Monsoon Cup warm-up

Ben Ainslie and Ian Williams among the skippers contesting the Sunseeker Australia Cup

Britain’s golden boy of sailing, Ben Ainslie, has confirmed that he will be contesting the Sunseeker Australia Cup later this month, on the Swan River, close to the heart of the city of Perth.

Ainslie, who has scored three gold and one silver medals over the past four Olympic Games, is returning to the event in which he finished second last year, hoping to avenge his defeat at the hands of local skipper Torvar Mirsky, in last year’s final.

Talking about the event Ainslie said, “the tight course on the Perth Water area of the river really changes the dynamic of the races, it changes the tactics because the legs are so short.

“I like sailing here," he added, “and it is great practice for the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia the following week, because we use the same boats.”

The British sailor is one of five skippers who can win the 2010 World Match Racing Tour Championship if he produces enough points at the final event, the Monsoon Cup, so the opportunity to race in the Sunseeker Australia Cup is invaluable.

So invaluable that three others of the potential world champions are also coming to contest the series.

Ainslie will be up against current Tour leader, Frenchman Mathieu Richard, fellow Briton and former world champion Ian Williams, and local Western Australian skipper Torvar Mirsky, in what is effectively a dress rehearsal for the World Championship finale.

The Sunseeker Australia Cup, which runs from 24-27 November, will be hosted by the Royal Perth Yacht Club, and managed by Swan River Sailing, using their fleet of identical Foundations 36 yachts.

Line-up
1. Mathieu Richard
2. Ben Ainslie
3. Torvar Mirsky
4. Ian Williams
5. Reuben Corbett
6. Ian Ainslie
7. Phil Robertson
8. Keith Swinton
9. William Tiller
10. Peter Nicholas