ISA National Match Race Championship 2008

Nicholas O’Leary is the ISA National Match Race Champion

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. The next event for the winners will be the ISAF Nations Cup European qualifiers in Kinsale in October.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: 

1st Place Nicholas O’Leary

2nd Place John Sheehy RSGYC

3rd Place Andrew Deakin  Callaun SC