Torvar Mirsky receives Tour backing

The Wave, Muscat step up to support their Extreme 40 skipper

Australian skipper Torvar Mirsky and his Mirsky Racing Team have been handed a massive boost in their quest to land their first World Match Racing Tour title with the announcement that The Wave, Muscat is to support their 2011 campaign.

Mirsky, who turns 25 later this month, is recognised as one of the hottest talents in international sail racing, claiming a superb second spot on the prestigious Tour in 2009 before following that with an impressive third overall last year. However, despite enjoying one of the most consistent records on the Tour, which attracts the best match racing talent on the planet, Mirsky and his teammates have not yet been able to convert their consistency into multiple event wins, and ultimately the championship.

The Wave, Muscat is the leading lifestyle development just north of Oman’s capital city, and Mirsky Racing Team is the second major international sailing partnership it has committed to, also supporting one of Oman Sail’s two Extreme 40s in the Extreme Sailing Series.

With The Wave, Muscat’s backing, Mirsky insists 2011 is the year his team can seal WMRT championship glory for the first time.

“Traditionally our team has done everything off our own backs and as cheap as possible like staying in backpackers and relying on friends for support to live away from Australia," said Mirsky. "The support of The Wave, Muscat means that we can now put a campaign together that we allow us to take part at the level required to win the WMRT, for example we are hoping to have a coach at some events. We really appreciate the support and of The Wave Muscat and it will make such a big difference to our campaign this year.

“This year we are out to win. We’ve done a lot of sailing this year already, but it has been six months since the last WMRT finished so we have had a big break from match racing and there are a few nerves and lot of excitement about starting up again. We need to get back in the rhythm as we want to be sailing at a high level. We know we will be a little bit rusty at the first event but we are excited about getting back into it.”

David Stafford Vice President of Sales and Marketing at The Wave, Muscat said: “We are delighted to be supporting Torvar and the Mirsky Racing Team in this year’s World Match Racing Tour. With Torvar also skippering The Wave, Muscat in the Extreme Sailing Series this year we were eager to extend our support of someone we believe will be a sailing superstar for many years to come.

“The Wave, Muscat’s premier 400-berth Marina ensures our country’s proud maritime heritage sits at the heart of the Muscat tourist experience. Through our support of world class sailing we hope to promote Oman as a new and exciting sailing destination. We wish the Mirsky Racing Team all the very best for the forthcoming season.”

As well as their WMRT commitments this year, Mirsky and two of his Mirsky Racing teammates, Kyle Langford and Kinley Fowler, are also racing in the Extreme Sailing Series. Mirsky is skippering the reigning champion boat, The Wave, Muscat, with Langford as tactician while Fowler is calling tactics aboard Oman Sail’s second entry, Oman Air.

By competing in both the Extreme Sailing Series and WMRT Mirsky is confident that it will be of benefit to both campaigns, and with no event clashes he is in no doubt that his team can successfully combine campaigns to be at full throttle for the WMRT, which gets underway with Match Race France in Marseille on 10 May. The Tour takes in nine venues with the final Monsoon Cup showdown taking place in Malaysia in November.