12 teams from round the country, selected from 24 entries on the basis of ISAF ranking, race off for the title of ISA National Match Racing Champion this weekend. Kinsale Yacht Club are all set to host 2 days of racing with some of Ireland's best small keelboat racers competing in the final event of the year. The nationals also form the Match Racing Tour of Ireland Grand Final with double points at stake.
The two days of competition will see each team sail against the others in a round robin. Depending on the time remaining the top ranked teams then go into knock out semis and finals. With strong wind forecast for the weekend the bosun will be kept busy keeping the fleet running and it’s likely that racing will continue into the evening on Saturday and Sunday before potentially concluding on Monday morning.
The Royal St George Yacht Club has had a long term interest in the match racing discipline and it’s no surprise to see 4 teams from the Dun Loughery club entered.
John Sheehy and his team have been dominant on the Tour this year leading with 28 points. On the back of a creditable performance at last weekend’s Grade 2 Bentley Genève Match Race Cup they go into the Nationals as red hot favorites. After essentially 1 year of racing John is currently ranked 171st in the world. If he carries on at the same rate he should break into the top 35 by this time next year.
Andrew Fowler joined the Tour after the Inland Championships and a strong showing at the Dublin Open and a third at his home event mark him out as a serious contender. As well as a wealth of team and match racing experience Andrew also has plenty of time in the J80s giving him excellent basic boat speed.
Ger Owens team have been hit by the recession in the run to the event with a number of his team having to drop out but he now has a team together that he’s happy with and with a second place at the Inland championships he can’t be discounted. The Inlands were sailed in light winds so the question is how Ger will deal with the windy conditions expected at the weekend.
Maurice ‘Prof’ O’Connell, skipper of the North Sails Ireland team, needs no introduction. A novice match racer he none the less scored a 2nd at the Dublin Match Racing Open before slipping slightly at the Leinster Championships. If he can develop on an aggressive prestart to make his penalties stick then undoubted speed around the course should see him place well.
Howth Yacht Club hosted the inaugural Dublin Match Racing Open in the summer and field 3 teams.
Tom Fitzpatrick's cautious style, relying on a defensive pre start and out sailing the opposition round the race course, has caught out many. Tom is the only skipper who can realistically catch John for Tour honors and in the head to head with the tour leader has had the upper hand, being the only team to take races off John all year and beating him in the only head to head final so far at the Leinster Championships.
If there are two words to describe Ben Duncan’s match racing this year it has to be aggressive and inconsistent. An aggressive prestart has seen as many penalties against as for and boat speed has been great at times and dire at others. However he has taken the scalp of many of the teams above him in the rankings and if his team can cut out the small mistakes that have cost them dearly then they could go well.
Mary O’Loughlin's year has been interrupted with injury. Hopefully the Nationals will see her pick up some form in the last event of the year in preparation for another crack at the Tour in 2010.
Courtown Sailing Club's Martin Mahon has featured strongly all year. Sailing consistently with the same team he has picked up the pace in the J80s and picked up Tour points consistently throughout the year. Pre start has been his one weakness but some hard work in the 1720s at the National may see him improve this area of his game significantly.
George Kingston represents the host club. Having not match raced this year is difficult to say how well he will go but a strong 2008 saw him pick up the required ISAF points to merit his place at the Nationals and suggest that he could be a dark horse.
Andrew Deakin from Cullaun Sailing Club is currently the 2nd placed Irish match racer on the ISAF ranking. The talent is there with a solid prestart and results but he has struggled to assert himself consistently on the Tour this year. If he can find another gear then results will improve dramatically as there has been little to choose between any of the teams outside of the top 2.
Similarly Mark Tighe has been putting in solid performances without necessarily seeing the results to justify some quality racing.
Denmark’s Kristian Molbech rounds out the 12 teams. With 2 years of solid grade 4 and 5 performances behind him Kristian has an ISAF ranking of 240 and should be a good bench mark for the Irish teams to compare themselves with an international team competing at a similar level domestically in his home country.
For more information on match racing in Ireland please visit www.matchracing.ie
