Ireland to Compete in ‘24 Youth Match Racing World Championship
Ireland is to be represented at the 2024 Youth Match Racing World Championships which take place at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from 29 November to 2 December. Jeddah Yacht Club will play host to 12 sailing nation teams from around the globe in what promises to be an exhilarating few days.
Ireland, currently ranked 14th, will be led by skipper Tom Higgins, an Ad Astra scholar of UCD and a member of the Royal St George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire. Tom was nominated by the Irish Match Racing Association (IMRA) for winning their Irish Nationals early last summer and was subsequently endorsed by Irish Sailing. Tom competed at this event last year in Sydney and finished in 6th overall, alongside crew Fiona Ferguson who will also be travelling to Jeddah to compete.
This is the first time World Sailing has organised an event in Saudi Arabia which is one
of the fastest growing sporting markets in the world. The event will be a perfect opportunity to accelerate the development of sailing in the region.
The Irish team are also kindly being supported by Irish Company, Daa International, who currently operate the Red Sea International Airport located close to Jeddah. Daa International successfully operate across many parts of the globe and are delighted to support our Irish Team travelling to the region.
Tim Bourke, CEO of Irish Sailing said, “It is fantastic to see our country compete at such a high-profile international event. Match Racing is growing in popularity year on year and with the establishment of the Irish Match Racing Association earlier this year, we would hope to see continued interest in this competitive format of sailing.”
The event will be sailed FarEast28 racing Keelboats, which are capable of reaching 20 knots due to their lightweight frame. The racing promises to be very competitive and we will have regular updates on Irish Sailing media channels once racing is underway.