Aboard SUI 91, Ed Baird and his crew won round one of Alinghi's UBS Dubai Defender Trials.

Baird and the syndicate's other helmsman Peter Holmberg won three races each in the regatta, which was reduced by a day after light winds prevented any racing on day three.

To break the tie, the race committee reverted to the boat that won the last race, which was Baird.

"All the guys are being reminded that it’s the simple basic things that you have to do correctly time and time again to be successful", Baird reflected on what he can take away from this 1st round. "As a team, every time we get into a high pressure race, it’s the basics that win it.”

"We’ve been sailing with each other a lot over the last few months and the standard of crew work and the way that we sail the boats has improved since we started racing", Team skipper and tactician, Brad Butterworth, added.

"There’s a winner and a loser in these regattas and it puts a lot more pressure on the crew. We’re trying to emulate a Louis Vuitton Cup and this is the best we can do. I think it is everything that we have asked for and I’m looking forward to the next one."

At an informal prize-giving on the dock, Saeed Hareb, Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC) Managing Director and Vice Chairman of the UAE Marine Water Sports Federation presented Ed Baird and his crew with a trophy for Round 1 from UBS.

Round 2 of the UBS Dubai Defender Trials is scheduled from16-19 February and will culminate in the announcement of the helmsman and afterguard for Louis Vuitton Act 13 in Valencia.