What Is The Monsoon Cup ?

Monsoon Cup was first initiated by the Malaysian Prime Minister, Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi during his fishing trip in Terengganu with the state Chief Minister Dato Seri Idris Jusoh and state EXCO Dato' Wan Hisham. The Prime Minister thought the monsoon season should be used as an advantage to the state and her people rather than being seen as a hurdle.(Monsoon season last a few months a year in Terengganu mainly between November and January where the fisherman cant go out fishing due to strong waves.)

This idea was then brought forward by the state government where later Dato Wan Hisham became the main organiser under T-Best Event which is a company owned by the state to run the event annually.

The Monsoon Cup 2005 celebrated its inauguration and debut as the 50th official event of the Swedish Match Tour (http://www.swedishmatchtour.com/), and serves as the Malaysian leg for the prestigious international sailing event. Dubbed The Formula One of Sailing, this professional sailing series was formed in 2000 to unite the world's best match-race regattas under one banner.

The Swedish Match Tour comprises nine events in nine specially selected locations around the world. As the leading professional sailing series in the world, the Tour events are recognized as must-attend regattas on the match-race circuit.

The Monsoon Cup 2005 was held at Pulau Duyong, Terengganu, from 29 November to 4 December 2005. The Monsoon Cup for the 2006 now offers the highest prize money in the world (RM1 million) for a match racing event with the sponsorship of Mr Richard Mille of Richard Mille Watches. Richard Mille will also be the official time keeper for the event. The Monsoon Cup 2007 will be held at Pulau Duyong, Terengganu, from the 28 November to 2 December 2006.

Thursday, November 8, 2007

How To Get There

By air :

Terengganu is 55 minutes flight away from KL, both MAS & Air Asia operates daily direct services from Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Terengganu as well as connecting services from other major cities and towns. The Sultan Mahmud Airport is only 18 kilometres from Kuala Terengganu.
Whilst there are a number of coach services from every major city and town within Peninsular Malaysia. It'll take an eight hours coach ride from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu.

Visitors will find most places in Terengganu easily accessible. There is a host of transportation modes that one can choose from, when travelling and within Terengganu, i.e. by air, road, buses and coaches, taxi.

The Venue

Pulau Duyong




This year, all sailing enthusiasts and visitors attention will be on the latest stop of the prestigious Swedish Match Tour or in Terengganu, Malaysia. The island is positioned well to challenge experienced sailors with its high-speed winds and torrential rain during its early monsoon season.



Terengganu is one of Malaysia's most-celebrated east coast states, well known for its exotic islands, pristine white beaches, crystal clear waters, quaint traditional villages and an unparalleled legacy of history and culture.



Duyung Island sits at the mouth of River Terengganu and is now accessible by boat or by road. The local riverboat charges a nominal fee of 50 cents or so. Villagers unload their produce to sell in the market. Bunches of bananas and baskets of chempedak fruit (a very pungent fruit but delicious!) are common produce. Others unload their bicycles for cruising around town or used as transportation to work nearby. Another way to get to Duyung Island is via the highway but many travellers prefer the old-fashioned way of travel by riverboat.



At Duyung Island, there are a number of small villages. Evenings are the best time to go as the young children come out to play on the banks. With their kites, they have their inter-village competitions. These kids fight for the reign, to be the 'king of kites'. There is a lot of strategy involved, sneaky tricks and all sorts of espionage going on.



One sneaky way of winning the game is by modifying their kites. The older boys would smash used light bulbs and grind them into fine glass powder. Then they dip the kite string into a glue paste and coat the string with the glass powder. Once up in the air and the string taut, these specially modified kites are used as instruments of destruction. As the kites come together, entwining each other in a tussle, the fine glass is sharp enough to cut through the opponent's kite string - the kite breaks off and floats away as the owner and his group of friends run off to catch the fallen star. The winner keeps the loser's kite and so on it goes.



At Duyung Island, traditional boat building is still thriving. Pakcik Haji Abdullah and his group of highly skilled craftsmen have been building these sturdy, seaworthy boats for the Marang fishing fleet for a long, long time now. And amazingly, the boats were built entirely from memory without the use of plans. Not only is he well known in Malaysia, Pakcik even has orders from foreign sailing enthusiasts who have heard about his skills within the international sailing community. However, he laments over how difficult it is now to build a good, sturdy boat and that is owed to the disappearing jungles of Terengganu. In the early days of his career, he could stroll into nearby jungles, pick the largest 'cengal' tree (a hardwood timber also known as ironwood) that is most suitable for building the hull; and cut it down without a second thought.



Now, much of the nearby primary jungle is gone and if there were any cengal trees left, it would be protected and after all, it's too heavy a price to pay for the timber. Yet he continues his work, meticulously putting finishing touches to the beautifully handcrafted vessels, ready to hand them over to the owner where each boat will continue the legacy of Haji Abdullah, Terengganu's finest boat builder.





The Marina - The Terengganu Heritage Bay Club





The Terengganu Heritage Bay Club - Kelab Teluk Warisan Terengganu - was established in conjunction with the inaugural Monsoon Cup in 2005 to promote Terengganu as a world acclaimed yachting venue. The Club offers river sail tours, regattas and training to community groups, corporate organizational and the general public.



Through corporate programs, tours, community services and training, the club promotes Kuala Terengganu as an exceptional International yachting venue. Sailing outings are designed to cater for everyone, from complete novices to experienced sailors.




The State - Terengganu Darul Iman

Terengganu hold the charms and splendour unique from other states In Malaysia. Unit today, though rapid development and modernization slowly adapts to the way of life, yet it is as if time stood still as she retains all the rustic and idyllic charms so different from other place. Terengganu is also home to diverse and close-knit society, where people are friendly, ever willing to help and warm with strong morals and values. People of different races shares the bonds of neighbourhood, share the likings of local food and particularly speaks the same local dialect.


Besides the beauty of the people, Terengganu is also rich with her natural beauty. Having the longest coastline of wonderful beaches, untouched rainforests and stunning islands as well as an extensive history of arts, tradition, culture and heritage, Terengganu offers unmatched potpourri of its tourist destination and products.


For many years, Terengganu has relied on fishing, agriculture and cottage industries as her main economy but now, she has opened up her doors to development and urbanization thus making Terengganu a melting pot where modern world is set upon the backdrop of Terengganu’s old world beauty, where progressive change is matched with the people's traditional values. You will find yourself immersed in the beauty of its nature, the warmth of her people and rapid economic progress. There is absolutely no place like Terengganu.
Terengganu is one of the Malaysian states endowed with a wealth of charming and refreshing natural landscapes. She has beaches, exotic islands, lush virgin tropical jungle, quaint fishing villages, dazzling waterfalls and many, many more. Her miles and miles of white, sandy beaches and crystal clear water stretches throughout its 225 km coastline, extending from Besut in the north to Kemaman in the South. Her islands are among the most picturesque and fascinating in the country. From its myriad of colourful pastimes which include batik printing and songket weaving to the rapturous celebration of its many generations of cultural and traditional heritage, Terengganu is indeed a very blessed state.


Terengganu's population, which stands at approximately 1 million people, consists of 90% Malays, with the rest being made up of Chinese and Indians. The pace of life in Kuala Terengganu, its capital state, and all the towns and villages in Terengganu is unhurried and unaffected by the hustle and bustle of a big city.


Terengganu's history goes back to as far as the 1st century and has long been an important area of Malay settlement. Throughout the time up to the present day, Terengganu has been ruled by 16 Sultans.