On Saturday the 31 March, in Dun Laoghaire, the destination of the 2012 Irish University Sailing Association (IUSA) Intervarsity Championships Trophy was decided.

The event already took place from the 15-19 February 2012 in Mayo, Westport, however, due to excessive wind on the last day of Finals; it was postponed to this later date. The Top 8 teams in Gold Fleet took part with Quarter-final, Semi-final and Final match-ups in order to crown the 2012 Champions. Competing teams were UCD 1 & UCD 2, UL 1 & UL 2, UCC 1 & UCC 2, TCD 1 & TCD 2. 

It was planned to coincide with the annual UCD/Trinity Colours Event and provided an excellent exhibition of Team Racing in near-perfect conditions in the harbour.  

UCD organised both events with the Colours starting first. In Part 1, as with any Colours Sports Event: pride, glory and bragging rights for at least another year are all on the line, so, I don’t know how to put this; but, it‘s kind of a big deal!

The format of racing follows that all sailing teams firsts to sixths race their opposite number from the other college, as well as a Ladies team and an Alumni team. However, the college that wins the Colours Trophy depends solely on the result of the UCD and Trinity First teams match. But while this may have been the case, no races were taken lightly, all full-blooded affairs, looking to get one over on their opposite number.

In what was a fairly even affair between the colleges wins for UCD came from first UCD 2, then UCD 4 and UCD 6 before the Ladies team dominated affairs in their race. Trinity having won the 3rds, 5ths and Alumni made the battle of the 1sts all the more interesting. In the best-of-five encounter UCD 1 prevailed showing superior speed to win as in 2011, 3-0 and win the Colours Trophy for the 3rd year in a row. Boom!

On to Part 2 and by12.30 and with UCC and UL teams arriving, UCD 1 and UCD 2 were not finished for the day and at 1pm, shortly after securing the Colours trophy; they were ready to go again.

In the quarter-finals UCD 2 raced top of the round-robin from Westport UCC 1. In an upset, they won it and comfortably at 2-0 in the best-of-three race. The warm-up from the morning proved useful as they caught high-hopes UCC out at the first hurdle. UCD 1 dually raced UL 2 winning easily 2-0 and set up a race with familiar foes and 2011 Winners UL 1.

After a whole year and more, this was the decisive moment to put that bitter blow of losing in 2011 behind them. Showing greater determination and hunger for the title UCD 1 won 2-0 to move into the Final. UCD 2 had the chance to follow them and in their way stood the sailing-well Trinity 1^st team. Unfortunately, UCD 2 didn’t race as they can and TCD 1 moved to 2-0 and into the Final for a repeat of the Colours Final from the morning.

This was it. Three race-wins stood between UCD and their first Intervarsity Title in over 10 years. Taking care not to under-estimate their beaten opponents from the morning, they used the Final experience from 2011 to their advantage, sailing fast and tactically better than their opponents to prevail 3-0 in the best-of-five race to the scene of jubilation as they crossed the finishing line. UCD-2012 Intervarsity Champions, a culmination of many years hard work in which so many contributed to it, past and present.

Bouncing back from Semi-Final disappointment, UCD 2 won the Petite Final against 2011 Champions UL 1 2-0 and collect their ISA Bronze medals.

To cap off a marvellous year, UCD 1 also ends the year top of the IUSA rankings and will now represent IUSA at the BUSA Team Racing Championship in West Kirby, Liverpool next week from the 9-13 April. Later in the year, UCD will also savour a trip to France in October for the Student Yachting World Cup (SYWOC) as decided a week beforehand in the IUSA Yacht Nationals.

It is also worth noting that from the racing completed in Westport, UCD 5 won the Bronze Fleet with UCD 3 the Silver Fleet to make it a UCD “Grand Slam” of IUSA Intervarsity Fleet Wins in 2012 thus showing the strength and depth throughout the whole club.

Lastly UCDSC should congratulate themselves on running and completing two superb events. We cannot be thankful enough to the Royal Irish YC for lending Ribs and use of the facilities in this busy spring time. Luckily the conditions on the day were ideal but also many of our thanks must go to all Jury members, Umpires, OOD, Beach master and Changeover drivers; without whom nothing would happen.

Gold Fleet Winners and Champions 2012:

UCD 1: Simon Doran & Aoife Cooney, Barry McCartin & Eimear McIvor, Aidan McLaverty & Bella Morehead

Gold Fleet Bronze Medallists:

UCD 2: Michael Harrington & Ciara Browne, David Fitzgerald & Zoe Flood, Alyson Rumball & Caitriona Ni Mhurchu

Written by Barry McCartin