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 in China.

The event was scheduled to take place from 15-19 December as the 2021 tour season finale, which will now be extended to March 2022 (provisional dates 15-20 March 2022).

The decision to postpone the Shenzhen event has been made jointly between the WMRT Organising Committee and the Sports Bureau of the Boa’an District of Shenzhen, official hosts of the event. While it is expected the border and quarantine restrictions will be improved in China over the coming months, the current restrictions impact significantly on the logistics for the event as well as the visiting teams, as WMRT Executive Director James Pleasance explains;

‘Our partners in Shenzhen have been working tirelessly over the last few months to go ahead with the first Boa’an Match Cup/WMRT Final in December. Sadly the current travel restrictions to China which include a minimum 14 days of quarantine prior to the event, as well as post event quarantine for event staff, make it unfeasible to organise the event properly and efficiently. It is a shame to postpone the event but it is the right decision and we look forward to visiting Shenzhen again in March.’

Mr Li, representative of the Sports Bureau of the Boa’an District of Shenzhen added;

‘It is with regret we have had to make the difficult decision to postpone the Boa’an Match Cup/WMRT Final in December. We are very excited to host the World Match Racing Tour in Shenzhen and we remain fully committed to delivering a spectacular event in March 2022. We thank of all the participants, competitors and event partners for their understanding and we look forward to welcoming everyone to Shenzhen in March.’

Mrs Zhang, President of the CYA (China Yachting Association) added;

“We look forward to promoting match racing in China with the World Match Racing Tour over the coming months and longer term. We are supportive of the decision to postpone the Boa’an Match Cup Shenzhen/WMRT Final to March 2022 which we are confident will be a very successful event.w

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 high wind forecast for 2-3 October 2021 which saw a number of regattas canned along the south coast.

But in anticipation of a couple of weather-windows, a decision was made to go ahead and the sell-out event saw 10 teams match racing RS21 sportsboats and revelling in the conditions.

Day one saw four flights being run, with spinnakers making a brief appearance before the breeze rapidly built and forced a return to shore just as a 42 knot gust was recorded.

Poole YC’s Kate Macgregor and her team of Nicky Walsh, Bethan Carden, Saskia Tidey and Sophie Pearson, won all three of their races and then continued their winning ways on day two.

Breeze and sunshine kicked off the Sunday with more great match racing and busy pre-starts. The wind then started to build, with exciting conditions and smiley sailors loving the downwind blasts with spinnakers mostly up, occasionally away, and boat handling at a premium.

Despite a few big broaches, teams managed the conditions well for some tight racing throughout the fleet, resulting in a tie for second place and a tie for fifth overall as well.

With Macgregor’s team continuing undefeated – winning all of their matches for an emphatic victory – Ali Morrish sailing with Emily Robertson, Richard Moxey and Sarah Jarman took second overall, as in 2020, to add to her second place at this year’s Marlow Ropes Women’s Match Racing Championships.

George Haynes with Lily Reece, Josh Dawson and Huw Edwards took third place in a very tight battle with Ted Blowers’ team of Tom Hough, Bobby Hewitt, Anna Watkins, who in their deciding match had been in the lead but took a penalty early on downwind, enabling Haynes to get past for the win.

Macgregor - helming for this event rather than on bow as for her Olympic match racing and Women’s World Match Racing Champion title - said: “Driving was a little bit different but I had a really good crew with Sophie, Sas, Nicky and Bethan. They did a really good job so it took a lot of distractions away meaning I could focus more on the steering, so it was a little bit different but it was good fun, I enjoyed it.”

Kate has coached many of the sailors she was competing against and found it rewarding to see their progression in action, explaining: “The racing was actually a lot closer than I thought it was going to be, there were a few pre-starts where I did feel a bit nervous! But it was really cool to see how far everyone has come and that all their training that they’ve been doing has been worthwhile.”

Commenting on the secret to her own team’s success over the weekend, she added: “I think we just didn’t over complicate it. We made sure we got off the start cleanly and on time and when we didn’t we definitely paid for it. There was one race in particular where we were late and also had a penalty and luckily we managed to pull back but I think it was just keeping it simple, and in my team there’s a few other experienced match racers so it was useful having them on board as well.”

Another stand-out performance of the weekend came from Lymington’s Nik Froud and his team - Sam De La Feuillade, Connie Stock, Hannah Froud and Robby Boyd - who won an impressive four of their nine matches at Nik’s first ever match racing event and claimed fifth overall.

Nik, who sails a Moth and is also a team racer, said: “I wanted to come to match racing because a lot of my friends do it and they have a really good time, so I wanted to get involved. I absolutely loved it. I was a bit worried the forecast was for it to be really windy and I didn’t think there’d be much match racing going on - like in team racing if it’s 30 knots it’s just a fleet race - but we were match racing all the time and learning about the rules as well, and all the different boat-on-boat scenarios that I just haven’t encountered before, so for me, comparing the second-to-last race we did with the first, we learnt loads and I really enjoyed it.”

Asked whether he’d recommend match racing, Nik says he ‘100 per cent’ will be back for more and has this advice for anyone who thinks they might like to try match racing: “Just come and do it, if you can fleet race competitively, read up on the rules beforehand, watch a few videos, make sure you’re aware of the differences but just come and give it a go because it’s great fun!”

Next up is the RYA Summer Match Racing 4 Qualifier for the Ceilidh Cup in Sonars at Royal Northern & Clyde YC, Helensburgh, this weekend (9-10 October 2021). The series then concludes with the invitational National Match Racing Championship Grand Finals at Queen Mary SC in RS21s, 29-31 October 2021.

Skipper Taylor Canfield and Team Stars+Stripes – Mike Buckley, Victor Diaz de Leon, Mike Menninger and Eric Shampain – won the 70th Bermuda Gold Cup and 2020 Open Match Racing World Championship with a penalty-marred victory over Ian Williams’s Team GAC Pindar writes Sean McNeill

Canfield and crew won three of the four races in winds ranging from 12 to 20 knots on Hamilton Harbour. They showed grit and determination in clawing back from deficits and a killer’s instinct in laying penalties on Williams and crew. They also showed great boatspeed when free and clear on the racecourse.

For Canfield, the victory is his third at the Bermuda Gold Cup (2012, ’18) and second Open Match Racing World Championship (2013).

“It’s unbelievable. I can’t thank my team enough,” said Canfield. “I put us in a lot of tough spots this week and they got us out of almost every one of them. Thanks to Bermuda for getting us here. We’re excited to be out racing again, and to come away with a win is unbelievable. We’re thrilled.”

Canfield and crew accepted the King Edward VII Gold Cup, the sterling silver World Match Tour Championship trophy and the $30,000 winner’s check of the $100,000 prize purse.

Williams and Team GAC Pindar – Christian Kamp, Gerry Mitchell and Richard Sydenham – placed second and won $15,000. Williams, the two-time Gold Cup champion and six-time Open Worlds champion took the loss in stride, but was rueful of the umpire’s calls, whose decisions had an impact on the outcome.

“It’s a lot about styles,” Williams said. “We try to keep the umpires out of the game and (Canfield) likes to bring them into it, and it worked for him today.”

New Zealander Phil Robertson and his China One Ningbo crew – Bradley Farrand, Peter Nicholas, Johanna Thiringer and James Williamson – placed third overall and earned $12,000 after defeating Jeppe Borch’s Borch Racing Team from Denmark in the Petite Final.

At the awards ceremony after racing, dignitaries such as the Governor of Bermuda, John Rankin, Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Commodore David Benevides, the President and CEO of the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, Dr. William P. Curry, and the CEO of Bermuda Tourism, Glenn Jones, all spoke of how Bermuda has worked to contain and minimize the coronavirus pandemic. Everyone associated with the regatta was tested multiple times while on the island, and not one person failed the tests.

“We were able to prove to the world that we can host a professional sporting event safely and responsibly without sacrificing the action on the water,” said Jones.

They were on hand to witness the awarding of the Jordy Walker Trophy, recognizing the most improved young match race sailor at the Bermuda Gold Cup, to 23-year-old Borch. Borch’s crew, including August de la Cour, Sebastian Pieters and Nikolai Rasmussen, placed fourth overall and won $11,000 in their first Grade 1 match racing regatta.

The Wedgwood Heritage Trophy, awarded in honour of Lord Piers Wedgwood, is presented to the sailor or support staff who best represents the traditional values and history of sailing. This year the trophy was presented to Tim Patton, who’s barge is a mainstay of the Bermuda Gold Cup. Asked for comment Patton replied, “When I’m done here, I’m taking the rest of the day off.”

From Williams’s perspective, the key point in the regatta was the pre-start of Race 2. Williams and Canfield had worked their way into the spectator boat crowd outside the pin end of the start line. Canfield was hounding Williams and got a penalty on him.

Canfield peeled off for a bit and sailed back towards the line and Williams began to follow. Canfield then decided to go back for another try at a penalty. Williams, on port, attempted to wipe Canfield by sailing below the commentary boat. Canfield, holding starboard, appeared to try and put his bow between the commentary boat and Williams. But his bow seemed to hit Williams's at about the traveller and spun Williams bow into the commentary boat.

The big collision in Race 2 was the critical moment of the World Match Racing Championships Photo: Charles Anderson
Damage was done to the bow of both boats as well as the commentary boat. Williams, who’d lost the first race, saw that as the turning point in the series. Not only did he receive a second penalty from the umpires, but he later was assessed a penalty of .75 points, which put him down 2-(-.75) after two races. That meant that he would have to win four consecutive races in order to win the championship.

“The big collision in Race 2 was the critical moment,” said Williams. “Not only was it a race win-loss on the penalty call, but also a lot of points on the collision. It’s essentially a 4-point delta. It was supercritical. We’re not happy with it but you have to suck these things up.”

“The guys onboard were telling me to back off. I saw an opportunity and went for it,” said Canfield. “I hate hitting boats, but felt like there was no way to avoid it. He got another penalty and a three-quarter point penalty. Everyone makes mistakes and this time he made the mistake.”

The King Edward VII Gold Cup, awarded to the winner of the Bermuda Gold Cup, is the oldest trophy in the world for competition involving one-design yachts. First presented in 1907 by King Edward VII at the Tri-Centenary Regatta at Jamestown, Va., honouring the 300th anniversary of the first permanent colony in America, the trophy is the only King’s Cup ever to be offered for competition in the United States which could be won outright.

The Bermuda Gold Cup, an event of the World Match Racing Tour, is presented by Argo Group in benefit of the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), an independent US non-profit scientific research and educational organization based in Bermuda. For over 100 years BIOS-based researchers and visiting scientists have worked to explore the ocean and address important local and global environmental issues, including climate change, coral reef resilience, and environmental monitoring. As a Bermuda registered charity, BIOS is committed to providing local students with educational programs that build a foundation for an appreciation of Bermuda’s marine environment, as well as future careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

70th Bermuda Gold Cup/2020 Open Match Racing World Championship Final Standings

1. Taylor Canfield (31, Miami, USA) – Team Stars+Stripes, 13-7, $30,000
Crew: Mike Buckley, Victor Diaz de Leon, Mike Menninger, Eric Shampain
2. Ian Williams (43, Lymington, England) – Team GAC Pindar, 13-6, $15,000
Crew: Christian Kamp, Gerry Mitchell, Richard Sydenham
3. Phil Robertson (33, Auckland, New Zealand) – China One Ningbo, 13-5, $12,000
Crew: Bradley Farrand, Peter Nicholas, Johanna Thiringer, James Williamson
4. Jeppe Borch (23, Copenhagen, Denmark) – Borch Racing Team, 14-11, $11,000
Crew: August de la Cour, Seabastian Pieters, Nikolai Rasmussen
5. Chris Poole (31, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA) – Riptide Racing, 8-4, $8,000
Crew: Sam Barron-Fox, Matthew Cornwell, Chris Draper
6. Eric Monnin (45, Immensee, Switzerland) – Capvis Swiss Match Racing Team, 7-5, $8,000
Crew: Simon Brügger, Hugo Feydit, Mathieu Renault, Ute Wagner
7. Torvar Mirsky (34, Sydney, Australia) – Mirsky Racing Team, 6-4, $8,000
Crew: Nick Blackman, Kinley Fowler, Mal Parker
8. Johnie Berntsson (48, Stenungsund, Sweden) – Berntsson Sailing Team, 10-8, $8,000
Crew: Herman Andersson, Anders Dahlsjö, Eric Malmberg
9. Nicklas Dackhammar (30, Gothenburg, Sweden) – Essiq Racing Team, 8-6
Crew: Nils Bjekås, Björn Lundgren, Jakob Wilson
10. Anna Östling (36, Lerum, Sweden) – Team WINGS, 5-9
Crew: Julia Lines, Annie Wennergren, Linnea Wennergren, Janel Zarkowsky
11. Matthew Whitfield (23, Plymouth, England) – Dragon Racing Team, 4-10
Crew: Quentin Bes-Green, Max Brennan, Carson Crain
12. Lance Fraser (27, Toronto, Canada) – Team RCYC, 5-9
Crew: Andrew McTavish, Rob Scrivenor, Katrina Williams
13. Jelmer van Beek (25, The Hague, Netherlands) – Team Dutch Wave, 4-10
Crew: Robin Jacobs, Jorden van Rooijen, Rutger Vos
14. Mati Sepp (52, Tallinn, Estonia) – Gleam Energy Sailing Team, 4-10
Crew: Ago Rebane, Karl Tagu, Aleksei Zigadlo
15. Kelsey Durham (26, Smiths, Bermuda) – Triangle Racing Team, 0-7
Crew: Alex Ellis, Charlie Lalumiere, Edward Lebens
16. Pauline Courtois (31, Brest, France) – Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team, 0-7
Crew: Cédric Chateau, Thierry Douillard, Sophie Faguet, Maelenn Lemaitre

Global sailing's focus of attention this week is on Bermuda, where the 70th Annual Bermuda Gold Cup and 2020 Open Match Racing World Championship is underway with GBR's Ian Williams the defending title-holder against fifteen other top drivers, Williams having won the 2019 final from Sweden's Johnie Berntsson.

Those who followed the 2019 Gold Cup may not recall it as having quite the same razzmatazz as the current event. But that's because, thanks to the international pandemic shutdown, Bermuda's position of natural isolation as a sunny little mid-ocean archipelago has enabled it to achieve an acceptable level of quarantine. Thus as the other national events in the World Match Racing Series were forced to cancel, the canny Bermudans worked carefully to having everything in place to make their end-of-October event the only show in town.

Thus they've taken aboard generous sponsorship from the Bermudan Tourism authorities, which would otherwise be having a very thin year, and for good measure they've beefed out the title to make it the 2020 Open Match Racing World Championship while they're at it, for who's to argue?

The National YC's flagship in San Diego. Johnny Smullen's classically-restored International One Design Altair slipping effortlessly along in Californian waters

Yet although for such an event you might expected very special boats – maybe even the pace-setting Mark Mills-designed ILC Melges 37 – they're sticking with the tried and trusted GRP versions of the 33ft 1936-designed International One Design, which was originally commissioned by American sailing legend Cornelius Shields from Norwegian designer and builder Bjarne Aas of Fredrikstad south of Oslo.

Johnny Smullen

Between them, they created a classic which caught on in many places including Bermuda, and it was very much the premier One Design keelboat fleet there when the Gold Cup for match-racing was inaugurated in 1950. Over the years, they may have introduced a GRP version, but basically, the top match-racing stars are still sailing a boat which manoeuvres slowly but certainly, and is well-behaved in every way while providing a miniature version of America's Cup racing when it was sailed in 12 Metres, which many would reckon were the golden years of that particular stellar-fest.

As we write, the Gold Cup 2020 is going full blast on Hamilton Harbour, Bermuda, with the numbers gradually being whittled down towards the weekend's final. But meanwhile, it's timely to recall a real if extended link to the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire, ancestral club of Johnny Smullen, master shipwright and the man-to-go-to around boats in San Diego in California.

When America's Cup legend Dennis Conner was at the most active stage of his classic boat passion, Johnny Smullen was his personal shipwright and boat-restorer. But Johnny meanwhile had his own enthusiasms, and one of them was for the classic wooden-built International One Design. He secured one of them, Altair, and restored her to better-than-new condition, such that she is now one of the ornaments of San Diego Harbour, sailed and raced with a reverence and respect which is a whole world away from the rough and tumble of the Gold Cup in Bermuda.

A boat which looks good from any angle – a very contented Johnny Smullen at the helm of his IOD Altair

Cork Harbour linkage

And if you would seek a Cork Harbour link to the current Bermuda contest, cast your mind back to the International 8 Metre If, brought originally to Cork Harbour by Aylmer Hall, and then owned for many years - after Hall had bought the 12 Metre Flica – by Tom Crosbie. If was not only a classic Bjarn Aas design and build in the IOD style, but her role as Altair's big sister was further reinforced by her topsides being painted the same discerning shade of blue.

Let's hear it for Cork Harbour. Tom Crosbie's International 8 Metre If, making smooth progress off the Cobh waterfront in the early 1960s, is very much Altair's big sister. Photo: Pascal Roce

The National Yacht Club at Dun Laoghaire Harbour is set to run the first of their 'Covid Friendly' match racing events this weekend. Eight Under 25 teams will battle it out in the club's fleet of four Elliott Six-Metre sportsboats.

As the first event of its kind, the aim is to increase the interest and involvement of youth sailors in match racing.

The NYC Match Racing scene kicked off last October after the club purchased the sportsboats.

The racing format will consist of two sessions, morning and afternoon with finals in the evening. Each session will have four teams of three sailors each that are counted as their own pod.

Match Racing in the Elliott Six-Metres off Dun Laoghaire

The top two teams from each session will progress to the finals. Teams will race in four boats to avoid changeovers and maintain social distancing.

The boats will also be sanitised before each session. It is great to see such activity happening in the club throughout COVID-19, and every precaution is being taken to ensure the event remains compliant.

The event follows on from the NYC150 Regatta last week that attracted a record turnout on Dublin Bay this season.

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 Series now lie 15th from 25 after four events out of five sailed. 

As one of the most experienced match racing skippers in the world, Australian Katie Spithill has been to every Busan Cup Women's International Match Race since the inaugural event in 2008, except for the single year she had her daughter. But not until Saturday the 29th of October 2016 did she go all the way through to winning in Korea; over previous two-time

In Korea, the waters just outside the beautiful Haeundae Beach of Korean city Busan offered the most challenging of sailing conditions, as the Busan Cup Women's International Match Race came down the wire with semi finals and final Saturday. In incredibly shifty, puffy and gusty winds, Spithill won her semi 3 - 1 over round-robin winner Claire Leroy.

Previous double World Champion and 2007 World Sailor of the Year, Claire Leroy, defeated Ostling 2 – 0 to take the petite final

Results in the Busan Cup Women's International Match Race, the 4th and penultimate event of the 2016 WIM Series are below:

1. Katie Spithill, Alessandra Angelini, Jessica Eastwell, Kate Lathouras and Stacey Jackson, AUS, 25 points
2. Lucy Macgregor, Annie Lush, Mariana Lobato, Elodie Mettraux and Mary Rook, GBR, 22
3. Claire Leroy, Marie Riou, Claire Pruvot, Julie Gerecht and Morgane Gautier, FRA, 20
4. Anna Ostling, Hanna Klinga, Linnea Wennergren, Marie Berg and Annika Carlunger, SWE, 18
5. Trine Palludan, Lea Richter Vogelius, Josefine Boel Rasmussen, Laerke Ilso Norgaard and Joan Vestergaard Hansen, DEN, 16
6. Stephanie Roble, Maggie Shea, Aimee Famularo, Elizabeth Shaw and Janel Zarkowsky, USA, 14
7. Pauline Courtois, Maelenn Lemaitre, Berenice Delpuech, Sophonie Affagard and Juliette Le Friec, FRA, 12
8. Caroline Sylvan, Malin Holmberg, Anna Norlander, Frida Langenius and My Karlsten Sfiris, SWE, 10
9. Renee Groeneveld, Annemieke Bes, Lobke Berkhout, Claire Blom and Marcelien de Koning, NED, 8
10. Diana Kissane, Jane Butler, Clara Hynes, Tara Flood and Jennifer Andreasson, IRL, 7
11. Milly Bennett, Alice Tarnawski, Rosie Lee, Stephanie Doyle, Carrington Brady and Tara Blanc-Ramos, AUS, 6
12. Gyeong Jin Lee, Ji A Kim, Min Ju Kim, Da Eun Yang and Da Som Park, KOR, 5

Results in the final:
Katie Spithill, AUS - Lucy Macgregor, GBR, 3 - 2

Results in the petite final:
Anna Ostling, SWE - Claire Leroy, FRA, 0 - 2

Semi final results:
Katie Spithill, AUS - Claire Leroy, FRA, 3 - 1
Anna Ostling, SWE - Lucy Macgregor, GBR, 0 - 3

Standings in the 2016 WIM Series after four events out of five (skipper, country, WIM Series points):
1. Anna Ostling, SWE, 93
2. Pauline Courtois, FRA, 60
3. Caroline Sylvan, SWE, 58
4. Stephanie Roble, USA, 54
5. Camilla Ulrikkeholm Klinkby, DEN, 54
6. Renee Groeneveld, NED, 49
7. Katie Spithill, AUS, 25
8. Lucy Macgregor, GBR, 22
9. Anne-Claire Le Berre, FRA, 22
10. Marinella Laaksonen, FIN, 21
11. Claire Leroy, FRA, 20
12. Lotte Meldgaard, DEN, 18
13. Samantha Norman, NZL, 14
14. Sanna Hager, SWE, 14
15. Diana Kissane, IRL, 14
16. Alexa Bezel, SUI, 12
17. Rikst Dijkstra, NED, 12
18. Nicole Breault, USA, 10
19. Johanna Bergqvist, SWE, 10
20. Antonia Degerlund, FIN, 10
21. Elizabeth Shaw, CAN, 8
22. Susanna Kukkonen FIN, 8
23. Milly Bennett, AUS, 6
24. Gyeong Jin Lee, KOR, 5
25. Sanna Mattsson, SWE, 5

#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 (Mayo) won three of their 11 round-robin contests but it wasn't enough to take them through to the quarter-final knockout stage at the NJK Sailing Center, where the Swedish boat skippered by Anna Östling beat France's Pauline Courtois and crew in two straight races in the final.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the same venue in the Finnish capital is set to host the Women's Match Racing World Championship in 2017.

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 Racing World Championship boasting a sailing arena located close to the city centre providing excellent viewing opportunities for spectators.

Together with The Finnish Sailing and Boating Federation and the Finnish Olympic Committee, NJK runs a training centre for elite sailors and has previously hosted the inaugural Youth Match Racing World Championship in 2014. It is also set to hold the first round of the 2016 Women's International Match Racing Series in June.

Head of Events at World Sailing, Alastair Fox said, "In 2014, NJK was chosen to host the first ever Youth Match Racing World Championship and it was a very successful and well run event. World Sailing is confident the NJK Sailing Center can repeat the same success with the Women's Match Racing World Championship and the close race areas to the capital city will draw in spectators to watch and support the crews."

Chair of the Match Racing Committee, Liz Baylis, said, "The Evaluation Panel had the difficult task of choosing between three excellent bids and Helsinki came out on top. With Finland's rich culture in match racing, including a medal performance in the 2012 Olympics, we expect nothing short of an exceptional regatta with great community support and excellent sailing.”

The 2017 Women's Match Racing World Championship will take place in Finland in a year in which the country celebrates its 100th anniversary of independence.

Applications for the host venue opened in July 2015 with the Evaluation Panel reviewing all received applications. The World Sailing's Board of Directors then endorsed the recommendation made by the Panel.

The selection of the NJK Sailing Center is subject to a successful site visit and satisfactory contractual arrangements.

Dates will be confirmed and released for the regatta in the near future.

#MatchRacing - Kinsale skipper Philip Bendon and team made an impression on the first day of the 19th Match Race Germany in Langenargen yesterday (Thursday 12 May).

Ireland's top ranked match racers Bendon Race Team are currently ranked joint third in the two-day round robin after picking up three wins, as did Nelson Mettraux's Geneva Match Race Team, Dejan Presen's Lumba team, Przemek Tarnacki's Energy Yacht Racing team and Pierre Rhimbault's Matchtogether.

The day was dominated by the favourites Jablonski Racing, the German/Polish entry skippered by Karol Jablonski, and Poland's Lukasz Wosinski-led Delphina Sailing Team, both on four wins out of five heading into the second of five days' racing.

Only the top eight of 12 teams will qualify for the weekend's quarter finals on Lake Constance.

After the success of last year's match racing nationals in Howth Yacht Club last December, organisers say the 2015 event is set to be an exciting event for both competitors and spectators. With the event being hosted by the Royal Irish Yacht Club and the championship due to take place within Dun Laoghaire Harbour, the west and east piers will provide viewing of the close, fast paced racing.

Organisers are currently inviting helms and their teams to email in for an invitation request by the 9th of this month. The top 10 skippers will then be invited to enter.

The NOR has been published and can be downloaded below.