Cork IT outwit Italians in World finale

SAILING: THE GHOST of a close call in last year's Student Yachting World Cup was firmly put to bed last weekend when the Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) team emerged overall victors at La Trinité Sur Mer in France.

With teams from 11 nations competing, the CIT squad avoided the 2007 runner-up result, but only after a week of cut-and-thrust competition, on and off the water.

The nations sailed the event in a fleet of 31-footers, a slightly smaller version of the popular A35 cruiser-racer, and the CIT crew entered racing with a clear mission to avoid the excesses of Student events and determined to avoid another second place.

In conditions ranging up to 30 knots, the nine-strong squad overcame an uncertain start and a spate of start-line issues to eventually end up in a showdown with the Italian crew for the overall win.

"We found it difficult initially to get a grip on the conditions," reported George Kenifick, who contrasted the shifty wind of the opening day to a 30-knot squall by the third day of racing.

Confusion reigned during that race when the committee's signal that spinnakers must not be flown because of the weather was missed by several boats, including the Cork sailors. Though the Cork team managed to carry the sail in the high winds, they were later penalised three points for their effort.

That incident was just the start of the protest-room action for the week, and the squad did well not to be disqualified for another incident.

The CIT crew were penalised for crossing the starting-line early and that ended up before the jury. But video evidence that cleared the Irish squad was accepted, though average points for the series were awarded.

However, a subsequent protest using the same video evidence which had cleared the Irish crew was used to reinstate the Portuguese team, even though they weren't even visible, and the Irish used that decision to wrest a better deal from the jury.

But it was the final race that determined the series was won before it was even decided. Having drawn up against Italy as the team most likely to beat the Irish, a covering tactic to block the rival crew was formed among the Cork sailors. That tactic was a simple: engage the opposition in "dial-up" for the best starting position and then sail away.

Except that the Italian squad hadn't reckoned on skipper Nicholas "Nin" O'Leary, who recently won both the Irish Match Racing Championship plus the All-Ireland championship title.

The Irish boat simply sailed circles around the other boat until they gained a better starting position. "It was a basic match-race for the final and Italy wasn't expecting that," said Kenifick. "The helmsman couldn't believe it and started shouting at his crew."

The CIT team were sponsored by AIB Bank, and the victory now joins Trinity College Dublin's 2006 success.

CIT CREW: Nicholas O'Leary (helm); George Kenifick (mainsail/tactician); Joe Bruen (trimmer); Sylvia Phelan (trimmer); Aoife English (pit); Cian Twomey (bow); Graham Durcan (mast); David Barnett (coastal race navigator); and Adam McCarthy (team coach).