8:41 AM Tue 2 Dec 2008 GMT
ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year and Olympic champion Ben Ainslie who arrived in Terengganu fresh from a second place finish at the New Zealand Match Racing Championship last week, is expected to rev up the pace at the Monsoon Cup that sets sail in Pulau Duyong tomorrow.
Ainslie, who arrived with his Team Origin crew members at the Sultan Mahmud Airport said though it will be his first Monsoon Cup, he hoped to make an impact.
'I have heard good things about the Monsoon Cup and since all the best sailors in the world are competing here, it will certainly be a great race and I want to be a part of it,' said Ainslie.
Holding aloft the Monsoon Cup Trophy would cap an incredible 12 months for this sailor who not surprisingly is referred to by many of his peers as the 'Michael Schumacher' of sailing.
Ainslie's phenomenal results in the Finn and Laser classes are legendary, especially with five world championship titles, three Olympic gold, one silver medal and three ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year awards.
Though Ainslie does not carry enough tour points to be in the running for the 2008 ISAF WMRT title, his third place in the King Edward VII Gold Cup in Bermuda and a second place finish in New Zealand should send out a clear warning to the other Monsoon Cup skippers.
Heading straight to Bermuda after a highly-successful Olympic campaign, Ainslie with his Team Origin crew Iain Percy, Matt Cornwell and Christian Kamp finished a commendable third behind Johnie Berntsson (SWE) and Adam Minoprio (NZL) but ahead of WMRT leader Ian Williams (fifth), Sebastian Col (seventh) and Mathieu Richard (eighth).
Williams is the current leader of the WMRT standings with 92 points, followed closely by Col on 88 points while Richards is third with 77 points.
'With the Olympics over, I am going to focus on the WMRT next season. This year we did not compete in many WMRT events and have a very low ranking, so I hope our ranking is not a true indication of our true ability,' said Ainslie.
In Pulau Duyong, he and his team will be up against current tour leader and defending Monsoon Cup skipper Williams, a fellow Englishman from Britain.
A win here will provide Ainslie and his Team Origin a great springboard into the 2009 Tour which they intend 'doing properly next year' as part of their preparation for the 33rd America's Cup in 2010.
The Monsoon Cup will be the ninth and final event on the 2008 World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) where 12 of the best match racing teams meet on the waters of Terengganu in Malaysia from Dec 3-7 at the world class sailing venue in Pulau Duyong.
For more information visit the Monsoon Cup Malaysia web site at www.monsooncup.com.my
by Audrey Lakai - Rurrum Communications
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