Malaysian Match Racing Championship 2010
Day 1 Press Release

PULAU DUYONG (OCT 20, 2010): Hazwan Hazin Dermawan (Team Pulse-AC Law) set the pace on the opening day of the Malaysian Match Racing Championship by winning all five of his matches at the Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina Resort and Spa in Pulau Duyong. The defending champion, however, is wary of the challenges ahead as he has not faced his top three rivals – Mohd Razali Mansor (MAF1), Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team-Evernew) and Tiffany Koo.

Razali and Jeremy are joint second at the moment with four points from five matches while Tiffany is joint fourth with Nurul Elia Anuar (Sail Putrajaya) and Nik Ashraf Qaedi (Team One) on three points.

Mohd Masyuri Rahmat, who is bound for the Asian Games next month, had a nightmare start as he only collected one point while last year’s pacesetter Rizal Mahadi Sazli is also stuck on one point. Debutante Jerome Welch has lost all six of his matches thus far.

Hazwan said the shifty winds, which turned 180 degrees, made life difficult for him but expects tomorrow’s matches against Razali, Jeremy and Tiffany to be more daunting than the weather conditions.

“The wind played havoc today but that’s part and parcel of racing. We have to learn to adapt and I was lucky I managed to sneak over the finish line even under the different conditions,” said the 22-year-old.

“However, I reckon my toughest tests are yet to come as Jeremy, Tiffany and Razali will be formidable foes – and I have to face them twice!

“I may have a perfect record after the first day, but as past results have shown, it is not how well you start but how strong you finish.

“As such, my crew and I will be staying focus. The first task is to ensure we reach the knock-out stage as that is where the real action begins.”

The highlight of the day, was undoubtedly the Koo-family face-off. Jeremy, who was on Tiffany’s crew when she won the MMRC in 2006 and 2007, was determined to upset his sister, whom he was facing for the very first time.

After a false start when the wind shifted 90 degrees just before the start, the match finally got underway with Jeremy holding a 3- 4 metre advantage. After a downspeed tacking duel Tiffany trailed by two boat lengths at the windward mark. A 180 degree wind shift turned the downwind into an upwind and put Tiffany back level on the race track.

Rounding the leeward mark and setting spinnakers to the top mark whilst two other boats were taking their penalties close by made it tricky but in the end, it was Jeremy, who triumphed to earn the bragging right for the day.

“This was the first time we faced each other in a race and it was an extremely difficult match. He may have won today but there is still plenty of racing to go. I’m still new to my crew but with a day’s racing under my belt, I hope to turn the tables on him tomorrow,” said a fired up Tiffany.

STANDINGS (at the end of Day 1)
1. Hazwan Hazim Dermawan (Team Pulse-AC Law) 5 points
2. Mohd Razali Mansor (MAF 1) 4 points
3. Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team-Evernew) 4 points
4. Tiffany Koo (Koo Racing Team) 4 points
5. Nurul Elia Anuar (Sail Putrajaya) 3 points
6. Nik Ashraf Qaedi (Malaysia One) 3 points
7. Rizal Mahadi Sazli (RSYC) 1 point
8. Mohd Masyuri Rahmat (MYA) 1 point
9. Jerome Welch (Putrajaya 5 O) 0 points

RESULTS

Flight 1
Nurul Elia Anuar (Sail Putrajaya) lost Hazwan Hazim Dermawan (Team Pulse – AC Law) 0 – 1
Jerome Welch (Putrajaya 5 0) lost Nik Asraf Nik Qaed (Malaysia One) 0 – 1
Mohd Masyuri (Malaysian Yacht Association) lost Tiffany Koo (Koo Racing Team) 0 – 1
Rizal Mahadi (Royal Selangor Yacht Club) lost Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team – Evernew) 0 - 1

Flight 2
Jerome Welch (Putrajaya 5 0) lost Tiffany Koo (Koo Racing Team) 0 – 1
Mohd Masyuri (Malaysian Yacht Association) lost Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team – Evernew) 0 – 1
Nurul Elia Anuar (Sail Putrajaya) lost Mohd Razali Mansor (MAF1) 0 – 1
Rizal Mahadi (Royal Selangor Yacht Club) lost Hazwan Hazim Dermawan (Team Pulse – AC Law) 0 - 1

Flight 3
Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team – Evernew) bt Jerome Welch (Putrajaya 5 0) 1 – 0
Mohd Razali Mansor (MAF1) lost Nik Asraf Nik Qaed (Malaysia One) 0 – 1
Rizal Mahadi (Royal Selangor Yacht Club) lost Nurul Elia Anuar (Sail Putrajaya) 0 – 1
Hazwan Hazim Dermawan (Team Pulse–AC Law) bt Mohd Masyuri (Malaysian Yacht Association) 1 - 0

Flight 4
Rizal Mahadi (Royal Selangor Yacht Club) lost Mohd Razali Mansor (MAF1) 0 – 1
Mohd Masyuri (Malaysian Yacht Association) lost Nurul Elia Anuar (Sail Putrajaya) 0 – 1
Hazwan Hazim Dermawan (Team Pulse–AC Law) bt Jerome Welch (Putrajaya 5 0) 1- 0
Nik Asraf Nik Qaed (Malaysia One) bt Tiffany Koo (Koo Racing Team) 0 – 1

Flight 5
Nurul Elia Anuar (Sail Putrajaya) bt Jerome Welch (Putrajaya 5 0) 1 – 0
Nik Asraf Nik Qaed (Malaysia One) bt Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team–Evernew) 1 – 0
Tiffany Koo (Koo Racing Team) lost Mohd Razali Mansor (MAF1) 0 - 1
Mohd Masyuri (Malaysian Yacht Association) bt Rizal Mahadi (Royal Selangor Yacht Club) 1 – 0

Flight 6
Tiffany Koo (Koo Racing Team) lost Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team – Evernew) 0 – 1
Hazwan Hazim Dermawan (Team Pulse–AC Law) bt Nik Asraf Nik Qaed (Malaysia One) 1 – 0
Mohd Razali Mansor (MAF1) bt Mohd Masyuri (Malaysian Yacht Association) 1 – 0
Jerome Welch (Putrajaya 5 0) lost Rizal Mahadi (Royal Selangor Yacht Club) 0 – 1

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