NMCI Sailing Team wins in Schull
Monday 19 February 2007
The first ever NMCI Sailing Team has won their division at the Intervarsity Southerns Championship. The event held in Schull on the 10th and 11th of February was the first opportunity for the sailing team to represent the NMCI at competition level and they prevailed. The event, hosted and organised by the CIT Sailing Club, was run by the Fastnet Sailing Centre in Schull. The NMCI Sailing Team are very grateful to the Head of College, John Clarence and CIT Administrator, Ger Lowney who assisted in getting funding to allow the team attend the event.The Intervarsity Southerns Championship, hosted and organised by the CIT Sailing Club, was run by the Fastnet Sailing Centre in Schull. It followed the inaugural CIT Match Racing Invitational Competition held on Friday 9th February. CIT Sailing Club invited the top colleges on the Irish intervarsity sailing circuit - UL, UCC, Trinity, UCD to battle it out with them for the 1st CIT Match Racing Invitational Trophy. CIT Sailing Team were the eventual winners of the first trophy which was juried and overseen by International Sailing Federation (ISAF) judge Mike O’Connor of the Nations Cup.
The weekend’s weather forecast seemed to indicate that the near gale conditions of Friday 9th of February had passed but unfortunately the storm had generated a heavy swell. Two metre waves crashing up the slipway prevented any boats being launched and sailing was cancelled on the Saturday as the welfare of the boats was at risk.
The NMCI lads were itching to hit the water but had to wait for Sunday morning before they got their first race. The NMCI team topped their group of six other colleges and took the Southern Championship Bronze fleet title. NMCI have now qualified to race in the silver fleet for the National Intervarsity Championship Finals where they will meet a tougher standard but will greet the challenge with all guns blazing.
| NMCI Sailors | |
| Helm | Crew |
| John Conlon | Dermot Gallagher |
| Niall Kelly | Steven Higgins |
| Shane Mulcahy | Shane McNulty |
Article by Patrick Defense, Marine Engineering Il
