Ten teams go head-to-head at Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) over the next three days (10-12 October) to battle it out for the title of 2008 RYA National Match Racing Champions.
After six qualifying rounds, including the RYA National Youth and Women’s Match Racing Championships, the 10 skippers competing at this weekend’s Grand Final now have the chance to get their hands on the overall National crown.
Top ranked skipper at the Finals is two-time RYA National Match Racing champion Mark Campbell-James, 28, the world number 25, who is joined by brother Paul, Skandia Team GBR 49er helm, Andrew Yates, Andy Oliver and Graham Sutherland.
However Nick Cherry, 23, has won the event for the past two years and having recently made his debut on the prestigious World Match Racing Tour at the Troia Portugal Match Cup, he will be keen to defy the rankings and complete his hat-trick of National titles.
Ali Hall secured an impressive third place at the RYA Winter Challenge Match Racing Series Grand Final earlier this year, with only established World Tour skippers Damien Iehl (FRA) and Torvar Mirsky (AUS) finishing above him in the final standings.
Meanwhile Mary Rook and Charlotte Lawrence will be looking to assert some female authority on the proceedings at WPNSA as the two women skippers in the final.
Rook sealed her place in the Grand Final 10 courtesy of her RYA Women’s National Match Racing Championship victory last month while Lawrence, who led a team to 2008 European University Women’s Match Racing Cup glory in May, booked her place in the National final courtesy of their Qualifier Three second placing.
Sam Goodchild claimed the 2008 RYA National Youth Match Racing title in emphatic style in August, the talented 18-year-old not dropping a single race over the three days of racing.
World number 79 Robbie Allam won the first qualifier back in April while Matt Greenfield’s runners-up finish at the final qualifier last weekend, where Cherry finished third, guaranteed him his Final spot.
Victory at the BUSA Match Racing Championships in April tied up Tom Makey’s National final spot and Mason Woodworth won Qualifier Two.
The racing in J80s is scheduled to get underway at 10am today (Friday) with a 15-flight round-robin, quarter-finals and semi-finals set to be contested before the overall Champion is decided on Sunday.
RYA National Match Racing Championships finallists 2008:
1) Nick Cherry
Connor Myant
Matty Adams
Nick Houchin
2) Ali Hall
Rob Grieg-Gran
Dave Newey
Gaz Owen
3) Robbie Allam
Adam Richards
Tom Odell
Jez Fowke
4) Mark Campbell-James
Paul Campbell-James
Andrew Yates
Andy Oliver
Graham Sunderland
5) Matt Greenfield
Niall Myant
Adam Wallace
Nick Butt
6) Tom Makey
Matt Pinner
Pete Wathan
James Wade
Hattie Marsden
7) Mary Rook
Vicky Lenz
Katie Archer
Bethan Carden
Rebecca Marriott
8) Sam Goodchild
Jonty Cook
Tom Altmann
Rory Spriggs
Nicholas Wilkinson
9) Charlotte Lawrence
Katie McKenzie
Laviana Paternoster
Jo Brigg
Phil Lawrence
10) Mason Woodworth
David Brown
Stewart Mears
Simon Hamilton
