Ben Ainslie wins 2010 Match-Racing World Championships

Three-time Olympic champion Ben Ainslie clinched his first ISAF Match Racing World Championship with victory at the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia.

The Briton staged a late-season charge to snatch the title from long-time leader Mathieu Richard of France.

The pair's duel went to the final day of the season but Ainslie won the title after winning through to the final as Richard lost in his semi-final.

In the decider, Ainslie's crew beat Australian Torvar Mirsky.

Double Olympic champion Iain Percy was part of the successful crew along with fellow Briton Matt Cornwell, Christian Kamp and Mike Mottl.

"It was obviously a great way for us to end as a team," said Ainslie, who won Olympic gold in the Laser class in Sydney in 2000 as well as Finn titles in Athens and Beijing. He also won Laser silver in Atlanta in 1996.

"It was very tough out there today but it was a united effort and we're really happy all round. For the whole team this has been massive for us. We've enjoyed being on the Tour an incredible amount."

Ainslie is set to return full time to his Olympic Finn dinghy campaign for 2012 after Team Origin pulled out of the next America's Cup, set to be staged in 2013.

The World Match Racing Tour series takes in nine stops around the world with the small crews sailing identical boats, which differ with each venue.

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