CIT Sailing Club
NEWS
Date Added:
November 19th 2007
CiT 2 Take home the silver.
Last weekend brought one hundred and fifty six sailing students to the beautiful town of Bantry. The weather conditions prior to the event looked doubtful for any racing but the sheltered harbour of Bantry allowed the games begin early Saturday morning.
John Downey the principle race officer got an amazing sixty races completed on Saturday leaving a remaing twent five for Sunday morning. Both our teams were successful after Saturdays racing . CiT 1 won all of their qualifying races and CiT 2 only lost two meaning both teams were on course for the finals. The team enjoyed a trip to the holiday complex leisure centre where they baths in the Jacussi and felt the heat in the Sauna. A mystery tour Saturday evening brought the teams towards Glengariff where the band Carbon Copy played well into the night.
Sunday brought light airs and yet another perfect day for team racing. Both CiT teams advanced to their respective semi finals. CiT 1 were matched against the previous event winners DiT and were unable to turn the tide as DiT went on to make it two in a row. CiT 2 on the other hand preformed amazingly and progressed to the final where they met Trinity College Dublin. A best of three final went all the way to the final race. The teams themselves didn't know who had one because of a picture finish at the end.
Sure enough at the prize giving it was the CiT lads who were crowned the IUSA Western Silver Fleet Champions for 2007.
Well done to Captain Graham Durcan, Dee O'Rourke, Joe Breun, Cian Twomey, Ben Woods and Ciaran Cotter.
November 14th 2007
Tough defeat in world championships for Cork all star sailors.
A Campaign which began at the start of the 2007 summer finally ended on the 2nd of November after an amazing effort by the Cork Institute of Technology sailors. The team could not have prepared better for the championships and arrived in La Rochelle with high expectations. A team which comprised of highly talented sailors from the Munster region fought hard for the world title.
Day one began with the designation of boats and practise day for all fifteen teams. The team went through the boat with a fine comb and were happy with the condition of the rent boat. The boats were all very similar, the only major difference was the forestay pin was different on several boats. Some with a more racked back rigs than others. After a quick phone call home and a final rig tune up the boats were overlooked by the Jury and sailing commenced.
The hardest discussion each day for me was who to let down and tell them that they would be ashore for the days racing. On the practise day we brought all nine members of the team out so that we all got a sample of the boats different tweaks and techniques. We had been training for the month previous in a benateau 31.7 kindly lent to us by Paul Tingle, and the Grande Surprise 31’s had quite a different feel and layout. The crew quickly got used to their positions and we were all set for the opening day.
The first day’s weather forecast was very light and the discussion was to go with six crew rather than the usual seven. A choice that was hard for some of the team to accept but I felt in the long run they would prove themselves. The opening races for us were a disaster and the mood in the camp was that of annoyance but also determination to bounce back. The light airs of the first day meant that the costal race was abandoned and rescheduled for the following day.
Day two brought better sailing conditions with a steady and stronger breeze. After a poor start in race one the team found themselves looking at the back of the fleet at the top mark but after an amazing downwind we managed to get back in the game. Picking another two on the upwind leg and one on the last run, it was a relief to finish fourth across the line. The breeze had picked up during race one and the final two races of the day proved very challenging. The second windward leeward course saw many boats chicken out of using their kites on the down wind but we had the attitude of go big or go home. A second place finish put our heads in the right place for the first coastal race of the event. A short eight mile course lead us under the bridge of Ile De Re and back down towards the harbour entrance to Les Minimes. In a freshening breeze we were third to the bridge only inches behind the Americans and with a better mark rounding of the channel mark we managed to squeeze past. It was only the Swiss now to catch but their downwind sailing was impressive and whilst closing the gap we couldn’t find any passing lane.
Sticking with the ever improving crew from day one we planned to change it up for the evening race on day three. In the morning we had two windward leewards and then returned to the dock for a two hour break and re-fuel before the night race. I decided it was best to bring on the more experience night sailors of Brian O’Sullivan who had an impressive amount of round Irelands under his belt and Graham Durcan who has done some interesting delivery trips with me. The two additions to the crew brought a nice atmosphere to the whole boat and that’s what you need when your sailing through the night. The race started at dusk with a short beat to the wind ward mark and a fetch across to Marie-Anne (a Channel mark), under the bridge and eight miles upwind to Rocha and back under the bridge to finish at Les Minimes 18 miles in total. We chased the Portuguese through the bridge and closed the gap to within half a boat length by Rocha. For the down wind we found ourselves being held up by the Portuguese and eventually went over the top of them. During the upwind a boat seemed to be changing the nav lights like a Christmas tree. Every time they crossed behind our stern there was either a mast head light, steaming light or pulpit lights on. After our successful role of the Portuguese we were quiet high and having to soak down towards the bridge. This Christmas tree of a vessel was further to leeward of us and going like a train. Looking over to them was like and engine being run as their speed was not the same as any one in the fleet. Sure enough they beat us to the bridge and the lights under the bridge revealed the pink spinnaker of the Swiss team. On the final leg to the finish we managed to hold our kite to the line but the Swiss held on to first place.
20th November 2006
Galway Report
The second event of the 2006 season was hosted by the National University of Galway from Galway Bay Sailing Club. The event saw over twenty team travel the distance from all conners of Ireland to compete for the Western title.
An unchanged CIT first team was once again on form for the qualifing rounds all day saturday. Qualifying third they went into the final day with high hopes. With a steady ten knots of a westerly breeze the sundays racing was a great succes with all the races been completed.
The Cork champions met Trinity College in the semi finals and went through with a two one win. In the other semi final UL over came UCC and entered the final with all guns blazing.
CIT lost the opening race and the pressure was on to crawl back into the best of three race final. The lads came together and discussed tactics to fight their way back into the final. With supreme boat speed and manouvering CIT won the second race to bring down to the last race. The Team held thier form and went on to win their second event of the year.
The drive home was a delight with more silver wear for the cambinate and smiles all round.
25th October 2006
Wicklow Winners
Last Sunday was marked by a momentus occasion, with CIT winning their first event in Four years. Too long have we been the wrong end of the stick, reaching every final last year only to go home disappointed. After beating Trinity College Dublin in the semi final, we went on to battle it out against our home town rivals University College Cork. It all went down to the last race of a best of five race final. It was certain after the start that CIT was bringing the Eastern Championship home to Bishopstown.
With the arrival of new members, the team's already reaching a very high calibre and this made all the difference when the pressure was on. Brian Cotter and Ken Murphy brought their game to another level, in Wicklow, which proved winning form in the final. Well done lads, keep up the good work!
Our second team did the college proud also with their outstanding performance reaching the final of the Bronze Fleet. Unfortunately, they were taken down by WIT2. With this having been their first event together it was quite a remarkable achievement.
Lets make a habit of this success from now on lads, we know what victory tastes like now, lets make sure we get our fill this season!!!
