After a staggering 190 races, UK visitors the Rutland Raiders emerged victorious with a comprehensive 2-0 victory in the final against last year’s winners, the Nautibuoys, at the weekend's eighth edition of team racing's Elmo Trophy at the Royal St. George Yacht Club.

In what was the biggest team race event ever staged in Ireland, 196 sailors from across the country competed in the 32 supplied Firefly dinghies lighting up a sometimes-gloomy Dun Laoghaire Harbour over the weekend.

After a challenging Saturday, Race Officer David Bolger and his team started race 97 at 9 am on Sunday morning. No lie in for the sailors who had enjoyed themselves at the Elmo dinner the night before. This year, a very detailed computer programme on loan from West Kirby Sailing Club matched up teams round by round based on who was winning and who was losing. It led to incredibly close racing all weekend as the program quickly established the pecking order for racing.

An Elmo Trophy semi-final start - what a start! 

As the morning continued, the wind held firm, allowing for races to fire off every three minutes as the six fleets of firefly dinghies raced teams off sequentially. Typically, this allowed for three different races to be on the race course at the same time, thankfully on different parts of the Starboard S course used for the event. By 2 pm, Round 11 was complete, meaning 176 races had been sailed, and teams anxiously watched to see who had made the final 8 for the quarter-final showdown.

Aquaholics (N) vs Nautibuoys (D) in the quarter-finals of the Elmo Trophy at Dun Laoghaire

So close was the racing that teams ranked 8th to 16th all had the same amount of wins, with only 1 getting the coveted 8th spot and a chance at the knockouts. Thankfully, race organisers could rely on the algorithm that determines how special each win is based on who it was against, thus enabling ties to be broken fairly and quickly.

The ‘knot too shabby' team from the Royal St. George Yacht Club

In 9th place and just missing out were the ‘Forget Me knots, ’ an all-female crew from the host club. They at least had the consolation of winning the Elmo Plate, a new perpetual trophy kindly donated by the Elmes family, which is awarded to the top-ranked team to miss out on the knockout stages. Spare a thought too, for the Glandore Harbour Dangers, who had run in the top 8 all weekend only to hit the round-robin rocks and miss out on quarters by losing their last race.

With a solid breeze of 10 knots and full sails, quarter-finals commenced. This year, in a first for the event, live commentary of the quarter-finals was provided over VHF, which enabled the many watching knocked-out teams to enjoy the action and cheer on their favourites in watching RIBS. It helps too, when one of the commentators, Steve Tylecote, was the very first Team Race World winner and an author of the only printed book on Team Racing.

Schull Sharks competing at the Elmo team racing Trophy at Dun Laoghaire

The quarter-finals eventually went to form after some contested races with Aquaholics, Berth Ctrl, Anchor management and Motorsailors getting knocked out. It seems as much thought goes into team name strategy as anything else for the Elmo trophy!

Anchor management competing at the Elmo team racing Trophy at Dun Laoghaire

The semis saw Round Robin winners ‘Prestige Worldwide' face off against ‘Nautibouys’. Would there be a changing of the guard? Two frantic races determined the result, and the Round Robin winners were out. A young team, they will surely come again next year.

The Second Semi matched off SAC4CUP, a team packed with academy sailors and schoolmates, against the UK raiders from Rutland. It was at this stage in the event that Rutland moved up a gear and comprehensively won 2-0 despite some excellent starting from the St. Andrews team.

Star Martinis watching the knockouts at the Elmo Team Racing Trophy at Dun Laoghaire Harbour

Pier pressure changing from Storm to Full sails at the Elmo team racing trophy

So, after a staggering 188 races, it had come down to the final. With spectators and commentators getting excited and the time past 4 pm, Rutland Raiders and Nautibuoys lined up in the RSGYC Green and Yellow fireflies to battle it out. This was a match-up of team racing experts versus super fast sailors. Who would win out? Well, yet again, Rutland moved up another gear with the team racing experts suddenly showing they were super fast as well and started race one like a tornado as they blew last year's winners off the start line with a coveted 1-2-3 combination. Despite some gallant sailing, the Nautibuoys were quickly down 1-0 in the first to two finals.

The Elmo Trophy Final - Rutland In green, Nautibuoys in yellow

Race 2 was do-or-die stuff, but despite raising their game, the Nautibuoys were powerless to stop Rutland from taking control of the race down the run and easing to 1-3-4 win and, thus, the title.

So the 8th Elmo trophy, Ireland’s top youth team racing event, goes to the UK this year, as the Rutland captain Jamie Tylecote dryly observed it was a sweet revenge after Irish universities took the UK crown earlier this year.

The Rutland Raiders winning team was Jamie Tylecote, Harry Burges, Tom Coates, Harry Rowlands, William Fearn and Dylan Beatty.

Elmo Trophy 2023 results

Challenging winds kept sailors and race management on their toes on day one of the Elmo team racing Trophy at the Royal St. George Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

Some of the early racing at the Elmo team racing Trophy at the Royal St. George Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire Harbour

In conditions that ranged from zero to 20 knots, heavy rain to sunshine and storm sails to full sails, Race Officer David Bolger and his team delivered 96 races, completing six rounds of sailing for the 32 teams racing.

Prestige Worldwide have merged as overnight leaders at the Elmo team racing Trophy at the Royal St. George Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire Harbour

Two teams are undefeated on six wins, with home side, Prestige Worldwide narrowly ahead of the Rutland Raiders from the UK. With a further five rounds expected before moving to the quarter-finals, many teams are ready to leap from the pack and seal their place in the final eight.

As Afloat reported earlier, this year's event sees 192 sailors from around the country representing various classes and clubs compete equally in the 36 supplied firefly dinghies. In races that typically last eight minutes around a starboard S-shaped course, two teams face off each race as they try to grab a precious win and move up the overall ranking.

Schull Dolphins looking sharp at the Elmo team racing trophy event dinner at the Royal St. George Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire Harbour

Racing starts on Sunday at 08:45, with quarter-finals expected to start at 14:00.

The eighth Elmo Trophy is set to take place this weekend in Dun Laoghaire Harbour. This exciting youth team racing competition has grown significantly since its inception in 2015, with 32 teams set to participate this year, compared to the original eight teams.

The event is expected to be the largest team racing competition ever held in Irish waters, with 192 sailors aged 19 and under set to compete in 36 supplied Firefly dinghies. The races will determine the winner, with approximately 200 races expected to take place.

A special computer programme, on loan from West Kirby Sailing Club, will dynamically create team match-ups. In each round, teams with equal wins will race off, leading to close and fun racing. Sailors will compete on a ‘Starboard S’ shaped course, with a separate start and finish line, facilitating up to 3 races on the track and allowing for quick changeovers after racing to enable new teams to race.

"The event is expected to be the largest team racing competition ever held in Irish waters"

On the water umpires, led by Chief Umpire Ailbe Millerick, will provide on-the-water judging, enabling quick protest decisions and results being determined on the water. This year, the umpire panel is supported by many former Elmo sailors who will add their valued input to the rapid decision process.

192 sailors aged 19 and under set to compete in 36 supplied Firefly dinghies in the Elmo Trophy Team Racing event at Dun Laoghaire Harbour

Teams from around the country will compete, with each team consisting of six sailors, all 19 or under, 2 of whom must be under 16, and none attending university. New entries this year include teams from Malahide, Lough Ree, and from the UK, Rutland Raiders. Seasoned Irish team racers will recognise the name Tylecote, which appears on the Rutland Raider lineup.

The Elmo Trophy has become quite a logistical exercise, with races taking place every three minutes from 10:45 on Saturday until 18:00 on Saturday evening. This gives the teams a short break to ‘glam’ up for the Elmo Trophy Dinner in the Dining Room and Balcony in the RStGYC. The sailing will re-commence early on Sunday morning, moving to quarter-finals in the afternoon, with a new innovation this year, commentary supplied over VHF.

The Elmo Trophy - the eighth staging of the event this weekend at the Royal St. George will be its biggest so far. The trophy is named after the late Graham Elmes, the founder of the Irish Team Racing Association

With 32 teams participating, predicting a winner is difficult, but teams from the home club, Howth, and the UK Raiders, are expected to make it to the quarter-finals. Glandore, with two teams and a growing team race community, could also be in the shake-up. The competition promises to be an exciting event, with close and fun racing expected throughout the weekend.

The annual alumni team racing event hosted by Queens University took place on the 20th of May. The event brought together eight teams consisting of past and present students from Queens University but Trinity College and UCD were also invited to participate. Ballyhome provided perfect conditions for team racing with a steady 12-knots while the rest of the country suffered from a lack of wind.

Throughout the event, over 50 races took place, showcasing the teams' skills and strategies. During the round-robin phase, Trinity demonstrated their sailing expertise by finishing top of the table. Their coordinated efforts and smart tactics quickly established them as a strong team.

In the semi-finals, Trinity faced-off against UCD in a closely-fought battle. Both teams displayed their sailing abilities, but Trinity's strategic choices and decision-making ultimately led them to success, securing their place in the final.

Luke Donagh (crew), Tim Norwood (helm), Trinity, at the Queens University Alumni Team Racing Event

The Queens 1st team prepared for a thrilling showdown against the unbeaten Trinity sailing team. An aggressive start line led to hails of protest from both teams. Splitting either side of the first beat, it was hard to tell which team was leading. There were multiple place changes throughout the race (with manoeuvres called pass-backs). Ultimately, Trinity's consistent performance and smart tactics paid off, as they emerged as the overall winners crossing the line with a 1,2,3 combination.

As the Queens University Alumni Team Racing Event drew to a close, it marked the end of a thrilling season for university sailing. The event provided a fitting finale, bringing together talented teams from UCD, Trinity, and Queens for one last exhilarating showdown on the water.

The winning Trinity College team (from left to right); Tim Norwood, Emily Arrowsmith, Madison O’Conaill, Finn Walker, Luke Donagh and Henry Higgins

The MG Motors All Ireland School Team Racing Championship took place in The Royal St George Yacht Club on Sat 29th and Sun 30th April 2023.

St Conleth’s College took first place, a first for the school as overall winners and, indeed, only the second time a Leinster school has won. St Conleth’s College came close last year as runners-up to Gonzaga, but it was St Andrews First team this year who gave St Conleth’s a close run and ended up in 2nd place in a very tightly fought contest.

A total of nineteen teams qualified for the event, with Munster schools sending eight teams. The most prolific winner of the Fastnet trophy, Schull Community College, with nine All Ireland wins since 2004 and recent winner of the Munster Championships, had three teams competing with the teams from Bandon Grammar, Skibbereen Community School (2 teams), CBC Cork (previous winner in 2011) and a team from Colaiste Mhuire, Crosshaven making up the Munster bidding for the trophy. The Leinster intent to retain the title was led by St Andrew’s (winners and runners-up of the Leinster Championship) with three teams, Holy Child Killiney with two teams (3rd place in Leinster Championship), St Michael’s College (winners of the Shanahan Cup), St Conleth’s, CBC Monkstown, St David’s/Holy Faith, Mount Anville and Blackrock College.

St Conleth's in yellow vs Schull Community College on the downwind from mark 2 at the The MG Motors All Ireland School Team Racing Championship at Dun Laoghaire Harbour

With 19 teams and light wind forecast for the event, the Organising Authority settled on a round robin format with two groups, A with 10 teams and B with 9 teams. As competitors and support teams gathered at 8.30 on Saturday morning, no wind was evident in the boat park or in the harbour. A one-hour AP from 8.50 was followed by a further one-hour AP until 10.50. The breeze started to fill and the fleet were able to launch around 11am and racing for Group A began around 11.30. The race team sailed 18 races for group A and then switched over to Group B where 21 races were sailed before switching back to Group A. A further 15 races for Group A were sailed when at 5.30 the race officer ordered the fleet ashore so that they could get their glad rags on for the All Ireland Gala dinner in the dining room of Royal Saint George Yacht Club. After the first days racing, Group A had 33 of their 45 races completed and Group B had 21 of their 36 races completed. With 54 races completed in the day, the contenders in each group were coming to fore but more racing would be needed on the following day.

"A total of nineteen teams qualified for the event, with Munster schools sending eight teams"

All 114 sailors changed into their smart suits, dresses, ties, tiaras and heels for dinner in the main dining room at 7.30 where banter and discussion on the days racing was loud and lively. It was great to see the social side of sailing and team racing as competitors from different provinces, clubs and schools swapped stories and made and renewed friendships which will last their sailing careers.

A tight start to one of the 69 races sailed at the 2023 MG Motors ISTRA All Ireland Team Racing Championship 2023

As day two dawned for the Championships, the race team faced a difficult challenge with the wind conditions (or lack of) facing them. This time an indefinite AP was hoisted as the race team took to the water to be ready as soon as conditions allowed racing to recommence. Group B would sail first to allow them to have leaders emerge for the knock-out stages. Just after 10 am a 5-7 knot breeze from the east allowed the race team to get some racing in. However, a series of course shifts, APs and race abandonments meant that by 1pm, only a further 9 races had been completed in the Group B round robin. This was sufficient racing to proceed to knock out stages from the groups.

Max Cantwell, Captain of St Michael's team leads them to third place in the 2023 MG Motors All Ireland Team Racing Championships at the RStGYC

In group A, Andrews 1 had 6 race wins from 7 races only losing to Andrews 2 who had 5 race wins from 7 races. CBC Cork also had 5 race wins from 7 races but had a higher average points score. Next was Andrews 3 with 4 race wins from 6 races. In Group B, St Conleth’s and St Michael’s both had 6 wins from 7 races with St Conleth’s having a lower average points per race. Next, was Schull 2 with 5 wins from 7 races. Battling for 4th position in the group was Blackrock and Skibbereen 1 both with 3 races wins from 7 races and with Blackrock having a lower average point score.

On this basis, the quarter finals would have consisted of Andrews 1, Andrews 2, CBC Cork, Andrew’s 3, St Conleth’s, St Michael’s, Schull 2 and Blackrock. With the weather behaving the way it was, the Organising Authority decided to proceed to semi-finals with semi-final 1 consisting of St Conleth’s v St Andrew’s 2 and semi-final 2 consisting of St Andrews 1 v St Michael’s. The trophy was destined to return to Leinster. The semi-finals were best of three and the breeze allowed the race team to get them started with the first races won by St Conleth’s and St Andrew’s 1. St Andrew’s 2 came back strong in the 2nd race to level the score with St Conleth’s. St Andrew’s 1 won their 2nd race against St Michael’s to proceed to the final. After a couple of APs, the last semi-final between St Conleth’s and St Andrew’s 2 saw St Conleth’s win with a very close 1,4,5 combination.

The final beckoned between St Conleth’s and St Andrew’s. After a long wait yet again due to the wind not playing ball, numerous course resets, the championship final was finally underway. It was a close first race but in the end St Conleth’s emerged on top with a 1,2,4 combination. Time had now run out for the race team as had the wind and N over A was displayed cancelling racing for the day and crowning St Conleth’s as All Ireland Schools Team Racing Championship winners.

The St Conleth’s team was captained by Russell Bolger, with Louis McGovern and Daniel O’Connor as helms and Saoirse Corry, Fergus O’Reilly and James O’Kelly as crew. St Andrew’s team was captained Oisin Hughes with Caoilinn Geraghty-McDonnell and Sam Ledoux as helms and Norah Tinney, Ruby Slye O’Connell and Matvey Sorgassi as crew. The third-place team was decided by coin toss won by St Michael’s team of Captain, Max Cantwell, helms, Christian Ennis and Rory McMullan and crews Peadar Doyle, Michael Byrne and Alex Deasy.

Thanks to the event sponsors, MG Motors and Mervue Laboratories without whose generosity, the event would not be as successful or as stylish with our the ISTRA bucket hats. A huge thanks are attributed to Eunice Kennedy as Event Director and her wonderful team of volunteers for running this Team Racing Event. The Irish Schools Team Racing Association is delighted with the result, as the competitors had a great weekend of racing and lots of fun ashore between their races. The competitors were exemplary with their good behaviour both on and off the water, and we express our Thanks as it enhanced the running of the event.

Captain Russell Bolger and crew James O’Kelly at the 2023 All Ireland Schools Team Racing Championship sport their ISTRA bucket hats sponsored by MG Motors

Thanks go to Ailbe Millerick, Pat McCarthy and Dave Sheehan for their on-the-water umpiring, Ronan Flood, on water Safety Officers, David Bolger and his team of volunteers on the Start Boat, David Williams on the Finish Boat Team, Mark Layers, Keith Start the Beach Master and his team of volunteers, Lorraine O’Connor on Results, Harriet Walker and her Race Office Team, the Change Over Rib volunteers, Hal Fitzgerald as PRO and Robert Walker for acting as Bosun, the School Representatives who looked after their teams and assisted with the running of the event.

The SSAI would like to thank the Royal St George Yacht Club and Flag Officers, Ronan Adams, Sailing manager, Karin Ryan, Sailing Secretary and catering and boathouse staff.

The next major youth team racing event will be the Elmo Trophy hosted by the Royal St George Yacht Club on the weekend of the 26th and 27th August. Over 30 teams are expected and planning has already commenced with great plans for what will be the largest and most competitive team racing in Ireland in 2023.

University College Dublin is on such a roll in the 2023 Team Racing season that their captain Jack Fahy already took an SoM for the squad’s win of the Top Gun at Oxford back in February. And they still have the great Wilson Trophy to challenge for in mid-May. But meanwhile, in April at Grafham Water, they won the British Opens, the first time for an Irish team in 53 years since TCD took it in 1970 during a remarkable run of success.

Meanwhile, the news has just come through that one of their star helms, Tom Higgins of Royal St George YC in Dun Laoghaire has qualified for the Governor’s Cup in California, and we feel that this deserves to be added to the UCDSC (and RStGYC) 2023 Roll of Honour.

To the victors, the spoils – UCD Team at BUSA Opens 2023 with BUSA President Emma Hartley on right and Tom Higgins third from left. Photo: Georgie Atwell

It’s beginning to look as though University College Dublin is a sailing university with a work and studies problem. As the pressure builds in all departments ashore and afloat, they’re piling on the pace in the team and match racing areas with the recent overall victory in the British Team Opens – the BUSA Finals – continuing a progression which has included winning the Top Gun at Oxford (first ever for an Irish squad), plus the inaugural Student Match Racing Invitationals at the National Yacht Club.

In fact, the only blips seem to have been the nationals at Carlingford and the Student Keelboat Nationals in the J/80s at Howth, where the title went to Cork. But where a win in this series in times past entitled the winners to represent Ireland in the “Student Yachting Worlds” in France, that’s currently an event which seems to be in abeyance.

But actually winning BUSA is also just about as long ago as anyone can remember. It was 1970, to be precise, when Dublin University Sailing Club, aka Trinity, last did the business - all of 53 years back. That was when Dublin universities used to be a real force in the sailing panorama at home and abroad, as their convenient sailing setup in easily-reached Dun Laoghaire, with each of the three historic colleges - TCD, UCD and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland – directly linked to one of the big waterfront clubs, had them starting with a facilities and support advantage which Universities elsewhere could only envy.

Assessing the heavy air conditions at Grafham. Photo: Georgie Atwell

Indeed, the natural advantages were even more widespread than was immediately apparent, as owners of cruisers and cruiser-racers were always on the lookout for keen young potential crewmen, and the regular presence of college sailors about the clubs saw many university dinghy sailors add serious offshore experience to their CVs.

RAILROAD CONNECTIVITY

And in an era before really effective road trailers were available, the convenient access to flatbed rail trucks in Dun Laoghaire’s railway station – a much more utilitarian place in those days – meant that the college sailors could get their Fireflies in bulk to any sailing venue near a railhead. Thus for the last Dinghy Week in Baltimore before the West Cork Line closed in 1961, the college Fireflies raced as usual in Dun Laoghaire on Tuesday night, then the boats were towed on their launching trailers the few yards to load up at the railway, and on Friday evening their crews caught up with them ready-delivered to Baltimore’s harbourside station, which subsequently became the first Glenans HQ in Ireland.

The show is on the road. Kathy Kelly and Jack Fahy looking good for UCD in the finals. Photo: Georgie Atwell

Since then, universities elsewhere have been catching up. But although in recent decades the Irish scene has had an improving pace with truly imaginative locations selected for their Annual Championship, they’ve had to be content with being there or thereabouts in the upper reaches of BUSA, but never quite re-capturing the overall wins of the glory days.

Last year was looking good when they got as far as a tie in one of the semi-finals, but falling the wrong side of the count-back put paid to that. So this year, despite the very favourable omens of early successes at home and abroad, they were playing it as cool as possible when going to the 2023 BUSAs at Grafham Water, hosted by Cambridge.

Nearly there. Kathy Kelly (sailing with Jack Fahy) at last mark of final. Photo: Georgie Atwell

We’ve already carried a brief summary of the successful outcome, but it’s an achievement which deserves much more coverage than that, as everything was challenging. For a start, the weather in the Cambridge area was confused, and couldn’t quite make up its mind whether or not it was on the edge of Storm Noa (or Noah), or indeed whether Noa existed outside France. But either way, the air was extra dense, and recorded wind speeds were imposing much greater pressure than the indicated knots suggested.

ROYAL IRISH YACHT CLUB AND CH MARINE SUPPORT

As to the opposition, 20 top colleges – the elite of British Intervarsity sailing – were lining up a total of 28 teams. Nevertheless the sole Irish squad from UCD arrived at the show on a strong footing, as their home club in Dun Laoghaire these days is the Royal Irish YC, which also wheeled in extra sponsorship, as did CH Marine, in order to boost the support from sports funding at UCD.

Neat mark trap – Liam Glynn & Triona Hinkson implementing an efficient close-off. Photo: Georgie Atwell

The team were thoroughly representative of UCD’s wide range of courses and are drawn - as you’d expect - from top sailors in several dinghy classes. Yet one fascinating fact is that the majority of them list Royal St George YC as their home club, which says much about the George’s policy of snapping up talent when it appears, in addition to the club’s strong family racing tradition.

CHAMPION TEAM

The new Champion Team are:

• Jack Fahy (capt) RStGYC, reading Commerce, Laser champion
• Kathy Kelly, RStGYC, Architecture, 420 Champion
• Tom Higgins, RStGYC, Business & Law, Laser Champion
• Cian Lynch, Wexford Boat & Tennis Club & RStGYC, Economics & Politics
• Liam Glynn, Ballyholme YC, Physiology, Laser Champion
• Triona Hinkson, RStGYC, Medicine

Our very basic report on Wednesday only gave the outline, and it wasn’t all quite as smooth sailing as that suggested, but this detailed and un-cut report by UCDSC’s Writer-in-Residence Oisin Cullen puts us right in the thick of it:

IN THE MAELSTROM TO VICTORY

UCD has made history by winning the British Intervarsities Team Racing Championship, commonly known as BUSA Finals. This achievement marks the first time since 1970 that an Irish team has won the title. Moreover, the team's triumph at BUSA Finals comes just six weeks after they made another ground-breaking win as the first Irish team to claim victory in the renowned Oxford Top Gun Invitational Regatta.

As is customary, the leading Irish team is invited to compete in the BUSA Finals, and this year the event was hosted by Cambridge University, taking place on Grafham Water from the 12th-14th of April. Having won most of the Irish University events this year along with Top Gun, the UCD team were selected as the Irish team to take on BUSA.

“Polite and reserved” request for protest in the final by Kathy Kelly and Jack Fahy. Photo: Georgie Atwell

The event started with a Swiss league (a rank-adjusted round robin), and saw UCD win 12 from their 14 races, seeing them tied on first going into the knockout stages. This was already a huge improvement on last year's result when UCD narrowly missed out on the quarter finals on countback. The knockout stages on the final day brought conditions of 20+ knots, meaning reefed sails were required.

Sailing was kept close to land where the wind was a shifty 10-25 knots, making for tricky sailing as sailors had to flick from team racing to fleet racing. This didn't stop UCD as they progressed through the quarter finals and semi-finals, beating Bristol and Southampton, respectively.

Powering through. Tom Higgins and Cian Lynch in total control in the final. Photo: Georgie Atwell

They now faced Cambridge on home waters in a “first to three wins” final, this match-up being a repeat of the Top Gun final. Race 3 saw Cambridge go 2-1 up in one of the UCD team’s worst ever losses, seeing one boat capsized, the second OCS, and the third two legs behind as a result of several penalties.

CAMARADERIE AND TEAM WORK

The fact that UCD were able to win the next two races back-to-back speaks volumes about the level of camaraderie and team work they have developed as a group. It was done despite the incredibly difficult conditions - both in terms of the weather and mentally overcoming the huge loss they had just been dealt - to become the first Irish team to win BUSA since Trinity in 1970.

“We’re there!” Triona Hinkson and Liam Glynn approaching the weather mark in the final. Photo: Georgie Atwell

Team member Liam Glynn of Ballyholme on Belfast Lough comments: “All our practice really paid off, knowing precisely our roles despite the best efforts from a brilliant Cambridge team. It is an amazing feeling to come home with this win.”

WILSON TROPHY NEXT ON AGENDA

Whenever a sailing team is on a roll like UCD are this year, it would be an affront to sport not to keep on rolling, whatever the growing academic pressures might be back at College.

Next up on the agenda is the Wilson Trophy close across the Irish Sea at West Kirby on May 12-14th May, the Great Mother of all today’s major team racing championships. It would be a dull study-obsessed dog who would think that UCDSC should not be there in the face of academic demands.

They’ve shown they can work hard, sail hard, and play hard, and Ireland’s sailing community will be with them all the way.

Winners All Right……UCDSC Team gtting their prizes in St John’s Hall Cambridge are (left to right) Cian Lynch, Kathy Kelly, Tom Higgins, Liam Glynn, Triona Hinkson, Jack Fahy (Capt) and BUSA President Emma Hartley. Photo: Georgie Atwell

With the Irish sailing community still getting used to the fact that University College Dublin Sailing Club opened its 2023 season with a first-ever overall victory for an Irish team at the high-powered Top Gun Series at Oxford, there were some who thought it was a late April Fool’s leg-pull when the news came through that they’ve topped that with a very convincing win in the recent British Universities Open Team Championship at Grafham Water.

So many top college squads were involved that it takes some time to decipher just how much quality competition and how many teams the Belfield boys and girls had to get through to reach the final. But it did mean that in the semi-finals, they came up against the ultimate maritime university of Southampton and beat them. And then they went into the final against Cambridge Blue, and in Races 193 and 195 in this enormous series, they beat the Fenland Flyers with exemplary scorecards of 1,3,5 against the 2,4,6 of Cambridge in both contests.

Of course, with hindsight, folk will say that this is as it should be, as UCD are a team of all the talents, with almost every member of the squad being an Irish national or regional champion helm or crew in some hyper-competitive class. But it’s a long and arduous process to keep your cool and steadily work your way through a Who’s Who of contemporary university sailing on this scale, and all power to the team of Jack Fahy, Liam Glynn, Tom Higgins, Kathy Kelly, Triona Hinkson and Cian Lynch for bringing it all back home at a time when sailing in Ireland welcomes all the international success it can get.

British Universities Open Team Championship results 2023

Schull Community College Team 1 were the victor at the Munster Schools Team Racing event hosted by the Fastnet Marina Outdoor Education Centre (FMOEC) at Schull in West Cork on Saturday, the 18th of March.

The team Captain was Rory Harrap, Lille Kingston, Daniel Copithorne, Fionn Keogh, Rocio Garcia Coello and Lara Goerner completed the winning line-up.

On a bright sunny morning and not a raindrop in sight, 18 teams (a record number of entries) competed in the Championships.

With a Northerly wind blowing over from Mount Gabriel with a wind speed of 11 to 14 knots, Eimear O'Reagan and her group of volunteers set the course, and by 10.00 am, racing commenced.

At approximately 12.30, the wind shifted North Westerly, and there was a short delay while the course was reset.

Conditions throughout the day were squally of 20 up to 23 knots which resorted to the use of storm sails at the Munster Schools Team Racing Championships in Schull, West Cork

Conditions throughout the day were squally of 20 up to 23 knots which resorted to the use of storm sails at the Munster Schools Team Racing Championships in Schull, West Cork

Conditions throughout the day were squally of 20 up to 23 knots, which for some sailors was a bit difficult to handle even with storm sails, and there were some capsizes.

Overall the competitors had good boat-handling skills as they negotiated the heaviest squalls.

The umpires were kept quite busy throughout the day, and the event was expertly umpired by Dave Sheahan, Eunice Kennedy and Tim O'Connor.

Robbie Dwyer did an excellent job of calling the finish line and was ably assisted by his two recorders.

 Close racing in TR3.6 dinghies at the Munster Schools Team Racing Championships in Schull, West Cork

Meanwhile, Tim Lowney, the Principal Race Officer and Beach Master ensured the smooth running of the change-over boats and the management of the flight sheet.

Siobhan Scully and her volunteers looked after registration and ensured all the competitors, while not racing, were kept in good form ashore. Harriett Emmerson did a fantastic job of inputting the results and providing us with the final placed team.

The Schull community rowed in to give the staff in F.M.O.E.C. a helping hand by providing hot soup and sandwiches to everyone when they came in off the water, home-baking cakes and supplying the volunteers with cups of tea and coffee. It was fantastic to see such community spirit.

The top-placed teams will now go forward to compete at the Schools Nationals in the Royal St. George on the 29th and 30th of April.

2023 Munster Schools Team Racing Championships results 

(Results after 80% of the Round Robin was completed)

• 1st Schull Community College Team 1
• 2nd Christan Brothers Cork Team 1
• 3rd Bangor Grammar School Team 2
• 4th Colaiste Mhuire Cork
• 5th Skibbereen Community School Team 2
• 6th Schull Community College Team 3
• 7th Skibbereen Community School Team 1
• 8th Bangor Grammar School Team 1
• 9th Bandon Grammar School Team 4
• 10th Bandon Grammar School Team 3
• 11th Scoil Mhuire 1
• 12th Christian Brothers 2
• 13th Schull Community College 2
• 14th Colaiste Mhuire 2
• 15th Regina Mundi 2
• 16th Rochestown College
• 17th Colaiste Spioraid Naoimh & St. Aloysius
• 18th Regina Mundi 1

The latest update regarding Schools team racing is that the Leinster Schools Team Racing Championships, which took place on Sunday the 12th of March in the National Yacht Club was an outstanding success considering some challenging wind shifts and speed, writes Eunice Kennedy

As Afloat reported previously, 18 teams signed up for the event, but unfortunately, one team had to drop out due to unexpected circumstances.

18 teams signed up for the event making it a Leinster Schools Team Racing Championships record in Dun Laoghaire Photo: Michael Chester

On Sunday morning, Race Officer David Bolger took to the water at 09.10, where he laid an S-shaped sailing course with his team of excellent mark layers. Wind speed was flickering between 4 to 7 knots and was from the South East. They were some close racing, and Rule 42 came to the fore with a few red flags for breaches of this rule. Mark rounding was also very interesting, with close calls for mark contact. 

At 12 noon, the wind dropped, and we were becalmed, which resulted in a race being abandoned at mark 1 to the delight of the losing team, who had a 4th, 5th and 6th position.

At approximately 12.25, the wind gradually started to fill in from the southwest, and the average wind speed increased to between 12 and 17 knots. It was accompanied by a number of squalls whose wind speed was 22 to 24 knots, right in the wind limit range. Thankfully the boats had been sent out with their storm sails as we carefully watched the weather forecast and were aware that it was due to get gusty from 13.00. True to form, it did so, and no time was lost in sending the boats ashore to swap from full rig to storm rig.

David Bolger, who is exemplary at completing Round Robins for us to go to Knock Outs, considering the wind shifts, accomplished this task. Just as well as there was a 3-way tie on 100% scores by St. Andrews College teams one, two and three, with Holy Child Killiney 1 on 75% race wins in 4th.

A draw took place to determine what teams would race against each other in the semi-finals.

St. Andrews 1 faced off against St. Andrews 3, and Holy Child Killiney1 faced off against St. Andrews 2.

The format was the best of 3 races. St. Andrews 1 and St. Andrews 2 were the victors, with two wins each against their opponents. This left Holy Child Killiney 1 to face off against St. Andrews 3 to determine the 3rd and 4th placed boats. Lo and behold, the wind proceeded to drop, and we were running out of time according to our schedule so the Finals and Petite Finals were a do-or-die race.

St. Andrews 1 was the victor over St. Andrews 2, thereby winning the Leinster Schools Team Racing Championships. St. Andrews 2 was second, and Holy Child Killiney 1 an all-girl team, beat St. Andrews 3 to take 3rd.

The top six teams in the event now go forward to compete in the Irish Schools Team Racing Championships which will take place in the Royal St. George Yacht Club on the 29th and 30th of April.

A huge thanks are attributed to Rebecca Hall and her wonderful team of volunteers for their first time running a Team Racing Event. The Irish Schools Team Racing Association is delighted with the result, as the competitors had a great day of racing and lots of fun ashore between their races. The competitors were exemplary with their good behaviour both on and off the water, and we express our Thanks as it enhanced the running of the event. We wish the six qualifying teams the best of luck at the Irish Schools Team Racing Championships.

Our thanks go to Vincent Delany and Harriet Emerson for their on-the-water umpiring, Declan Traynor and James Traynor, our on water Safety Officers, David Bolger and his team of volunteers on the Start Boat, the Finish Boat Team, Mark Layers, Keith Start the Beach Master and his team of volunteers, Dara Totterdell and Kevin Doyle on Results, Sandra Moore and her Race Office Team, the Change Over Rib volunteers, Hal and Aido for acting as Bosuns, the School Representatives who looked after their teams and assisted with the running of the event.