SAILING

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Peter Gilmour, winner of the inaugural Monsoon Cup in 2005 and runner-up last year, is among 10 skippers confirmed for the 2008 Monsoon Cup to be held in Pulau Duyong, Terengganu from Dec 3-7.

Apart from the 10, two more skippers from their respective teams would be known after the Malaysian Qualifier from Nov 24-26 and Asian Qualifier from Nov 27-29. Both events will be held in Pulau Duyong.

The addition of the two teams would complete a strong field of 12 world-class skippers and teams featuring in the Monsoon Cup that will also provide the climax for the World Match Racing Tour as it will the same venue where the World Match Racing Tour champion would be crowned.

In the Monsoon Cup, Gilmour, the two-time World Match Racing Tour champion and record holder for career tour victories with a total of nine, is once again expected to renew his rivalry with 2007 Monsoon Cup and World Match Racing Tour winner Ian Williams from Britain, who beat him in the final last year. Australian Gilmour, helming Team PST, is synonymous with the Monsoon Cup as he had played a pivotal role in bringing the World Match Racing Tour to Malaysian shores and is also the Race Advisor for the Monsoon Cup.

Williams of Team Pindar, who is currently the leader of the World Match Racing Tour championship with 92 points, would certainly start as pre-race favourite to win the Monsoon Cup and World Match Racing Tour title for the second consecutive time but Gilmour and two Frenchmen may just turn out to be his nemesis.

Breathing down William’s neck will be Sebastien Col who has 88 points, just four points behind the leader, while fellow Frenchman Mathieu Richard is third with 77 points.

Gilmour will have home support and knowledge of the Pulau Duyong currents to his advantage since he considers the world-class sailing venue here as his ‘home’.

Williams will be oozing with confidence, coming into the race in Terengganu, especially after having signed a deal with AC China Team to be the new skipper of China Team Americas Cup programme for the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in Auckland, New Zealand next year.

“I am very excited to be joining China Team for the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series. The regatta promises some excellent racing and it is a fantastic opportunity for the new team to start building towards the next multi-challenger, Americas Cup,” said Williams.

A lawyer by profession, Williams left his legal career to pursue his passion for sailing and has not looked back since, much to the annoyance of his fellow competitors, considering he only started competing on the World Tour in 2005.

The Monsoon Cup will be the last round of the nine-leg World Match Racing Tour and offers the winner 38 points, second place 30, third (22) and fourth (18) while any of the top three teams could win the overall title.

— Bernama