Perth, Western Australia: 25th October 2010
Some of the world’s best sailors are coming to Perth in November for the Sunseeker Australia Cup, and the action in this gladiatorial match racing event will be on Perth Water, where just about every office in the CBD has a grandstand seat.
Frenchman Mathieu Richard currently has a 15 point advantage at the top of the World Match Racing Tour leaderboard, with just one event – the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia – to go this year, and he’s coming to Perth.
Mathieu sailed in the Sunseeker Australia Cup last year, when asked why he was coming back he said, “sunshine, sailing atmosphere, feeling that this is a city where sport is important, and specially sailing.”
Also coming back is English skipper Ian Williams, who has twice won the world championship, “top quality racing”, is the reason he gives for returning, as part of his preparations for the Monsoon Cup.
Perth’s own Torvar Mirsky won the event last year, and is one of the top players on the World Tour, currently in fourth place, nudged out of the top three by triple Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie.
Always looking to cause an upset are a couple of young Kiwi skippers, William Tiller and Reuben Corbett, for whom this is a chance to grab a last minute entry to the Monsoon Cup, which doubles as the World Championship.
“The biggest challenge in this regatta will be the competition,” commented Tiller, who won the Warren Jones International Youth Regatta here back in January, “you’re going to have to be on top of your game in every race to win.”
Two rising young local skippers will be hoping to rob the Kiwis of that final place in the Monsoon Cup, South of Perth Yacht Club’s Keith Swinton is ranked 22nd in the world, while Peter Nicholas from Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club is 61st on the ranking ladder.
Swinton finished third in the Sunseeker Australia Cup last year, and his assessment of the regattas is that, “the tight racing area really provides great racing, which is a real test.”
The event, which is managed by Swan River Sailing, runs from 24th to 27th November, and is hosted by the Royal Perth Yacht Club.
For event information on the 2010 Sunseeker Australia Cup www.australiacup.org.au
For further information, contact:
John Roberson – robo_bandana@mac.com
Oakridge Communication Group, Marina Valmadre – marina@oakridgecg.com.au
Ph: +61 (08) 9381 4200 Mobile: +614 08 98 28 18?