Ceilidh Cup / Scottish Student Sailing Match Racing Championship - Preview

Action from the 2014 Ceilidh Cup © Neill Ross

Nicole McPherson to defend her Ceilidh Cup title, while Edinburgh steps up the pressure on other Scottish Universities

This weekend is the first event of the Scottish Student Sailing (SSS) 2015-16 calendar, with Royal Northern & Clyde Yacht Club's (RNCYC) Ceilidh Cup Match Racing event. Nine teams (including eight student teams) will compete in the Rhu-based clubs' Sonars over Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th October. The Ceilidh Cup is a joint student/non-student event in the BUSA & RYA calendars, where students and non-student entries compete together, but where a separate prize is awarded for the highest placed student team.

First-ranked skipper and RNCYC member Nicole McPherson, daughter of esteemed BUSA President and well-known team racing umpire Peter Johnson, will be hoping to retain the Ceilidh Cup for the third year running. Nicole will be hoping that she can build upon her recent Sonar UK National Champion status to ensure excellent boat speed on Rhu's East Patch racing area, at the confluence of the River Clyde and Gareloch.

Josh Baker, helming the St. Andrews University entrant, is also a returning competitor. However, for 2015, Edinburgh University have stepped up participation in the event with two entries. It will be a first forage into helming in match racing for 49er sailor Gillies Munro. For fellow Edinburgh helm and 29er sailor Ruth Allan, the Ceilidh Cup marks her first match racing event since 2008.

Strathclyde University also has two formidable entries, led by Clyde-local sailor Ruaridh Wright and Christopher Kilgour. Strathclyde's entries encompass several sailors who participated in the Student Yachting World Cup (SYWoC) 2014 in La Rochelle and who will be returning to represent Scotland in SYWoC 2015, at La Baule-Le Pouliguen, on the Côte d'Amour, next week.

There are also first forays into match racing helming for Helensburgh local, Kae Clark (Dundee University) -- as well as freshers, James Campbell and Jacob Sim (both representing Glasgow University Sailing Club).

With international match racing umpire John Doerr leading the umpire team, we hope competitors have close and fair sailing. It looks like a fairly light forecast, so PRO David Denholm may have his work cut out!

Scottish Student Sailing Chair, Gregor Southall said: "RNCYC have once again done a fantastic job in organising the Ceilidh Cup, our annual match racing event. With eight student teams enters it's shaping up to be a great weekend of racing, and we're all very excited to get the season under way."