Ceilidh Cup and Scottish Student Sailing Match Racing Championships in Rhu - Preview
by Richard Aspland 9 Oct 2021 09:05 BST
9-10 October 2021
Ceilidh Cup Scottish Student Sailing Match Racing Championship 2019 © Neill Ross /
www.neillrossphoto.co.uk
This weekend marks the return of the Ceilidh Cup / Scottish Student Sailing (SSS) Match Racing event, hosted at the Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club in Rhu, Scotland. This is the first match racing event held in Scotland in the last two years, and also marks the resumption of competitive university events for the first time since the pandemic struck in February 2020. Seven teams have entered, including four teams eligible for the SSS prize.
Among the teams entered, top-seeded skipper Ali Morrish comes into the event fresh from silver medal finishes at both the Marlow Ropes Women's Match Race Championship, as well as the recent RYA Summer Match Racing Qualifier 3.
Among the unranked entrants, this is a first foray into match racing for Cayman native and Laser sailor Jesse Jackson, after he starts his MSc at the University of Strathclyde. Similarly, Mhari Orr will be hoping to transfer some of her recent exploits in the 707 class into the match racing in RNCYC's Sonars. This event also marks a return for previous match racers Craig Macdonald, Thomas Goodman and Hector McKemey.
Ali Morrish said: "All my racing has been in the Elliotts and RS21s this year so I'm really looking forward to getting back in the Sonars on home waters in Scotland. I was pleased with our results at the Women's Nationals and the Poole qualifier last weekend so hopefully I can keep that momentum going, but mostly I'm excited to sail with this Ceilidh Cup team which includes friends I've not seen since before the lockdowns!"
Craig Macdonald, event director, added: "It's really great to be putting on these kinds of sailing events again. We had a lot of fun hosting the Scottish Qualifier for the British Keelboat League back in July; the forecast for breeze looks good for the weekend, so I'm looking forward to getting back to match racing!"
Entrants:
- Ali (Mo) Morrish / Royal Northern & Clyde Yacht Club
- Thomas Goodman / Strathclyde University*
- Craig Macdonald / Royal Northern & Clyde Yacht Club
- Hector McKemey / University of St Andrews
- Jesse Jackson / Strathclyde University*
- Mhari Orr / Edinburgh University*
- Matt Brett / Edinburgh University*
* denotes a team eligible for the SSS Match Racing Prize
The Ceilidh Cup is the Summer Match Racing 4 event in the RYA National Match Racing Championship series. To find out more about RYA Match Racing visit: www.ryamatchracing.co.uk