After months of rigorous preperation the 3 Ireland sponsored CIT Sailing Team will finally depart this Friday for Marsielle in the South France to defend their title as Student Yacht World Champions 2008. This year the 29th edition of The Student Yachting Worlds will constist of 140 students from 12 countries, from as far a field as South Africa and the United States, so there is sure to be plenty of competition to keep the CIT sailors on their toes for the week of gruelling racing that lays before them.
This year the team is under the reigns of a new skipper George Kenefick, who takes over as helm from Nicholas O’Leary who has graduated. George will be attending his third Student Yachting World Cup, having placed second in 2007 and first in 2008 as a crew for CIT. Along with George the team has 3 other members whom have competed at the Worlds previously, Joe Bruen, Cian Twoomey and Silvia Phelan all of which were on the CIT team last year and will be fighting to bring the cup back to Ireland once again.
New members joining the team this year are Judy Costigan, Kevin Goulding and Nathan Kirwan all whom come from sailing back grounds and have been training with the others since the end of August.
For CIT to retain the title this year would mean that Ireland will have held the world tiltle 3 years out of the last 4, with Trinity College, Dublin first bringing the trophy to Irish waters in 2006. CIT then attended the worlds in 2007 to be narrowly defeated in the final race and came away with second place, but there was unfinshed business and CIT went back to bring the cup home in 2008.
The team are not going to give up the title without an almighty fight and have been training hard for the past two months both on and off the water.
Racing is due to conmence on the 24th of October and end on the 31st. To follow the team you can check out their web page www.citsailing.com
