Plymouth match racing

Mayflower Marina to host a two day RYA National Match Racing Series Qualifier

For the first time ever, Mayflower Marina will host a two day RYA National Match Racing Series Qualifier on 18-19 July.

Ten teams will compete, five of which are all-women teams who are currently campaigning for selection for London 2012.

There are a number of local entries, including three students from the University of Plymouth; Allan Higgs, Kim Vasey and James Brown. Mary Rook, an ex- University of Exeter student is also part of one of the top competing teams. Mary and her team have had an incredible year winning the gold medal at the Delta Lloyd Holland Regatta in May and securing second place at the ISAF Nation’s Cup in March. Later this month they will represent Skandia Team GBR at the 2009 ISAF Women’s World Match Racing Championships in Sweden.

All ten teams will be competing for a spot at the RYA National Match Racing Series Grand Final, which takes place at Queen Mary SC, Middlesex in October.

This is the first time the RYA Match Race Series has been raced in Plymouth and it was secured as the RYA continues to explore taking the Series into the regions. The qualifier is scheduled to have three phases – the round-robin, semi-finals and final with the winner being invited to October’s Grand Final.

The sailors taking part in the qualifier will experience some fantastic new facilities following a recent £2.5m investment in Mayflower Marina These upgrades include the construction of a new office building, new boat hoist, car park extension and, most recently, the refurbishment of the marina’s luxury bathroom facilities.

Charles Bush, managing director of Mayflower Marina, commented: “Mayflower Marina is proud to support sailing in Plymouth. We have recently invested £2.5m to extend and improve our marina and we really believe that Plymouth offers some of the best sailing and facilities in the UK.

“There are a number of talented sailors taking part and we wish them the best of luck. The 2012 Olympics will be the first to recognize match racing as a sport in its own right so it would be fantastic for Great Britain to take the gold.”

John Derbyshire, RYA racing manager, added: “We look forward to providing a platform for some top class match racing and competition in the South West. This is an excellent opportunity for South West-based sailors, who may not have been able to travel further afield, to take advantage of some quality coaching and well-organised, competitive racing.”

The J80s used in the race are owned by the RYA and will remain in Plymouth after the races for the Port of Plymouth Regatta which takes place from the 25th July to 2nd August 2009. Mayflower Marina is the main sponsor of the event, once again encouraging sailors to visit the region.

Port of Plymouth Regatta Week offers competitive racing for all classes of dinghies and yachts in Plymouth Sound, including a day of Rookie Racing for the less experienced young sailor.