The incentive to compete in the world’s premier sailing series just got bigger. A US$250,000 overall prize pool for the top nine teams with a $50,000 bonus for the outright winner of next year’s World Match Racing Tour is now on offer. Tour Chairman Patrick Lim announced the news at the World Yacht Racing Forum in Monaco in December to add to a tour that already offers the biggest prize money of any yacht racing series in the world.

The Tour’s final event of the year, the Monsoon Cup in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia, has always been an exciting but tense and nervous affair for the teams still in with a chance of lifting the coveted ISAF World Match Racing Tour trophy. But in 2010 sailors will also be fighting it out for their share of the quarter of a million dollar bonus, just to add to the pressure on what will be a down to the wire fight for the ISAF Match Racing World Championship.

Newly crowned World Champions, Adam Minoprio and his BlackMatch crew have accepted their WMRT Tour Card, so they will be back, no doubt their ambition will be to win again the ISAF Match Racing World Championship and securing a major share of US$250,000 that is there for the taking. 2010 will be a year not to be missed.

Tour Standings
1. Adam Minoprio (NZL) ETNZ/BlackMatch Racing 138 Points
2. Torvar Mirsky (AUS) Mirsky Racing Team 97 Points
3. Ben Ainslie, (GBR) Team Origin 95 Points
4. Peter Gilmour (AUS) YANMAR 93 Points
5. Mathieu Richard (FRA), French Match Racing Team Racing 89 Points
6. Ian Williams (GBR) Team Pindar 83 Points
7. Sebastien Col, (FRA) French Match Racing Team 55 Points
8. Damien Iehl (FRA) French Match Racing Team 48 Points

About the World Match Racing Tour:
• The World Match Racing Tour is the leading professional sailing series featuring 9 World Championship events across the globe
• The World Tour is sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) with “Special Event” status
• The World Tour awards over US$1.5million in prize money
• Points are awarded at each event culminating in the crowning of the ‘ISAF Match Racing World Champion’
• Events utilize the same “match race” format used in the America’s Cup with racing taking place in identically supplied racing yachts which places a focuses on team work and skill. Racing takes place close to the shore for the general public to follow the races as virtual on-the-water stadiums.
• Media and television highlights coverage reaches over 600 million households in excess of 90 countries around the world.
• World Match Racing Tour sponsors include Line 7, Pindar, Custom House, Travel Places, Wedgwood and Sail.TV

2010 Tour Schedule
1 April 6 - 11 Marseille International Match Race Marseille, France
2 May 19 - 24 Match Race Germany Langenargen, Germany
3 June 8 - 13 Korea Match Cup Gyeonggi, Korea
4 June 22 - 27 Portugal Match Cup Troia, Portugal
5 July 5 - 11 Match Cup Sweden Marstrand, Sweden
6 August 31 – September 5 St Moritz Match Race St Moritz, Switzerland
7 September 8 - 12 Danish Open, Bornholm, Denmark
8 October 4 - 10 Argo Group Gold Cup Hamilton, Bermuda
9 November 30 – December 5 Monsoon Cup K. Terengganu, Malaysia