After a hard days training on Saturday 4^th of April, seven teams battled for the inaugural Connaught Schools Team Racing Championship which was held on Sunday 5^th of April in Lough Atalia, Galway City. Conditions were good with a nice steady breeze and clear skies. The first Gun was fired at 10:00hrs by Minister Eamonn O'Cuiv TD as Race Officer Eddy Cats got the Round Robin Series of 21 races underway.

Racing was tight and exciting. Three schools topped the Round Robin Series earning themselves a place in the semi-finals- Ursalines Secondary School, Waterford (racing as an invitational team), Scoil Chroi Mhuire an Spideal and Seamount College of Kinvara. Scoil Chuimsitheach Chiaráin of Carraroe and Calasanctius College of Oranmore were tied on four wins each. They had a thrilling race off which was neck and neck to the finish line with Carraroe coming out on top.

With a team made up of Galway Hooker Sailors who had never sailed in dinghies before, Carraroe had it all to do in their best of three semi-finals against Spideal. Spideal won the first race easily with a one two three finish, but lower winds in the second race gave Carraroe a tight hard earned victory. It was all down to the last race with Spideal getting an early lead but Carraroe got back into the race on the last windward leg by taking a bold move to sail along the shore. By sailing along the shore Carraroe were not affected as much by the strong tide and as a result won the race earning their place in the final.

On the other side of the draw it was Waterford against Kinvara. This was a close contest between the two girl schools that fought hard for every inch on the race course. At the end of the first race, the Waterford school were on top with a one two three finish. During the second race Kinvara sailed passionately for their place in the finals but alas it was not to be their day. The girls from Waterford broke away to earn themselves a place in the Final with Carraroe.

Carraroe won the Connaught Team Racing Championship. The eagerly awaited final was another close battle and the spectators were not disappointed. Carraroe and Waterford's battle was such a good race to watch, the cars on Lough Atalia Road looked like rush hour traffic as they all wanted to get a glimpse of the action. In the end there could only be one winner and it was the invitational team from Waterford who stole the show only losing one race out of 13 on the day. In the Third/Fourth place race off it was Spideal who came on top, while the team from Athenry was awarded Best Primary School.

A great day was had by all and on behalf of Galway Bay Sailing Club, Bow Waves Galway Sailing and Powerboat School and HB Ocean Adventure Schools Programme we would like to wish the top three Connaught Teams (Carraroe, Spideal and Kinvara) best of luck in the Irish Sailing Association National Schools Team Racing Championship in Schull on the 25^th and 26^th of April.