Smart Telecom Irish Match Racing Championships Preview

Kinsale Yacht Club will host the Smart Telecom National Match Racing Championships on April 29th and 30th. 12 teams from all corners of Ireland will compete, inlcuding some of the countries top dinghy, team racing and Keelboat sailors. The winners of the event will be crowned National Champions, but significantly for many, they will also qualify to represent Ireland at the Nations Cup Grand Final, in September. The Nations Cup is an ISAF Grade 1 World Championships for Nations. Racing this weekend will take place in the Middle Harbour off Charles Fort, close to the shore with plenty of vantage points for viewing the contests.

12 teams have been invited to race in a fleet of supplied Squib keelboats, with a Round Robin series taking place on Saturday and completing on Sunday morning. The Semi Finals and Finals of this ISAF Grade 3 event should attract big crowds on Sunday afternoon with a number of local sailors taking part.

Competition will be fierce in the high quality field, who are split into two groups of 6 for the opening qualifying races. The Royal St George Yacht Club have entered a strong team with 3 time dinghy Match Racing champion Andrew Fowler as skipper, crewed by Max Treacy who recently campaigned with the +39 Americas Cup crew, and multiple Laser 2 and Helmsmans National Champion crew David McHugh. Host club Kinsale will line up as one of the favoured teams, with George Kinsgton, former Laser Radial Youth European Champion and Irish Junior Helmsmans Champion. George is competing in the North European Nations Cup qualifier in Queen Mary Sailing Club, London at the moment which will be invaluable practice for this event.

Smart Telecom, who are generously supporting the event, will be hosting an opening ceremony from 8pm on Friday night at the Club House, and an event dinner in the Trident Hotel on Saturday night.

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