UK match racing series commences

Teams head to Queen Mary for first event in RYA National Match Racing Championship

Some of Britain’s keenest keelboat racers are gearing up to try to upset Nick Cherry’s two-year dominance of the RYA National Match Racing Championship as the 2008 Series gets underway this weekend (26-27 April).

Nine teams, including crews from Great Britain, the Netherlands, Malta and Ireland, will do battle in two days of Qualifier One action at Queen Mary Sailing Club, near London, in the first of six qualifying events for October’s Grand Final.

The RYA National Match Racing Series pitches identical J/80 boats against one another with each of the Qualifier winners being decided in a four-race final between the top two crews at each qualifying event.

The winners of each of the six 2008 qualifiers, including the Youth Championships for competitors aged Under 20 on 31 December 2008 and Women’s Championships, go through to the three-day Series finale at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy on 10-12 October.

Last year Cherry, then 22, held his nerve in a fascinating climax to the 2007 Championship as he clinched a crucial last race win to claim the crown for the second year running.

Meanwhile, Skandia Team GBR’s Yngling crew and experienced match racer, Lucy Macgregor, once again switched to the back of the boat to skipper her way to her second RYA Women’s National Match Racing crown, her first coming in 2004. 

The 2007 Series also attracted sailors of the calibre of Beijing-bound duo Ben Ainslie and Iain Percy who got in some competitive match racing training under their belts at September’s Qualifier Three.

Heading the line-up at Queen Mary this weekend is ISAF World number 77 skipper Robbie Allam while Dutchman Jurjen Feitsma will be looking for a repeat of his victory at the Seaview Mermaid Match Racing Championships on the Isle of Wight last weekend. Three of the skippers – Ben Pym, Sam Goodchild and Dave Newey - are also members of the Volvo RYA Keelboat Programme.

2008 RYA National Match Racing Series Qualifier One entry list (by skipper):
1) Robbie Allam
2) Jurjen Feitsma
3) Andrew Shaw
4) Seb Ripard
5) Niall Myant
6) Ben Pym
7) Sam Goodchild
8) Dave Newey
9) Mark Tighe

2008 RYA National Match Racing Series events:
1) Qualifier 1 – 26-27 April (Queen Mary Sailing Club)
2) Qualifier 2 – 19-20 July (Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy)
3) Youth Championships – 23-25 August (WPNSA)
4) Women’s Championships - 30-31 August (WPNSA)
5) Qualifier 3 – 6-7 September (WPNSA)
6) Qualifier 4 – 4-5 October (WPNSA)
7) Grand Finals – 10-12 October (WPNSA)