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ISA NATIONAL MATCH RACE CHAMPIONSHIP 2009

Photo by Robert Bateman
Photo by Robert Bateman

The ISA Match Race Nationals 2009 hosted by Kinsale Yacht Club were sailed over the weekend of October 24-26. This is an ISAF Grade 3 Match Race and skippers gain ranking points for places on the World Match Race Ranking ladder. The twelve teams each sailed eleven races in a full Round Robin of sixty-six races.

Racing on Saturday was postponed due to gale force winds in the area with storm force winds forecasted to be imminent. The time was not wasted as a meeting was held by the skippers which agreed to the setting up of an Irish Match Racing Association.

With the overnight clearance and ending of summertime the sails were set on the ISA SailFleet J/80’s by 08.30 on Sunday morning for the first signal at 09.30. The Race Committee, aboard Peter Crowley’s ‘Sparetime’, lead by Alan Crosbie IRO showed that it meant business by starting on time and turning over flights every 40 minutes until sundown.

The first two flights gave a taste of what was to come with Maurice O’Connell, Tom Fitzpatrick, John Sheehy and Ben Duncan winning their races. Following a short postponement to allow the gusts to moderate flight four saw O’Connell beat Fitzpatrick while Duncan beat Andrew Deakin to share the lead but lost to Sheehy in five. By the end of the day Sheehy was in a comfortable lead having beaten the main contenders for the title, Fitzpatrick, Duncan and Andrew Fowler.

The Round Robin continued on Monday morning and was completed in dense fog in the late afternoon. The weather conditions lead the Race Committee to cancel a planned knockout stage. Overnight leader John Sheehy maintained his unbeaten record into the second day to win with a perfect score of 11 wins and no losses. Second was Ben Duncan with 9 wins and third was Tom Fitzpatrick on a tie break from Andrew Fowler with 8 wins each.

The Chief Umpire was Michael O’Connor IU/IJ.

Ed Alcock

Place

Skipper

Nation

ISAF Rank

Wins

1

JOHN SHEEHY

IRL

99

11

2

BEN DUNCAN

NZL

603

9

3

TOM FITZPATRICK

IRL

237

8

4

ANDREW FOWLER

IRL

308

8

5

MAURICE O’CONNELL

IRL

407

7

6

GER OWENS

IRL

627

5

7

ANDREW DEAKIN

IRL

300

5

8

GEORGE KINGSTON

IRL

522

4

9

MARTIN MAHON

IRL

312

4

10

MARY O’LOUGHLIN

IRL

907

3

11

MARK TIGHE

IRL

527

2

12

KRISTIAN MOLBECH

DEN

242

0


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Click
here to view a video to promote the upcoming ISA National Match Racing Championships.

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Special Accommodation Rates for competitiors & officials for Carlton Hotel, Kinsale:

3 Nights Accommodation in The Carlton Hotel Kinsale in a Twin / Double Bedroom.
Full Irish Breakfast each morning served in The Oysterhaven Restaurant.
Dinner on 1 Evening in Our Oysterhaven Restaurant overlooking Oysterhaven Bay.
1 Spa Treatment per person in our Elemis C Spa.
ONLY €239.00 per person sharing

2 Nights Accommodation in The Carlton Hotel Kinsale in a Twin / Double Bedroom.
Full Irish Breakfast each morning served in The Oysterhaven Restaurant.
Dinner on 1 Evening in Our Oysterhaven Restaurant overlooking Oysterhaven Bay.
1 Spa Treatment per person in our Elemis C Spa.
ONLY €189.00 per person sharing

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ISA National Match Race Championship 2009

Competitiors:
Name  ISAF ID  Rank Open  Club
John Sheehy IRLJS27 171 RSGYC
Kristian Molbech DENKM4 240 Roskilde SC
Andrew Deakin IRLAD 315 Cullaun SC
Martin Mahon IRLMM77 396 Courtown SC
Tom Fitzpatrick IRLTF1 407 HYC
Andrew Fowler IRLAF6 496 RSGYC
George Kingston IRLGK8 536 KYC
Mark Tighe IRLMT3 581 
Ger Owens IRLGO8 650 RSGYC
Ben Duncan NZLBD2 792 HYC
Mary O'Loughlin IRLMO23 906 HYC
Maurice O'Connell IRLM04 620 RSGYC
 

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ISA National Match Race Championship 2009
Kinsale Yacht Club
October 23-26, 2009
Request for Invitations.

The ISA National Match Race Championship hosted by Kinsale Yacht Club will be an invitational event. If you wish to be considered for an invitation please register your request to be received on September 18 with the ISA including details of previous match race experience. Invitations will be made in the first instance to teams with previous match racing experience. Invitations will be issued by the ISA on September 26 and entry will close on October 9th.

Registration and crew weighing will take place on October 23rd, racing on 24-25 with 26 reserved for completion in the event of a weather delay.

The Notice of Race will be published shortly.

To register your interest please e-mail ed@sailing.ie or fax 01 2807558.

No form is necessary. Simply forward your name, address, e-mail address, ISAF sailor ID and brief details of your previous match race experience.

Ed Alcock
Racing Manager

 

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