The top four teams from this years' National Team Racing Championships were invited to the qualifying event in Dun Laoghaire, which decided the two IRL teams.
Teams sailed each other five times around an M-shaped course, with one team (George Knights) qualififed after race 24.
Three teams continued to fight for the second spot, and in league four, Trinity College Dublin beat the Knights for a second time, and looked poised to take the second IRL spot.
In the final league, National champions Trinity had to beat Varsity champions DIT and match or better their opponents' wins or losses against University of Limerick and the Knights.
Both teams beat UL, then faced each other in Race 26. Dominating with a 2, 3, 5 for much of the race, DIT marched through to win with a 1, 2, 4 combination.
In Race 27 the Knights destroyed DIT, and all Trinity could do was win their last race, but again the Knights proved too strong.
Results: 1st George Knights, 7 points 2nd DIT - The Deadliest Catch, 11 points 3rd Trinity College Cork, 12 points 4th University of Limerick, 20 points
Irish Teams for 2009 ISAF Team Racing World Championships:
Ireland 1 (George Knights): Nicky Smyth, Rachel McManus, Andrew Fowler, Eavan Gannon, Ger Owens & Rebecca Killian.
Ireland 2 (DIT: The Deadliest Catch): Marty O'Leary, Brian Fenlon, Jonny O'Dowd, Rachel Guy, Emer McNally & Conor Byrne.
Ireland 3 (U-21) (Schull U-21), as qualified previously from ITRA Nationals: Pa Hegarty, Billy Clarke, John O'Regan, Dermie Coughlan, Dave Barnett & Sonya Minihane.
