World-Class Match Racing Comes to Dún Laoghaire
The countdown is on for a thrilling week of elite international sailing as twelve world-class skippers descend on the National Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire for a stage of the World Match Racing Tour – the Dublin Match Cup. Racing begins Thursday, 25 September in Scotsman Bay and will be visible to the public from the East Pier, offering spectators a front-row seat to some of the most tactical and exciting sailing in the sport.
This will be the first time the World Match Racing Tour will take place in Dublin. Match racing is one of the fastest growing and accessible disciplines in the sport of sailing. Its format is one of the easiest types of sailing to understand with just two boats sailing around a racecourse in a winner-take-all duel of tactics, strategy and teamwork.
The event has attracted a stellar lineup featuring some of the highest-ranked match racers in the world, along with home-grown Irish talent ready to take on the best. With sailors representing France, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, the USA, Australia, and Ireland, the fleet promises a truly global contest.
Ireland won the bid to host this prestigious event with the help of Irish Sailing and funding from Sport Ireland.
Ruairi Finnegan, Irish Match Racing Association and Chair of the event said, “We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome the World Match Racing Tour to Dublin for the very first time. This is a landmark moment for sailing in Ireland, and we’re grateful for the incredible support of Sport Ireland in making it possible. Fans can look forward to world-class racing on our waters, with some of the sport’s best sailors set to compete. It promises to be a truly spectacular event.”
Racing begins Thursday morning and continues through the weekend until a champion is crowned.
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About the World Match Racing Tour
Founded in 2000, the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) is the longest running global professional series in the sport of sailing, featuring world class sailors including America’s Cup and Olympic champions. WMRT is exclusively sanctioned with ‘Special Event Status’ by World Sailing, the sport’s world governing body. The winner of the WMRT each year is crowned the official Match Racing World Champion.
Teams compete in different boats at each stage of the World Match Racing Tour, however the boats supplied at each event are identical. To keep the competition 100% fair and equal, teams rotate boats during the event. This way, competing on the WMRT becomes purely about the skill and strategy of the sailors.
The race courses are short with intense close to shore action providing host venues with an excellent opportunity to attract public spectators and hospitality guests to enjoy the racing up close.
Competitors
- 🇫🇷 Ian Garreta (World #4) – Two-time European Champion (2023 & 2024) and 4th at the World Championship.
- 🇫🇷 Aurelien Pierroz (World #6) – 3rd at the 2024 World Championship and current French Open Champion.
- 🇳🇱 Lennard Bal (World #12) – Regular World Match Racing Tour competitor aiming to climb the global rankings.
- 🇮🇹 Rocco Attili (World #14) – Tour final contender with experience across Europe’s top events.
- 🇵🇱 Patryk Zbroja (World #17) – Veteran team with 15+ years of international match racing and multiple European podiums.
- 🇺🇸 Nicole Breault (World #20) – 4× U.S. Women’s Match Racing Champion with strong results on both the women’s and open circuits.
- 🇫🇷 Mathieu Durand (World #24) – Former Dublin Match Race winner and America’s Cup designer returning to the tour.
- 🇫🇷 Allix Martin (World #28) – Promising youth team with recent podium finishes in Montenegro and Sweden.
- 🇦🇺 Tom Picot (World #30) – Experienced Australian skipper with successes across Europe and Asia.
- 🇮🇪 Ruairi Finnegan (World #46) – Ireland’s top-ranked skipper and 2023 World Tour finalist.
- 🇮🇪 Tom Higgins (World #223) – Irish National Champion and multi-discipline international racer.
- 🇦🇺 Keith Swinton (Tour Legend) – Former World Match Racing Tour Event winner making a return to the tour.