The team qualified in third place going into the finals which are between the top four teams in the world, in this case Jersey, USA West, England and home team Ireland.Team manager Stuart McGlinchey, standing at the top of the cliff to watch his team mates’ progress, said this morning: ‘We have moved from the Easkey Reef, where we were for the first two days, to a beach break – and the waves are pretty huge and very hard to read.
I’ve just watched James Robertson, he’s surfing very well, but local knowledge is winning so far I think.
The Irish team surf here regularly and definitely have the advantage.’Team Jersey was in first place after day one of the team competitions, with six first, six second and four third places, dropping to equal fourth after the second day’s heats, but still in the lead overall.Day two’s sea conditions were so poor – with no waves at all on Saturday – that the event was postponed until yesterday, when there were waves, but waves which grew, then shrunk, in alarming fashion, the wind shifted on and off-shore all day and the only constant factor was the thick, heavy drizzle.Fortunes were as mixed as the waves, with Tim Rowe winning his first master’s heat and Chris Ollivier taking second place in his.
In the men’s international class Stuart McGlinchey placed third, as did Ollivier, while Paul Perchard restored Island pride by winning his race and James Robertson was fourth in his.Results from the two days were added together to determine the four teams which are battling it out today.’No-one is super-confident today,’ McGlinchey said, ‘except, perhaps, the Irish team in home waters.
Every member of the team is involved in today’s final, and the waves are huge but they’re not very nice, they are much more aggressive and, surfing along by the cliff it’s going to be down to survival of the fittest and the surfers with the most guts before surfing techniques take over.
We’re certainly hanging on here and very keen to keep our title – but in these conditions local knowledge is vital and we can see that Team Ireland are pretty familiar with them.’
