Club News
ISA NATIONAL MATCH RACE CHAMPIONSHIP 2008
ISA National Match Race Championship 2008
Royal St. George Yacht Club
September 13/14, 2008
Nicholas O’Leary from the Royal Cork Yacht Club is the winner of ISA National Match Race Championship 2008 following 2 days of highly competitive match racing. The final was an exciting duel with Nicholas O’Leary beating John Sheehy from host club, the Royal St. George Yacht Club, by 2-0 to win the title last weekend.
The ten teams from around Ireland sailed over 50 match races to complete the round robin league and the final rounds. The round robin consisted of 9 matches for each team. At its conclusion O’Leary had a clear lead of 8 wins to Sheehy’s 6, a position shared with Andrew Deakin, Cullaun SC, and George Kingston, Kinsale YC. Sheehy got the final slot on the basis of a tie break. Deakin and Kingston raced each other in a tightly fought ‘Petit Final’ which was won by Deakin with a score of 2-1 to take the Bronze Medallion. This was also an ISAF Grade 3 Event and all competitors will receive World Match Race Ranking points.
O’Leary’s crew are: Cian Twomey, Joe Bruen, Marty O’Leary and Katie Tingle.
Conditions were variable, trying the race management skills of race officer Brian Craig and his team. Elsewhere, the competitors were testing the decision making skills of the umpires led by Ailbe Millerick and Michael O’Connor both International Umpires.
‘Match Racing’ is a discipline in sailing with racing between two identical boats over a short course. Each ‘Match Race’ taking around 20 minutes to complete. The championship was sailed in the ISA SailFleet J80 keelboats which have been equalised so that the skill of the sailor is the determining factor rather than differences in the boats.
Thanks to all the Royal St. George YC, volunteers on the race committee, umpires, changeover teams and staff who all contributed to delivering a superb sailing event.
Final placing:
1 Nicholas O’Leary RCYC
2 John Sheehy RSGYC
3 Andrew Deakin Cullaun SC
4 George Kingston KYC
5 Martin Mahon Courtown SC
6 Mary O’Loughlin HYC
7 Darragh O’Connor UCC SC
8 Andrew Fowler RSGYC
9 Simon McGibney RWYCI
10 Fred Cudmore RCYC
For event photographs from Jenny Crebbin click here
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ISA National Match Race Championship 2008
Royal St. George Yacht Club
September 12-14, 2008.
Notice of race now available here
Request for Invitations.
The ISA National Match Race Championship hosted by the Royal St. George Yacht Club will be an invitational event. If you wish to be invited please register your request for an invitation as soon as possible including details of previous match race experience with the ISA Racing Dept , fax 01 280 7558.
Invitations will be made in the first instance to teams with previous match racing experience. Invitations will be issued on August 26th and entry will close on September 9th. A maximum of 12 teams will be invited.
Registration a will be from 18.30 to 20.00 followed by the skippers briefing on September 12th. The warning signal for the first race will be at 10.25 on September 13th.
The winning teams will be selected to represent Ireland in the ISAF Nations Cup European Open II qualifier is in Hamburg.
The Notice of Race will be published shortly
Ed Alcock
ISA Racing Manager