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Displaying items by tag: St.Michael's Challenge

After successfully completing the open sea rowing race (the Celtic Challenge) in traditional wooden skiffs this year, the Dun Laoghaire club are now hosting their own long distance challenge for invited clubs. To make it happen the club is trying to get the entire Dun Laoghaire community involved. David Cullen of St. Michael's Rowing Club reports on 'The Hobbler's Challenge 2010'.

The Race

The race will take place from the back of the marina breakwater in Dun Laoghaire harbour at 2pm on the 21st August 2010. The start lines for the teams will be positioned just below the hobbler's memorial on the breakwater. The race distance is 25 miles. The previous event lasted over three hours. There will be food and music on the day as well as a prize giving ceremony at a well known venue in Dun Laoghaire.

The event will be the last in the east coast skiff racing calendar and is a test of endurance.

The Tradition

As per local tradition, all teams will row traditional east coast skiffs comprising four oarsmen and one coxswain in wooden clinker-built boats. Present day racing skiffs reflect their traditional origins, and are twenty-five foot long, clinker built double-enders.Between the 18th and 19th centuries the hobblers of Dublin Bay invented the original rowing race. The skiffs would leave Dún Laoghaire, Ringsend and other nearby harbours to meet ships arriving into Dublin as far away as the Kish bank. The first crew to the ship would win the business of pilotage and unloading.

The Club

Contact Details: David CullenTel: 0868826189Email: [email protected]

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Published in Rowing

About Match Racing

A match race is a race between two competitors, going head-to-head.

In yacht racing, it is differentiated from a fleet race, which almost always involves three or more competitors competing against each other, and team racing where teams consisting of 2, 3 or 4 boats compete together in a team race, with their results being combined.

A match race consists of two identical boats racing against each other. With effective boat handling and clever use of wind and currents, a trailing boat can escape the grasp of the leader and pass. The leader uses blocking techniques to hold the other boat back. This one-on-one duel is a game of strategy and tactics.

About the World Match Racing Tour

Founded in 2000, the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) promotes the sport of match racing around the world and is the longest running global professional series in the sport of sailing. The WMRT is awarded ‘Special Event’ status by the sport’s world governing body – World Sailing – and the winner of the WMRT each year is crowned World Sailing Match Racing World Champion. Previous champions include Sir Ben Ainslie (GBR), Taylor Canfield (USA), Peter Gilmour (AUS), Magnus Holmberg (SWE), Peter Holmberg (ISV), Adam Minoprio (NZL), Torvar Mirsky (AUS), Bertrand Pace (FRA), Jesper Radich (DEN), Phil Robertson (NZL) and Ian Williams (GBR). Since 2000, the World Match Racing Tour and its events have awarded over USD23million in prize money to sailors which has helped to contribute to the career pathway of many of today’s professional sailors