TWO out of three contenders for the World Match Racing Championship titles sailed into troubled waters on the opening day of the fourth edition of the Monsoon Cup at Ri-Yaz Heritage Resort and Spa yesterday.

K-Challenge helmsman Sebastien Col and Mathieu Richards, skipper of French Spirit Team, both Frenchmen, had less than a perfect start in the round robin series with only one win from three races.

Col, 31, who also did not do well in two previous Monsoon Cups, said he was paying too much attention to the current thus losing to Black Match Racing skipper Adam Minoprio and Team Origin helmsman Ben Ainslie, although he did manage to beat Swede Johnie Berntsson of Berntsson Sailing Team.

Richards, 32, who started with a win over Australian Keith Swinton of Black Swan Racing, said he made a number of mistakes in the following two races against compatriot Torvar Mirsky of Mirsky Racing Team and Italian Paolo Cian of Team Shosholoza.

Among the world champion hopefuls, only defending Monsoon Cup and world title holder Ian Williams, skipper of Bahrain Team Pindar, had a good start and managed to narrowly beat Cian in the opening race.
But the first day of the five-day event, belonged to the younger racers Mirsky and New Zealand's Adam Minoprio, both no strangers to Pulau Duyong after previously competing in the Asian Match Racing Championships here.

Mirsky, 22, who secured wins over Richards and Ainslie, said he felt quite at home in Pulau Duyong, while 23-year-old Minoprio, who got the better of Col, said it was great to be back on the island.

Australian Peter Gilmour of PST,the Monsoon Cup champion in 2005, also had a good day winning his only race against Malaysian Nurul Ain Md Isa, who qualified for the competition after winning the Malaysia Match Racing Championship with her Perak Sailing Team.

Going into the Monsoon Cup, the ninth and final leg of the World Match Racing Tour, Williams is leading with 98 points, followed by Col on 88 and Richards with 77.