New Zealander beats Ainslie to championship

ISAF World Match Racing Champion crowned

A New Zealand sailor has become the latest ISAF Match Racing World Champion after beating Britain’s Ben Ainslie at the Monsoon Cup.

On December 6th , Adam Minoprio and his ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing Crew beat the three-time Olympic gold medallist Ainslie at the final event of the World Match Racing Tour held in Pulau Duyong basin in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia.

“That last breeze call was the defining moment,” Minoprio said. “It's been a very intense event for us. We came in thinking that if we focussed on winning the Monsoon Cup, the ISAF World Match Racing Championship result would look after itself.”

The 24-year-old champion came head-to-head with 32-year-old Ainslie in the Monsoon Cup, vying for the ISAF Match Racing World Champion Trophy – awarded to the winner of the world tour.
On December 5th, Minorprio had already won the ISAF World Match Racing Championship, after closest competitor Torvar Mirsky failed to qualify for the semi-final, and after beating last year’s Monsoon Cup Champion, Datuk Peter Gilmour.

His team, consisting of Tom Powrie, David Swete, Nick Blackman and Dan McLean, sailed through the rounds until Sunday’s Monsoon Cup. BlackMatch soon took lead after Ainslie met a few problems, causing them to lose the coveted prize to the New Zealanders.

Ainslie’s crew of double Olympic gold medallist Iain Percy, Matt Cornwell, Christian Kamp and Mike Mottl, are some of the best in the world and were disappointed with their defeat.

Ainslie said it was a disappointing day. “Everything we did was wrong. We are pleased for Adam and his boys... they gave us a lesson today. We have more work to do as a team.”

Ainslie has an impressive sailing reputation for Britain, having won the Olympic gold three times and ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year in 1998, 2002, and 2008. But another win wasn’t meant to be.

Minoprio had already won his first New Zealand Championship by the time he was 12. The Monsoon Cup final has a combined prize money of £270,000 with Minorprio walking away with £50,000.