Woodworth takes latest round

A report from Qualifier Two of the RYA National Match Racing Championship

Team Investec Private Bank, led by Mason Woodworth, dominated the 2008 RYA National Match Racing Championships Qualifier Two at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy last weekend.

The four-man team of Woodworth, David Brown, Stewart Mears and Simon Hamilton performed well in the testing conditions against the seven-strong field in the double round robin series only dropping one match over the weekend.

While first place from the round robins had been decided, the battle for the remaining semi-final places began with Nick Phillips, Dave Newey and Ben McVeigh all very closely matched, each having won and lost a match each to each other.

Woodworth and Newey, a member of the Volvo RYA Keelboat Programme, dominated the semi-finals winning 2-0 in each match. Woodworth continued his domination in the increasing breeze to 24 knots to win the final. Newey struggled with his spinnaker at the leeward mark in the final match, allowing Woodworth easily sail through to win.

In the petit final, for third and fourth places, McVeigh and Phillips won one match each, before the third and final match. McVeigh came back from an early penalty, after being late for entry in the pre-start, to sail quickly upwind, covering Phillips all the way to the finish.

The RYA National Match Racing Series pitches identical J/80 boats against one another with the winners of each of the six 2008 qualifiers going through to the three-day Series finale at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy on 10-12 October.

RYA National Match Racing Championships Qualifier Two results:
1) Mason Woodworth, David Brown, Stewart Mears, Simon Hamilton
2) Dave Newey, Luke McCarthy, James Boadle, James Boyce
3) Ben McVeigh, Louis McVeigh, Peter Cowell, Steve Botes, Sophie Jones
4) Nick Phillips, Charlie Montgomery, Sarah Hornby, Georgie Blaver-Mann
5) David Tabb, Paul Childs, Toby Harris, Jason Foster
6) Seb Ripard, Tom Peyton, Alex Higby, Fynn Steritt
7) Lucy MacGregor, Helen Lucas, Rebecca Marriott, Ally Martin, Kate MacGregor

2008 RYA National Match Racing Series: remaining events
1) Youth Championships – 23-25 August (WPNSA)
2) Women’s Championships - 30-1 August/September (WPNSA)
3) Qualifier 3 – 6-7 September (WPNSA)
4) Qualifier 4 – 4-5 October (WPNSA)
5) Grand Finals – 10-12 October (WPNSA)