Match Racing lineup complete

6th May 2010

After some late coming and going the 2010 Dublin Match Racing Open is on this weekend with teams from Ireland and the UK set to go head to head for the newly christened Investwise Cup.

The Tour has had several international teams visit and so far they have yet to win a single race. That may all change as the current UK Youth Match Racing Champions Team Echo Racing (Mark Lees, Roddy Lacey, Toby Mumford, Matt Reid) are the top ranked team for the event. As well as familiarity with the boats Mark and his team had a busy 2009 and have already been to Australia for the Colin Mullins Youth Match Racing Regatta in 2010.

With John Sheehy away at the Wilson Trophy and North Sails Ireland heavily involved with working up Irelands Commodores Cup contenders, Andrew Flower heads up the Irish response to the English challenge. His team remains unchanged from Lough Derg with Brendan Faffiani on bow, Olympic hopeful Guy O'Leary at pit & trim and Dave McHugh as sheet hand.

MadMatch Racing (Ben Duncan, Ric Morris, Ryan Scott, Richie Murphy) remain unchanged. Stefan Hydes Cross Community Alliance has a single change. Ronan Downing joins Rob Kerley and Alex Mitton for Peter Bayley. Mary O'Loughlin is all set with Alan Crosbie on main and Emma McDonnald and Emmet Ryan working the front of the boat.

Aiden McLaverty and Pa Hegerty are the latest team racers to cross over to match racing. Part of the University of Limerick team that came second to Edinburgh at this years IUSA Team Racing Championships, Pa will take on the bow for an otherwise unchanged Mahon Racing (Martin Mahon, John Curtin, Cxema Pico). Aiden skippers the first college team to enter a Tour leg with University College Dublin. He is joined by Simon Doran, Daniel McCarthy and Andrew O'Donoghue.

With 8 teams the organisers will undoubtedly look to match the full round robin on each day delivered by Lough Derg for the Munster Open. Strong winds are forecast for Saturday morning, gradually easing through the afternoon and into Sunday meaning the heavier teams will look to have at least an initial advantage.

Published in Racing

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