| 07.12.2005 |
Bray Sailing Club held their first ever short-course
team racing event in the Harbour on Saturday 3rd December. The
event was dominated by two teams of young sailors from Courtown
Sailing Club. 5 teams sailed a round robin event - in which
teams race once against all other teams.
Kieran Crowe and Barry Nolan won all four of their races to
win convincingly, giving a demonstration of boat-handling and
tactical intelligence that will serve them well in their sailing
career. Three boats finished with two victories. The mini-series
play-off produced some of the tightest racing of the series.
In the last race the Bray team of Luke Collins and Freddie Stevens
lead from the start. However, rarely has the expression "snatching
defeat from the jaws of victory" been more appropriate.
A minor boathandling error and some loose marking allowed Courtown
sailors Simon Doran and Michael Harrington to take the lead
in the last yard of the race. The winning margin was a mere
six inches, more than was enough for the Courtown team to win
the play-off.
Team racing is a spectacular branch of sailing. Bray Sailing
Club's has innovated by shortening the courses to sail in the
harbour. Races are even more intense, and the action is in full
view of spectators. Teams of 2 or 3 boats race against each
other. In 2 boat team racing the team of the boat that finishes
last loses the race. Races are not won by sailing fast, but
by careful positioning of boats to hinder the opposition and
ensure that team colleagues have a clear passage to the finish.
Good racing looks like a nautical "dog-fight", as
boats circle and manoeuvre to take the advantage over their
opponents.
The winter season's sailing continues on 17th December, when
all sailors are welcome to compete in a Pico Challenge.
Results :
1st Kieran Crowe / Barry Nolan Courtown SC 4
wins
2nd Simon Doran / Michael Harrington Courtown SC 2 wins (+2
wins in the play-off)
3rd Daniel Collins (Bray SC) / Peter Collings (Dun Laoghaire
MYC) 2 wins (+1 win in the play-off)
4th Luke Collins / Freddie Stevens Bray SC 2 wins (0 wins in
the play-off)
5th Caroline Walker / Muireann O'Sullivan Bray SC 0 wins
report from www.sailing.ie
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