Howth Yacht Club teams finished 2nd and 3rd at the Irish National Match Racing Championships hosted by Lough Derg Yacht Club on November the 5th and 6th.
There was little to decide between the two teams throughout the event with the final match between Mad Match Racing (Ben Duncan, Ric Morris, Joe Turner and Keith Glynn) and the HYC Development Squad (Ryan Scott, Conor Murphy, Ross Darmodey, Graham Barker) deciding who went on to challenge the Royal St George Gladiators in the final.
In the first meeting between the two Mad Match Racing took control to lead into the favored end of the line at the start and tacked clear ahead quarter of the way of the beat. Extra pressure on the left bought the Development Squad back into the race and by the windward mark they where in position to deftly sneek into a gap gifted them by Mad Match to take control of the race, a lead they held to the finish.
The second match, the last each team sailed in the round robin stage, saw a repeat of the prestart but this time Mad Match protected the left to extend and win comfortably.
With both teams loosing both matches to the eventual winners plus one other race the final race between the two turned out to be the deciding match for 2nd and 3rd. In the best of 5 final Mad Match Racing lead the first race by half a leg before the race was cancelled due to a lack of wind. Conditions failed to improve by the 3:30 time limit leaving the Gladiators the winners on the basis of their superior round robin results.
Next years National Match Racing Championships will be coming to Howth with a week of coaching and practice in the run up giving an opportunity for anyone who fancies giving match racing as try the chance to get up to speed before the event.
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