UCD Sailing Club 3rd at IUSA Southerns
On the weekend of the 14th/15th November five UCD sailing teams made the journey down to Schull, Co.
With a win at the first IUSA event in Wexford, UCD sailors were eager to attempt a repeat performance in
Favourable weather conditions allowed another early start to racing on Sunday morning, and the remaining round robin races were completed before the knockout stages commenced. A 2-1 win against UL2 in their “best of three” quarter final, gave UCD1 a place in the semi-final, along with teams- DIT1, UL1 and TCD1. However a closely contested semi-final against UL1, ending with an umpire’s decision in UL’s favour on the finish line of the third and final race, clinched the victory and the opportunity of a place in the final from the UCD team.
The event was won by DIT who, victorious in their semi-final, went on to achieve a 3-1 victory in the “best of five” final against UL1.
In the silver fleet UCD2 finished in second place, losing out in a tight final race to a CIT team recently returned from the Student Yachting World Cup.
Gold fleet
1st DIT1 - Marty O’Leary/ Tomás Duke, Conor Byrne/ Rachel Guy, Simon Rattigan/ Aoife English
2nd UL1 –Darragh O’Connor/Katie Tingle, Kev Stallard/Rachel O’Brien, Pa Hegarty/Peadar O’Sullivan
3rd UCD1– Barry McCartin/Anne Collins, Aidan Mc Laverty/Sharon Quigley, Nick Harger/Katie Curtin