ISORA News Items all in date order.
The second ISORA Night Race on Friday 8th August in Pwllheli started, later than the Irish counterparts, at 2050 hrs. The Race committee had set a 38.5 mile course which would take the fleet to all corners of Tremadog bay.
The Welsh ISORA fleet were set off from the Pwllheli Sailing Club start line using the unmanned, automated start system with a beat to the first mark in a gentle 8 knots of wind and then onwards to St Tudwal's Islands. Jackknike J125 was first through the sound just as the wind built to 10 knots and a close fetch to Causeway Buoy.
The 14 mile spinnaker run from Causeway turned into a tight reach as the competitors reached Madog Fairway. Jackknife held her lead with Sgrech and Mojito closing in on the dying wind around Madog Fairway.
The beat back to Tom Buoy was fast with winds increasing to 18 knots and held for the boats to finish around 0400 hrs.
Jackknife took line honours but Sgrech was first overall and Mojito second - Mojito went on to compete in Abersoch Regatta and acheived 2nd overall.
The Pwllheli Night Race (ISORA - Race 8b) - RESULTS
The weather was forecast to be very light for the Night Race from Dun Laoghaire. The tides were very strong. The course on the sailing instructions was to head south to North India. The fleet would be drifting against a flooding tide for two and a half hours after the start? It had been considered that the course would be changed to head north with the tide but this was rejected by the Sailing Committee. So 15 boats came to the start line for NYC Commodore, Larry Power, to send them off towards North India.
At the time of the start there was no wind and the flooding tide pushed the fleet back away from the start line. It was approximately 30 minutes before the first boat managed to creep across the line. At this stage those boats on the land side decided to head close to the land to avoid the tide. The remainder headed out to sea into the tide but towards the line of wind that was appearing on the horizon.
The members of ISORA wish our fellow ISORA sailors, Liam Coyne and Brian Flahive a fast and safe passage in the heroic 2-handed attempt at the Round Britain and Ireland Race.
The race starts on Sunday 10th August and its progress can be followed on the Yellowbrick website and app.
The weather forecast was depressing for the 2014 KONA Offshore Perpetual Trophy Race on Saturday 26th July from Dun Laoghaire to Pwllheli. The only conversation during the pre-race get together in the NYC on the previous evening was “how can any boat manage to get to Pwllheli with that forecast???” The ISORA Sailing Committee decided after extensive deliberations to shorten the course to go direct to Pwllheli.
Read more: Race 7 – KONA Offshore Perpetual Trophy Race. – “Ruth” retains her Trophy.
Click here to read the full press Release
Congratulations Ruth - a fantastic race win.
The full provisional results are now on the web site here
We are only a few weeks from the inaugural ‘Spinlock IRC Welsh Championships’ hosted this year by Pwllheli Sailing Club on 1st to 3rd August.
The event has used the successful 2013 J Cup hosted by PSC as a spring board with the added award of the ‘Spinlock IRC’ regional title for Wales. PSC Commodore Stephen Tudor said: ‘The Club is very proud to be offered the opportunity to host the first Welsh IRC Championships and is delighted to see competitors already entered from Ireland, Isle of Man, Scotland and Liverpool in addition to the local competitive fleet. Entries are still being received and we still have free berths available for the event on the new Academy pontoons’.
With many of the ISORA regulars recovering after the recent Round Ireland race and also taking part in Cork Week, 13 of the 15 entries came to the start line at Pier Mark for the ISORA Lighthouse Day Race.
The forecast for the day was light winds from the south strengthening around midday and reducing again in the evening and veering west. The original plan for the course was to round or pass the main lighthouses around Dublin – Baily, Rockabill, Kish, Muglins and Dun Laoghaire lighthouses. This would have produced a course of 45 miles. When the course was being decided just prior to the pre-race briefing, Dublin Bay was like a mill pond with little or no wind. Another factor in deciding the course was the strong tides on the day – HW at 12.20.
I wonder if it will ever be known how many people followed the final approach of “Ruth”, Liam Shanahan Jnr’s J109, approach to the finish line in Wicklow for the 2014 Round Ireland Race. I spent many hours watching the tracker, checking the weather forecast, wishing them along the course towards the finish.
The ISORA boats know only too well what the approach to Wicklow finish can and regularly does.
“Ruth” battled with the “hole” in the wind that formed as they were off Greystones. Unfortunately they slipped from “having it in the bag” to second place behind “Tenit” – they were robbed!!! 'I was sick for Liam and the crew' said ISORA chairman Peter Ryan.
You can follow the ISORA boats' progress in the Round Ireland Race here.
The 700 mile classic, non-stop race started on Saturday 28th June in Wicklow and is a clockwise course around Ireland and the fleet is expected to finish back in Wicklow by Thursday 3rd July.
Good luck to 2041, Adelai, Big Deal, Desert Star, Mojito, Ocean Tango, Persistence, Polished Manx, Ruth and State O'Chasis
The new visitor and events pontoons Iin Pwllheli moved closer to completion this week with the installation of the new bridge.
The pontoons will be ready to receive the ISORA fleet on 26th July and competitors for the IRC Welsh Championships which starts on 1st August.
A Boat-show and Exhibition is also planned for 16th August with exhibition sailing, rowing and other water sports on display. There will be something for everyone.
The Offshore Racing Weekend started with a fast and furious race from Liverpool to Douglas with a fantastic spinnaker scream all the way!! The race took place at 18.00 on Friday the 6th June. The race start was postponed as the large fleet exited the lock from the marina.
The course set for the race sent the fleet beating from the start line at the Albert Dock up river to Pluckington Bank buoy and back to the Dukes buoy at the start line. From there the fleet under spinnaker wrestled with the fickle winds that bent around every building on the shore. All channel buoys were marks on the course and boats had to avoid restricted areas around drilling rigs while making their way to Douglas.
The results for all races sailed so far are available here. Baba Bing was overall winner of Race 4 and Mojito winner of Race 5. Congratulations to both.
Winners of the prizes presented by Hudson Wight were
Race 4
Race 5
The full weekend report will be available shortly.
The overall series table is available here with the individual race results.
The whole series is very close with Ruth now leading followed closely by Mojito.
The following is intended as a guide for competitors who wish to deliver their boats to Liverpool in readiness for the Midnight Race from Liverpool to Ise of Man scheduled for 6th June.
Please follow the link to the guide prepared by LYC which provides details about the passage in the Mersey channel and further useful information.
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