Mumbai, Nov 1 (IANS) An Indian all-women team will participate in the third ISS Mumbai International Match Race-2009, a sailing event, which opens here Monday morning at the Chowpatty sea-face.
According to a defence spokesman, the prominent Indian participants in the event include Asian Games medalists Farokh Tarapoe and R. Mahesh, who are part of the four Indian teams - besides the all-women team led by ace sailor Ayesha Lobo - for the four-day event.

Sailing teams from Bahrain, Estonia, led by their national champ Mati Sepp, France, Korea, Sweden and Thailand will vie for the top honours, now labeled as the T-20 of sailing.

The Russian team had to withdraw from the event at the last minute on account of certain passport issues, leaving 12 teams in the fray.

The event is being held under the aegis of the Indian Naval Watermanship Training Centre with the Match Racing Association of India, the spokesman said.

The event will be held close to the shores in south Mumbai, enabling people to view it and help sponsors and advertisers showcase their brands.

Tarapore said here Saturday that while the first race in 2007 had a prize money of $10,000, this time there is no prize money on offer.

This is because the MRAI had to undergo great hardships in conducting the second race (2008) event in January this year on account of the Mumbai terror attacks of Nov. 26.