Irish Match Racing Steps Up a Gear

29th June 2010

uly will see three significant milestones and firsts in Irish match racing. The month starts with the first Irish team to enter the World University Match Racing Championships in Crete on the 5-11th. On the 20-26th a team from Howth Yacht Club will take on the under 21s Governers Cup in Newport Beach, California. The Royal St George Yacht Club will run the first Ireland vs The World match between 6 Irish and 6 International teams on the 24th and 25th.

The World University Match Racing Championships is now in it’s 5th year attracting teams from all the European countries in which match racing is well established together the USA and Singapore. The Irish Universities Sailing Association is sending over a team based around the DIT team that dominated this winter team racing and won the IUSA Student Match Racing Championships. Marty O’Leary will skipper the team with Simon Rattigan at sheet hand, Richard Bruton at Pit & Trim and Teddy Byrne on the bow. The team have had access to Flour O’Droscols J24 in the run up to the event and took part in the Leinster Match Racing Open, placing 4th.

In it’s 44th year the under 21 Governors Cup is run by Balboa Yacht Club and is seen a major indicator of up and coming keelboat talent. Previous winners include the likes of Terry Hutchinson and the keelboat development programs in the US, Britain, Australia and New Zealand all send teams. Currently in New Zealand attending the Royal New Zealand Yacht Club Sailing Academy Ryan Scott has entered the event under the burgee of Howth Yacht Club. Codie Banks and Daniel Pooley make up the rest of the team.

As this will be the first time that Irish teams have attended these events it’s difficult to gauge how well they will do. As these are certainly events that Irish teams will do again in future bringing home the experience and what it will take to succeed in future will be as important as the result.

Coinciding with the Dun Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures the Ireland vs The World international sailing challenge will be the flagship event of the Irish match racing calendar. World No. 2 Misrky Racing will captain an international side made up of teams from France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, England and Gurnsey. The Irish team will be captained by Irish No. 1 John Sheehy and will be made up of 3 teams from the Irish Match Racing Tour and 3 from qualifying events to be held over the next week.

The two sides look well balanced and at this stage it is anyones guess who will win.

July will see three significant milestones and firsts in Irish match racing. The month starts with the first Irish team to enter the World University Match Racing Championships in Crete on the 5-11th.

On the 20-26th a team from Howth Yacht Club will take on the under 21s Governers Cup in Newport Beach, California.

The Royal St George Yacht Club will then run the first Ireland vs The World match between six Irish and six International teams on the 24th and 25th.

The World University Match Racing Championships is now in its fifth year, attracting teams from all well-established European match racing countries and the USA and Singapore. The Irish Universities Sailing Association is sending a team based around the DIT team that dominated this winter team racing and won the IUSA Student Match Racing Championships. Marty O’Leary will skipper the team with Simon Rattigan at sheet hand, Richard Bruton at Pit & Trim and Teddy Byrne on the bow. The team have had access to Flor O’Driscoll's J24 in the run up to the event and took part in the Leinster Match Racing Open, placing fourth.

In its 44th year the under-21 Governors Cup is run by Balboa Yacht Club and is seen a major indicator of up and coming keelboat talent. Previous winners include the likes of Terry Hutchinson and the keelboat development programs in the US, Britain, Australia and New Zealand all send teams. Currently in New Zealand attending the Royal New Zealand Yacht Club Sailing Academy, Ryan Scott has entered the event under the burgee of Howth Yacht Club. Codie Banks and Daniel Pooley make up the rest of the team.

Coinciding with the Dun Laoghaire Festival of World Cultures the Ireland vs The World international sailing challenge will be the flagship event of the Irish match racing calendar. World Number Two, Misrky Racing, will captain an international side made up of teams from France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, England and Gurnsey. The Irish team will be captained by Irish Number One John Sheehy and will be made up of three teams from the Irish Match Racing Tour and three from qualifying events to be held over the next week.

The two sides look well balanced and at this stage it is anyone's guess who will win.

Published in Match Racing

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Match Racing

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