The inaugural IUSA (Irish University Sailing Association) versus BUSA (British University Sailing Association) team racing regatta took place in the Royal Irish Yacht Club at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on the 15th & 16th of October and was organised by UCD in conjunction with IUSA & BUSA.

The event saw the best nine student helms and best nine student crews from each country fighting for national pride, and IUSA emerged the victor with an impressive scoreline reading 14-7.

The Format
The format of the event was team racing, with each association sending three teams of six to race in fireflies supplied by UCD and Trinity. Teams from the same country did not race each other, meaning racing was exclusively IUSA vs BUSA.

To win a point an association needs to win 2 out of 3 races in a set. Each race in a set had an IUSA team racing a BUSA team; for example, in set 1, IUSA1 vs BUSA1, IUSA2 vs BUSA2, and IUSA3 vs BUSA3. For the next set, the fixtures change, with IUSA 1 vs BUSA2, IUSA2 vs BUSA 3 and IUSA3 vs BUSA1. For the final set, each team races the team they haven't raced, IUSA1 vs BUSA3 and so on. After the third “set” the schedule resets, meaning that three sets make up a full round.

For the final round, each race is worth a point on its own, meaning there are 9 points on offer in the round instead of 3, upping the stakes and keeping racing exciting until the very end. This format of racing means that each association needs depth across all teams; having one or two strong teams does not guarantee success.

BUSA president Emma Hartley presenting Team Ireland co-captains Johnny Durcan (left) and Jack Fahy (middle) with the inaugural IUSA vs BUSA Ride’r Cup trophy

Racing
Racing on Saturday was cut short by a large increase in wind strength which caused half of the 12 boats to capsize in unison, however, teams were still able to get six races each despite the early finish. The RIYC were kind enough to host the sailors, umpires and volunteers on Saturday night for dinner and drinks. On Sunday morning, it was back to business. Racing ran smoothly, with 9 full sets being complete by 2 o’clock and IUSA emerging as the victors.

Volunteers
This event was made possible by the many volunteers, both on the water and off the water. Every single one of the 19 British sailors that came over was hosted by Irish, both by the competitors and by UCD members not competing. Additionally, volunteers manned the finish boat & committee boat as well as photography & result recording.  The umpire ribs were manned by Chris Lindsey, Dan Little & Eunice Kennedy.

Defending the trophy
IUSA are already looking forward to defending the trophy. The defence will be sailed in Southampton, England in 2023, and will be hosted by BUSA.

Above: Competitors, umpires & volunteers after Sunday's racing had concluded at the Inaugural Ride’r Cup Team Racing Competition at the Royal Irish, Dun Laoghaire

Team Ireland

IUSA 1
Jack Fahy UCD, Eimear O’Regan TCD, Liam Glynn UCD, Triona Hinkson UCD, Niamh Henry
TUD, Trudy O’Hare TUD

IUSA 2
Toby Hudson-Fowler TCD, Kathy Kelly UCD, Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin UCC, Sally O’Flynn UCC,
Rosa Lyden UCC, Mikey Caroll UCC

IUSA 3
Johnny Durcan UCC, Tarah Flemming UCC, Noah McCarth Fisher TCD, Gabby Hogan UCC,
Peter Fagan UCD, Cian Lynch UCD

The 24 teams from UCD, DCU, DIT, CIT, UCC, NUIG, Queens and Trinity were greeted with sunny blue skies as they arrive down to Dingle Sailing Club on Saturday morning the 17th of October to compete in the first day of the 2015 IUSA Easterns. The winds were light in the harbour and struggling to reach five knots. While the boats were being rigged, course being set and committee getting in position the breeze began to rise as if to welcome the sailors to the waters of Dingle.

The races got off to a slow start due to problems arising with the jury boats in the flooding tide, making areas of the course to shallow to sail in. Once these problems were remedied the races flew by. Locals and tourists looked on from the grass area as they were treated to watch very close racing. As the sun began to set and the temperatures dropped the committee called racing for the day after 61 tight races. At the end of the day the leaders of the gold, silver and bronze round robins were UCC1, UCD3 and UCD5 respectively.

An earlier first gun saw the teams on the water for 9:30am on Sunday morning and racing got underway immediately. The racing went straight into the quarterfinals with best of 3 matches for the gold and silver fleet and best of one for the bronze fleet. The finals were UCD1 versus CIT1 in the gold fleet, TCD3 versus TCD4 in the silver fleet, and TCD5 versus TCD6 in the bronze fleet with UCD1, TCD3 and TCD5 all coming out victorious.

There will be no match racing on the south coast this year following a rejig of the fixtures calendar.

After two years of expansion for match racing in terms of events the theme for 2011 is consolidation.

Changes to the ISA SailFleet schedule for the boats mean that we have had to go through a rejigging of the match racing calendar.

The major impact is that Royal Cork YC are to take the boats latter than originally hoped meaning that they will be unable to host a leg of the Tour.

With Kinsale not taking part in the SailFleet scheme this year that means no match racing on the south coast for the first time in a couple of years.

With no tie up with the Dun Laoghaire Festival of Cultures available this year a date of July 23rd and 24th has been settled on for the Ireland vs The World International.

The highlight of last year this event will once again pit Irelands 6 best match racers against 6 teams from the rest of the world. Once again National and Tour champion John Sheehy will captain the Irish team.

The Leinster Match Racing Open, to be hosted by the Royal Irish Yacht Club, has been moved to July 16th and 17th to allow it to act as qualification for the Irish team for the following weekend and to give Laura Dillion and the Gladiators (Sam Hunt, Paddy Blackley, Peter Bayly, Richard Murphy) competitive practice immediately before heading over to Poland to represent the country at the ISAF Nations Cup.

Howth Yacht Club's, Dublin Match Racing Open stays with a date of September 3rd and 4th before we head for Lough Derg and the Womens (October 15th and 16th) and Open National Championships (November 5th And 6th).

All of the above means that here will be no Munster Match Racing Open this year and work continues to find a host for the IUSA Student Match Racing Nationals with Galway a potential for early April. There has been considerable work on the cost of entry for events over the winter and the majority of events will have a basic entry of €330 this year. All events will be run at ISAF grade 3.

Revised calendar

July 16-17th – Leinster Match Racing Open, Royal Irish Yacht Club
July 23-24th – Ireland vs The World International, Royal St George Yacht Club
September 3rd and 4th – Dublin Match Racing Open, Howth Yacht Club
October 15th and 16th - Womens Match Racing Championships, Lough Derg Yacht Club
November 5th and 6th – National Match Racing Championships, Lough Derg Yacht Club