Displaying items by tag: Eamonn Bourke

15th June 2015

Irish Compete at Royal Southern World Match Racing Tour

#wmrt – Held between the 10-14th of June in a wide range of conditions on the Solent. Day One saw probably the most consistent breeze, with day two and four cut short due to a lack of wind and day three experiencing too much.

Despite this, the race committee completed a full round robin along with semi finals and full decider matches for the top 6 teams.

This years Grade 2 regatta had the added bonus of being part of the World Match Racing Tour, with points awarded to the top 6 teams towards the overall world championship series.

Several Irish competitors were involved including Philip Bendon's team, who had a tough week.

The two regular Irish crew members aboard Mark Lees's GBR Match Racing- Howth's Scott Flanigan and Shane Diviney were joined this week by fellow club mate Eamonn Bourke in an almost all Irish team!

After a slow start to the event, Lees's team sailed an almost flawless day two and three losing only to Ian Williams (Team GAC Pindar) to finish the round robin tied for 3rd place. This form was continued in the semi final against Williams were they lost 3-2, having taken it to the full 5 matches following the only defeats experienced by the 5 time and reigning World Champion.

Williams went on to win the final 2-0 against the promising Redline Racing team from Perth skippered by Matthew Jerwood.

Another Top 4 finish at the Royal Southern continues a string of good results for the GBR match racing team having also placed 2nd at last weeks Grade two in Helsinki, as they build towards a tour card spot on the World Match Racing Tour. They currently lie 10th on the overall standings, with Jerwood's team the current leaders.

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The most significant events for the Half Ton Class has been the annual Half Ton Cup which was sailed under the IOR rules until 1993. More recently this has been replaced with the Half Ton Classics Cup. The venue of the event moved from continent to continent with over-representation on French or British ports. In later years the event is held biennially. Initially, it was proposed to hold events in Ireland, Britain and France by rotation. However, it was the Belgians who took the ball and ran with it. The Class is now managed from Belgium.