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Charlotte Amalie
Friday, March 29, 2024
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Peter Holmberg Wins Big in Malaysia

Dec. 5, 2006 – The Virgin Islands best known professional sailor showed his tropical experience at the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia. Peter Holmberg and his team from Alinghi won the best of five final in the last race. According to news from the World Match racing tour, in one year the Monsoon Cup will conclude the 2006-07 World Match Racing Tour schedule. But itll be hard-pressed to deliver a more exciting final than todays series between Peter Holmberg and Mathieu Richard.
Virgin Islander Holmberg, the 46-year-old helmsman candidate for Americas Cup defense syndicate Alinghi, defeated Richard, the 30-year-old French match-racer, 3-2 to win the 2nd annual Monsoon Cup.
The series was a sea-saw affair, with each crew landing and absorbing repeated blows. Holmberg, however, pulled out the championship despite being on the verge of elimination just 36 hours earlier.
The team has to do it, not just me, said Holmberg, who captured his fifth career victory on the World Tour. Its really shifty and tricky here. The team that figures it out, thats what gets them on the right track.
Holmbergs Alinghi crew included Rodney Ardern, Lorenzo Mazza, Piet Van Nieuwenhuyzen and Dean Phipps. They finished with a 14-9 record and won MYR250,000 (approx. $69,500) of the MYR 1 million (approx. $278,000) prize purse.
Dean and I got in synch and started reading the pressure better, Holmberg said. The crew, I had Rodney on main, Piet on bow, Lorenzo trimming you couldnt find a better workhorse than that trio.
Richard sailed with regulars Thierry Briend, Greg Evrard, Olivier Herledant and Yannick Simon. The Saba Sailing Team finished with a 14-10 record and won MYR150,000 (approx. $41,700).
It was very exciting and very close, said Richard. Maybe I would say we are disappointed because it was so close. But generally speaking, I am very happy with the event. It was a fantastic event. It was a great result for my team and me.
Holmberg and Richard got to the final by beating Peter Gilmour (AUS), PST, and Ian Williams (GBR), Team Pindar, respectively. Each match was decided by 2-1 scores.

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