Overview
Monsoon Cup was first initiated by the former Malaysian Prime Minister, Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi during his fishing trip in Terengganu. The Prime Minister thought the monsoon season should be used as an advantage to the state and his people rather than being seen as a hurdle. The economic objectives include making the Monsoon Cup a catalyst for development in the state and to create economic opportunities in services and manufacturing sectors related to the event. Among them are hotels, tourism, restaurants, boat-making, food supplies, textiles and souvenirs.
The Monsoon Cup also helped turn the event venue, Pulau Duyong at the mouth of Terengganu River, from a sleepy fishing and boat-making village into modern and international-class resort and marina and boat repair facilities.
The match racing sport differs from other sailing disciplines in that the boats race one-on-one in supplied racing yachts. The yachts supplied for the Monsoon Cup are Foundation 36 type racing yachts. The Monsoon Cup 2011 was held at Pulau Duyong, Terengganu, from the 23rd to 28 November 2011 start with Asian Qualifier and then Malaysian Qualifier.
This year the Monsoon Cup was the eighth and final event on the World Match Racing Tour 2012. Twelve of the best match racing teams met on the waters off Terengganu in Malaysia from 3 to 8 December 2012 to contest the event. The battle for the championship trophy saw the top sailing teams in the world pitting their skills against each other in the last leg of the tour.
Monsoon Cup has not only catapulted sailing into the Malaysian mindset but is also the catalyst in promoting Terengganu, both as a tourist destination and in developing marine based business activities. The economic opportunities in services and manufacturing sectors flourished as well. Among them are hotels, tourism, restaurants, boat-making, food supplies, textiles and souvenirs. The Monsoon season, that was once seen as a threat is now widely viewed as a business opportunity by the locals.
This sailing event has ignited interest in 'match racing' and yachting in Asia and also great interest in the prestigious America's Cup. A majority of the participants in the Monsoon Cup are sailors that have or will be competing in the America's Cup as well as a three times Olympic gold medalist (Ben Ainslie).
The Monsoon Cup's success has helped to create the Korea Match Cup and spurred Singapore and Qingdao in China to be venues for the Volvo Ocean Race and Olympics respectively.
The Monsoon Cup is an annual event on the Alpari World Match Racing Tour calendar and as the final event of the season sees the conclusion of an adrenaline fueled tournament with the crowning of the tour winner and also the ultimate 'match racing' prize the ISAF World Match Racing Champion.
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