Wessex Exempt won the Irish National Team Racing Championships with the George Knights, making a comeback in their home club, taking second place and the title of Irish Team Racing Champions.
The only Youth team in the competition, inevitably representing Schull, finished 9th overall, out of a total entry of 20 teams. In the process they managed to beat some of the leading Irish University teams.
This event was the largest National Championships for many years, with 6 teams travelling over from the UK. 7 rounds of a Swiss League were sailed. Sailing was delayed on Saturday morning by too little wind, and by too much wind on Sunday morning!
Wessex Exempt won all their races, whilst George Knights were unfortunate to be lose against eventual 4th placed Royal Thames Vultures in the second round. If time had permuitted to sail the eigth round the result could have been very different, as the first race scheduled would have been a winner takes all competition between Exempt and the Knights. There was, however, time for a race to seperate the teams tied for second placed Irish team, the preferred option as they had yet to sail against each other. In a race somewhat marred by a large wind shift DOC beat Team Zephyr.
This event signalled a welcome return of team racing to the Royal St. George Yacht Club. The prize-giving took place in the very bar were the concept of team racing in one-design dinghies was originally conceived after race between the "George" and West Kirby SC. Amazingly, the boat chosen for the first event was the Firefly dinghy, still the dinghy of choce for team racing. The links between the Royal St George and West Kirby S.C. Continue to this day One of the helms sailing for the victorious Wessex Exempt habitually sails for West Kirby, and one of the event's umpires is cheif umpire for West Kirby's prestigious Wilson Trophy.
Full results:
Irish Team Racing Championships
1. Wessex Exempt 7 wins
2. George Knights 6 wins
3. Royal Thames Red 5 wins
4. Royal T Vultures 5 wins
5. S Male Voice Choir
6. Team Zephyr 5 wins (third Irish team after sail off with DOC)
7. DOC 5 wins
8. Univ. Limerick 4 wins
9. Schull 4 wins (First Youth team)
10. Wet Dream Team 3 wins
11. The Big Fun 3 wins
12. Univ. Southhampton 3 wins
13. UCD 1 3 wins
14 Shalumni 2 wins
15 Glitter Fingers 2 wins
16. UCD 2 2 wins
17. UCC 1 2 wins
18. Trinity 2 wins
19. UCC 2 1 win
20. UCD 3 1 win