2011 Waterways Ireland ISA Sailing Champion is George Kenefick

by Rachel Solon ISA on 14 Oct 2011 George Kenefick of Royal Cork Yacht Club is the 2011 Waterways Ireland ISA Sailing Champion. Fellow Corkonian Mark Mansfield finished in second place and ISA Olympic Squad member Ryan Seaton took the bronze in what was an incredibly close competition.

The youngest of the helms, at just 23, Kenefick was up against some tough opposition. Mansfield, who also hails from Royal Cork, has 41 years of sailing experience including having represented Ireland in four separate Olympic Games. He is also no stranger to the ISA Helmsman’s Trophy having won it twice before in 1990 and 1999 but Kenefick, although young, has been sailing for 20 years. At the age of 3 his father, Neil Kenefick, put him in an Optimist, tied a rope to it and let him drift around in Crosshaven. As his skills developed, he progressed through the ranks of competitive sailing, notably winning the ISA Junior All Ireland Sailing Championship in 2006 and most recently helming the winning boat in the 2011 Half Ton Cup.

Kenefick and Mansfield sailed consistently during the eight races of the windward/leeward course and remained at the top of the leader board throughout. Kenefick and his crew Mel Collins and John Downey had led the fleet until the seventh race but then a slight slip saw them finish in third position while Mansfield won. This then meant that for the first time within the championship, and with only one race to go, Mansfield was top. Instinctively capitalising on this pressure, as only a gifted sailor can, Kenefick sailed a beautiful last race and won his fourth race of the championship. It were these bullets that ultimately won the ISA Helmsman Trophy for him. Tied with Kenefick, also on 12 points, was Mark Mansfield but unfortunately Mansfield lost the tiebreak as he only had won three races.

Results here