#MatchRacing - Philip Bendon and team made a strong start stick as they finished fourth in the 19th Match Race Germany in Langenargen on Monday (16 May).

The Kinsale skipper and his crew fell to Pierre Rhimbault's Matchtogether who took the 'Petite Finale' playoff by 2-1.

The overall winners from the 12-team fleet were the German/Polish team Jablonski Racing, one of the two favourites who dominated from the get-go last Friday.

Karol Jablonski and crew swept Maxime Mesnil's Co Pilotes By Normandie Elite Team – who defeated Bendon Race Team in the semis – by 3-0 in the final.

#MatchRacing - Kinsale skipper Philip Bendon and team made an impression on the first day of the 19th Match Race Germany in Langenargen yesterday (Thursday 12 May).

Ireland's top ranked match racers Bendon Race Team are currently ranked joint third in the two-day round robin after picking up three wins, as did Nelson Mettraux's Geneva Match Race Team, Dejan Presen's Lumba team, Przemek Tarnacki's Energy Yacht Racing team and Pierre Rhimbault's Matchtogether.

The day was dominated by the favourites Jablonski Racing, the German/Polish entry skippered by Karol Jablonski, and Poland's Lukasz Wosinski-led Delphina Sailing Team, both on four wins out of five heading into the second of five days' racing.

Only the top eight of 12 teams will qualify for the weekend's quarter finals on Lake Constance.

#wmrt – Held between the 10-14th of June in a wide range of conditions on the Solent. Day One saw probably the most consistent breeze, with day two and four cut short due to a lack of wind and day three experiencing too much.

Despite this, the race committee completed a full round robin along with semi finals and full decider matches for the top 6 teams.

This years Grade 2 regatta had the added bonus of being part of the World Match Racing Tour, with points awarded to the top 6 teams towards the overall world championship series.

Several Irish competitors were involved including Philip Bendon's team, who had a tough week.

The two regular Irish crew members aboard Mark Lees's GBR Match Racing- Howth's Scott Flanigan and Shane Diviney were joined this week by fellow club mate Eamonn Bourke in an almost all Irish team!

After a slow start to the event, Lees's team sailed an almost flawless day two and three losing only to Ian Williams (Team GAC Pindar) to finish the round robin tied for 3rd place. This form was continued in the semi final against Williams were they lost 3-2, having taken it to the full 5 matches following the only defeats experienced by the 5 time and reigning World Champion.

Williams went on to win the final 2-0 against the promising Redline Racing team from Perth skippered by Matthew Jerwood.

Another Top 4 finish at the Royal Southern continues a string of good results for the GBR match racing team having also placed 2nd at last weeks Grade two in Helsinki, as they build towards a tour card spot on the World Match Racing Tour. They currently lie 10th on the overall standings, with Jerwood's team the current leaders.

#worldmatchracing – Cork Match Racer Philip Bendon and his team will take on the rising stars of this sailing discipline when the International Sailing Federation's World Match Racing Tour comes to the Hamble in the UK on June 14. Bendon shot to fame when he won the European Match U23 Racing title on Lake Constance in Germany in 2013.

Bendon has since moved up the world rankings substantially from 46 in 2014 to 30 this year but will however meet some red hot talent on the Solent next month.

Just a year ago, GBR's Ian Williams lay second in the ISAF Open rankings. Now he is World Champion both as No.1 in the rankings and the five times winner of the World Match Racing Tour. Ian is top ranked at the Royal Southern Match Cup to be held from 10 to 14 June at Hamble, the first ever World Match Racing Tour event in the UK, and he will be taking on some of the fastest rising stars on the match racing circuit, racing in a fleet of J/80s.

It was also only a year ago that Chris Steele (NZL) was lying 23rd and now he is 11th having already won the Warren Jones Invitational Youth Regatta in Perth and the Oceania final of the ISAF Nations Cup this year.

Matthew Jerwood (AUS) has also shot up the leaderboard going from 150th place to 32nd in the space of 12 months and he is now the reigning Australian champion.

Christian Tang (DEN) has also risen more than 100 places in the last year and comes from the Match Cup Qualifier in Ploen, Germany, with a near perfect score.

Royal Southern Academy Member Annabel Vose (GBR) may be the only girl on the entry list, but she too has risen more than 100 places in the last year and has taken many male scalps to be crowned the RYA Match Racing Youth Champion.

Mark Lees, Connor Miller and Matt Reid, all GBR, and Bendon (IRL) have also all moved substantially up the rankings while Lucasz Wozinski from Poland has climbed nearly 200 places to 86th.

Karen Henderson-Williams, Vice Commodore of the Royal Southern Yacht Club, and former Royal Southern Academy Chairman commented:

"This year's entry list more than fulfils our objective - to bring some of the World's best to Hamble so that our own young sailors can compete against them at home.

"We also have a truly cosmopolitan complement of International Umpires from Croatia, Australia, Italy and UK as we become an official event of the World Match Racing Tour for the first time."

The final line-up of skippers taking part in the 2015 Royal Southern Match Cup are:

Skippers

Ian Williams/GBR
Chris Steele/NZL
Mark Lees/GBR
Philip Bendon/IRL
Matthew Jerwood/AUS
Christian Tang/DEN
Connor Miller/GBR
Annabel Vose/GBR
Lucasz Wozinski/POL
Matthew Reid/GBR

#matchrace – Team Ireland with skipper Philip Bendon are the new Match Race Youth European Championship for 2013. Bendon's three man crew on Lake Constance yesterday included cousin James Bendon from Cork, Christopher Tiernan and Bruno Van Dyke. The Irish crew are nautical studies students from Ringaskiddy and Southampton.

The silver medal went to Britain's Mark Lees.

The Irish under 23 crew beat 15 teams drawn from 14 countries in boats which were previously sailed in the World Match Racing Tour in San Moritz.

The 2013 European Youth Match Racing Championship was organised by the Konstanzer Yacht Club (GER) in co-operation with the Jugend Regatta Förderverein, the Schüler Segelclub Konstanz (GER), Jugendsegeln Steckborn (SUI) and the Yacht Club Bregenz (AUT), an international line-up of yacht clubs.