at the Monsoon Cup the input provided by coaches was more factual than directive: where the wind shift was seen to be, what side of the course seemed to have better current, etc., and not direct advice on what side of the start line or upwind leg to favour.  One team that enjoyed the most success from the coaching was newly-crowned World Champion Ian Williams Team GAC Pindar, who had already signed up 49er Olympic Silver Medallist Ian Barker to help them read the course area. And while not a match racer per se, Barker does, however, have tremendous coaching experience for Olympic aspirants, and was already on his way to coach at the ISAF Sailing World Championships the following week in Perth. With Barker’s help, Williams won the overall World Championship title in the Quarter Final, sailing a course area strewn with tricky current eddies and wind shifts.  Perhaps ironically, the teams with skippers as coaches did not fair so well: Mirsky’s Bruni went down 1-3 to Williams, and Richard’s Gilmour lost 1-3 to Johnnie Berntsson.  But not having a coach had its perils as well: both Will Tiller and Phil Robertson eschewed their option to take on a coach, and both lost to their rivals by close scores of 2-3.  How much will coaching be used in future Tour events? Probably more, as the Tour seeks to embrace new ways to enhance the excitement level even more, both on and off the water. - Article provided by Dobbs Davis

Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Any sport that has rules needs officials to enforce those rules, whether its golf, football, basketball or sailing. And as sports become more competitive and interactive with their participants and spectators, the quality, consistency and speed of the official rulings needs to be at a very high level. Everyone has seen how this process works in basketball, football and tennis, where the playing surfaces have nice easy lines to follow, but what about a complex water sport like sailing? How is it similar, and how is it different? Firstly, match race officials are umpires, not referees: on right-of-way rules, they give rulings only when asked by either team. So, part of the game for the sailors is “selling” their case to the umpires with convincing maneuvers – and gestures. Secondly, umpire power is absolute: even if they make the wrong call, the mistake cannot be undone.

Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia - 25 November, 2011: Ian Barker, coach to Team GAC Pindar talks to the World Match Racing Tour about the new off the water coaches being introduced during the Monsoon Cup. Teams through to the quarter finals will have radio communication with a coach who will be watching from the balcony overlooking the racecourse. This new technique is being trialled for the first time within the World Match Racing Tour and gives the teams the chance to have feedback and advice from a coach while racing. 

Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia - 24 November, 2011: Raja Vikraman, Design and Brand Manager for T-Best talks about how the brand of the Monsoon Cup has improved since it first began.

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands - 4th December, 2011): 'Rain don't stop the Carnival' in the Virgin Islands and neither did a downpour derail any of the match racing action at the 4th Carlos Aguilar Match Race (CAMR), presented by Ulysse Nardin/Trident Jewels & Time. The sprinkles turned to squall just as Finland's Staffan Lindberg sailed over the finish line three boats lengths ahead of the USA's Sally Barkow to win the Finals 3-1. "It wasn't easy," says Lindberg, who is currently the 15th match racer in the world. "The conditions were very tricky and I was amazed by the quality of the other sailors at this regatta." Lindberg lost to Barkow in the first race of the Finals and came back to win the next three and the championship. "Sally made good work of me in the first three starts," says Lindberg. "In the last race, we were able to pull ahead and sail one long tack to the finish." Robert Skarp, Carl-Johan Uckelstam and Benny Ulvaeus sailed with Lindberg as crew. For their win, Lindberg and his team were each awarded a distinctive Ulysse Nardin precision timepiece. In addition, the team received an invitation to the prestigious Stena Match Cup Sweden, in Marstrand, Sweden, in the summer of 2012. The CAMR is an Official World Tour Qualifier (WTQ) for the 2012 World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) (www.wmrt.com). Barkow, the fourth ranked woman match racer in the world who hopes to represent the USA in Women's Match Racing at the 2012 Summer Olympics in Weymouth, UK, says, "We were so close. We tried hard, but just didn't get it in the end," she says. "There were definitely some tough conditions. There were moments when we weren't sure what the wind was doing. It was a good challenge." This is the first year the Carlos Aguilar Match Race was an Open event, meaning men and women sailed both on the same teams as well as against one another. "It's great to race against good teams, men or women, when there's such a high level of competition," says Barkow. The USVI's Taylor Canfield won the Petite Final 2-0 over the USA's Dave Perry, thus each skipper finished third and fourth, respectively. "It was tough to get in phase with the breeze all over the course and with new crew," says Canfield, who is ranked 28th in the world and who won this event in 2008. "But it's always great to be back home and sail in the harbor." This is the third CAMR that Perry has competed, finishing third, fifth and now fourth. "It's incredible to sail here because it's sunny and warm," says Perry, who is the author of Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing Through 2012. In other team scores, Greece's Stratis Andreadis finished 5th, the USVI's Tyler Rice 6th, the USA's Stephanie Roble 7th, the BVI's Colin Rathbun 8th, the USA's Sandy Hayes 9th, the USVI's Nikole 'Nikki' Barnes 10th, Puerto Rico's Jorge Santiago 11th, the USA's Louise Bienvenu 12th and El Salvador's Mauricio Gallardo 13th. This four-day Grade 2 match race was sailed in Inter-Club (IC)-24s. The St. Thomas Yacht Club (STYC) and the Virgin Islands Sailing Association (VISA) are organizing authorities for the CAMR, namesake for the late Carlos Aguilar, who was an avid sailor and match racer. Supporting sponsors of the CAMR are the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism; Heineken Beer, distributed in the U.S. Virgin Islands by Bellows International Ltd.; Budget Marine; Hooters; Patron, distributed by Premier Wines & Spirits; Choice Communications; Bolongo Bay Beach Resort; Yacht Haven Grande; and St. Thomas Yacht Club. Daily race results and copyright-free downloadable images by Virgin Islands-based photographer, Dean Barnes, are available for editorial use on the official event website (www.carlosmatchrace.com). FINAL RESULTS FinalsStaffan Lindberg, FIN vs. Sally Barkow, USA 3-1 Petite FinalsTaylor Canfield, USVI vs. Dave Perry, USA 2-0 Places 5 through 135. Stratis Andreadis, GRE6. Tyler Rice, USVI7. Stephanie Roble, USA8. Colin Rathbun, BVI9. Sandy Hayes, USA10. Nikole 'Nikki' Barnes, USVI11. Jorge Santiago, PUR12. Louise Bienvenu, USA13. Mauricio Gallardo, ESA ABOUT THE SPONSOR Trident Jewels & Time is a family business started by Peter and Nina Alwani in 1980 in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Since then their two children, Satish and Girish Alwani, have established the company as the store of two sensations: jewelry and watches. Trident has one store in St. Thomas (Main Street) and three branches in Aruba (Little Europe and Times Square). Trident carries all varieties of jewels including loose diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and tanzanite. The company is also the exclusive authorized retailer for a selection of some of the most exquisite timepieces in the world: Ulysse Nardin, Harry Winston, Franck Muller, Oris, Hamilton, Michael Kors, Alpina, Frederique Constant, Bovet, Jaquet Droz, Bell & Ross, U-Boat, Graham and Technomarine.

Pulau Duyong, Malaysia - 5 October, 2011: The Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina Resort & Spa will be the centre of attention later this week when it hosts arguably the strongest ever line-up of teams for the sixth edition of the annual Malaysian Match Racing Championship (MMRC). The Championship takes place from the 7 – 10 October 2011 and will see eight local sailing teams vie for the sole chance to represent Malaysia at the Monsoon Cup, which will take place from 22–27 November 2011 at the same venue in Terengganu.