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Match Race News from Ireland, Organisation & Regatta Results
Match Racing Champion Mark Hassett with his crew of Adam Hyland (left) and Robbie English
The National Yacht Club’s flotilla of Elliott 6M match-racing boats came into their own early in December, when the club staged its inaugural Invitational Match Racing Series, successfully drawing in competition from near and far to being together a highly…
World Match Racing Tour
The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) today announced its 2022 world championship season with a 19 event schedule across 12 countries including new World Tour level events in Puerto Rico and Italy. 2022 will mark the 22nd consecutive season of…
Mark Hassett (centre) with Adam Hyland (left) and Robbie English with their trophy
Mark Hassett came out on top to win the inaugural National Yacht Club Match Racing Invitational on Sunday 5 December. With his team of Adam Hyland and Robbie English, Hassett beat an impressive field of national champions and Olympic sailors…
The National Yacht Club will be hosting a Match Racing Invitational in December
The National Yacht Club will be hosting a Match Racing Invitational in its fleet of Elliott 6m one-design keelboats on the 4th and 5th of December at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. The purpose of this event is to match Ireland's best…
France’s Pauline Courtois on Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team took gold in emphatic style
France’s Pauline Courtois, bronze medallist at the 2019 Women’s Match Racing World Championships, on Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team took gold in emphatic style at this year’s World Championships on home waters in Cherbourg-en-Cotentin. Starting strongly, Match in…
The winning team at the World Sailing Women's Match Racing World Championship are crowned World Champions
The 2021 Women’s Match Racing World Championship, featuring Olympic and America’s Cup champions, is set to take over Europe’s second-largest artificial harbour - Cherbourg-en-Cotentin in Normandy, France - from tomorrow (Thursday, 28 October). The eight teams of four and five…
The World Match Racing Tour Final in Shenzhen, China was scheduled to take place from 15-19 December as the 2021 tour season finale
Organisers of the World Match Racing Tour today announced the final event of the 2021 season, the Boa’an Match Cup/WMRT Final in Shenzhen, China will be postponed to March 2022 following a review of the current border and quarantine restrictions…
The Ceilidh Cup/Scottish Student Sailing (SSS) Match Racing event was hosted at the Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club in Rhu
Blustery conditions made for challenging racing for the seven teams competing in the Ceilidh Cup / Scottish Student Sailing (SSS) Match Racing event, hosted at the Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club in Rhu, Scotland, on Saturday 9th & Sunday…
RYA Summer Match Racing Q3 at Poole YC
It was a home win for Olympian Kate Macgregor and her team at the RYA Summer Match Racing Qualifier 3 over a breeze-on weekend at Poole Yacht Club. Organisers had thought the event might be in jeopardy due to the…
National Yacht Club on Dun Laoghaire’s waterfront
If you are interested in sailing in the National Yacht Club’s Spring Match Racing series this year, the club is now seeking expressions of interest on its website. The online form is available HERE, and the NYC emphasises that it…
Niall Malone and team racing under the Royal Prince Alfred burgee at the Musto Youth Internationals in Sydney late last month
Royal Irish Yacht Club cadet member Niall Malone has sent the club an update of his recent competitions in New Zealand, where he currently lives and races. First up was two weeks of racing in Sydney, Australia last month —…
Howth Yacht Club's Kissane Lying 15th Overall in Women's Match Racing  After Busan Cup
Howth Yacht Club's Diana Kissane, Jane Butler, Clara Hynes, Tara Flood and Jennifer Andreasson were tenth overall at the Busan Cup Women's International Match Race at the weekend. As Afloat.ie reported previously it means the sole Irish competitors in the Womens International…
HYC's Diana Kissane and her crew competing in Busan, Korea this week
There was no place, unfortunately, for Howth Yacht Club's Diana Kissane in the quarter finals of the 2016 Busan Cup Women’s International Match Race Championships in Korea this week. The Dublin crew won  two but lost nine in a highly…
Anna Ostling and crew celebrate Match Race success
Anna Ostling, who first shot to match race fame in Cork Harbour two years ago, with crew Annie and Linnea Wennergren are the 2016 Women's Match Racing World Champions. In the Buddy Melges Challenge, the third event of the 2016…
Women's match racing
#MatchRacing - Howth Yacht Club's Diana Kissane and crew finished 10th in the first round of the Women's International Match Racing Series in Helsinki on Friday (1 July). Kissane and crew Lizzy McDowell (Malahide YC), Isabella Morehead (Cork), Ellen Cahill…
2017 Women's Match Racing World Championship heading to Helsinki, Finland
World Sailing has announced that the NJK Sailing Center, Finland has been selected to host the 2017 Women's Match Racing World Championship. Renowned for its Match Racing pedigree, the NJK Sailing Center in Helsinki will host the 2017 Women's Match…

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