News 2019
2019 ISORA Champion Paul O'Higgins receiving the Wolf's Head Trophy from Charlie Jones Commodore Royal Dee Yacht Club and from 2018 Champions Peter Dunlop and Vicky Cox (Mojito).
Also present Stephen Tudor (ISORA Hon Sec) and Anne Marie Ryan.
Rockabill VI wins race and 2019 Series and becomes the 2019 ISORA Overall Champion for the Wolf's Head trophy and Class O winner. Congratulations Rockabill VI.
Silver Class Champion is More Mischeif and Windjammer takes Class 2
Class one was won by 2018 ISORA Champion - Mojito.
The results are available here and the full report wil be published here shortly.
“Rockabill VI” takes James Eadie Race and ISORA Overall Offshore Championship 2019.
The 2019 ISORA Offshore Championship was decided in a tight contest between three boats – Paul O’Higgins “Rockabill VI”, Chris Power Smith’s “Aurelia” and Andrew Hall’s “Jackknife”. All any of those boats had to do to win the 63 boat, ISORA Offshore Series 2019, was to beat the other two boats in the last race.
The race was the annual James Eadie Race from Pwllheli to Dun Laoghaire, a distance of 80 miles. There were 23 entries for the race but only 14 managed to get the Pwllehli for the start. The starters included a new to ISORA boat from Arklow Sailing Club, John Conlon’s “Humdinger”.
The forecast for the race was moderate North-Westerly winds veering North-Easterly and eventually going very light. The weather for the race was as forecast.
Due to the light forecast in the evening, it was decided by the race committee to select a direct course. The course was:
Read more: Report on Race 16 James Eadie Race – Pwllheli to Dun Laoghaire
Holyhead Marina Ltd are in the process of seeking consents for the re-build of Holyhead Marina following its destruction during Storm Emma in March 2018.
We have been asked to share the consultation document with our members and seek suggestions and comments on the proposals - please reply send to
Mojito won the Global Display Race on Saturday 24th August - this was the second race in the series which will be concluded on Sunday night 25th August with the Global Display Coastal Night Race.
The series is led by Jackknife on equal point count back to Jack y Do.
The Viking Marine ISORA Coastal Race from Dun Laoghaire to Greystones was won by by Greystones yacht Eleuthera - Frank Whelan.
A race report is available in AFLOAT.ie here
The Viking Marine Coastal Series overall winner (best three races from the four sailied races) was Mojito.
“Mojito wins Viking Marine Coastal Series without striking a blow.”
Race 14 of the ISORA Offshore Series 2019 took place from Dun Laoghaire on the 24th August 2019. The race was a Coastal Day Race with an 10.00 start. The race was part of the ISORA “Viking Marine” Irish Coastal Series and also a feeder race to the Greystones Regatta.
The race was the last race in what was to be a five race series for the Viking Marine Coastal Series. However, one of the earlier races was cancelled due to severe weather. The disccard was still to be applied after this race. It was hoped that this could open the challenge for the series. Peter Dunlop’s “Mojito” was leading the series into the last race followed by Lindsay Casey’s “Windjammer” and Paul O’Higgins “Rockabill VI”.
Of the 24 entries, 14 boats came to the start line at DBSC “Pier” mark and were sent on their way by Barry MacNeaney and Larry Power. The race organiser for the race was Grainne Ryan and the Safety Officer was Anita Begley.
The series leader “Mojito” was not to be seen. It was back home in Pwllheli taking part in the ISORA UK Global Communications coastal series taking place the same day. Just prior to the start Rupert Barry’s “Red Alert” developed steering problems and retired.
The forecast for the day was for SSE winds 10-15 knots and possibly reaching 20 knots. The winds were very local with very light winds in all other parts of the Irish Sea. To ensure that the fleet finished in Greystones in sufficient time to take part in the “Taste of Greystones”, a 33 mile course was selected by the Sailing Committee
The course was:
Start at DBSC “Pier Mark”
Muglins (S)
North India (S)
Wicklow Outfall (S)
Finish at Greystones.
As the boats exited Dun Laoghaire harbour for the start the winds were SSE 14-18 knots. However, soon after the start the wind dropped to 10 knots. At the start there was still two hours of south going tide. The first leg to the Muglins was a beat with the fleet splitting, some heading inshore and the remainder staying out in the tide offshore.
Frank Whelan’s “Eleuthera” led the fleet from start to finish followed closely by Chris Power-Smith’s “Aurelia” and George Sisk’s “WOW”. The second leg down the coast started with a fetch but the veering wind to South headed the fleet inshore and produced another beat. The fleet made landfall at Greystones but had to keep going another 8 mile to North India. Close tacking along the beach to avoid the tide, paid off.
Eventually the fleet had to strike out into the tide for North India. As the leaders arrived at North India the wind dropped to 3-5 knots making rounding the buoy very difficult for all boats. The leading Class 0 boats managed to round North India before the tide became too strong in the light winds to make any progress to the mark. Many of the boats retired at this point, unable to reach North India.
Those boats that managed to round North India crabbed their way against the tide in the zephyrs for the 6 miles fetch to Wicklow Outfall. Once Wicklow Outfall was rounded, good progress was made in a dead run towards the finish in Greystones.
Finish times were recorded automatically using the YB trackers and results were displayed immediately a boat crossed the finish line.
“Eleuthera” took line honours, Class 0 and the Overall IRC. “Windjammer” took Class 2. Grzegorz Kalinecki’s “More Mischief” took Silver Class. Full results are available here
The Greystones Regatta committee presented prizes for 1st and 2nd Overall in the ISORA Race.
The results in this race, after the discard was applied, did not knock “Mojito” off the top, despite not even taking part. “Mojito” won the Viking Marine ISORA Coastal Series and Class 1. “Windjammer” took 2nd Overall and Class 2 while “Rockabill VI” took 3rd Overall and Class 0. “More Mischief” took Silver Class.
The next race is the final offshore to take place on the 7th September from Pwllheli to Dun Laoghaire. It will be the decider race for the Overall ISORA Championship with Andrew Hall’s “Jackknife” leading the series. A weighting of 1.3 will be applied to the results of this race. This weighting with an anticipated large fleet taking part could topple “Jackknife”, “Aurelia” and “Rockabill VI” are in position to challenge for the coveted Wolf’s Head trophy and Overall ISORA Offshore Championship.
To encourage ISORA boats to take part, the entry fee for the race is been waived for any boat that has raced in ISORA in the past. A complimentary Crew Bus is also being organised to bring crew taking the afternoon ferry, from Holyhead to Pwllheli.
To further encourage boats to take part, an end of season party has been arranged in the National Yacht Club after the race, no matter what time the boats finish. This is always a great social event where the new ISORA Champion will be toasted.
Entries for any of the remaining ISORA races are welcomed. Online entry can be made on the ISORA website – www.isora.org
Peter Ryan
Chairman ISORA
“Rockabill VI steals the light in the ISORA Night Race”
Race 12 of the ISORA Offshore Series 2019 took place from Dun Laoghaire on the 16th August 2019. The race was a Night Race with an 20.00 start. The race was part of the ISORA “Viking Marine” Irish Coastal Series.
The race has taken place in the past with mostly balmy conditions when the fleet glided down the coast, illuminated by the lights on land. Well, this year was not to be like that. The weather for the previous day and for the morning of the race was very windy with a Gale Warning in operation for most of the country. The weather was so unsettled that the Night Race from Pwllheli, that was to take place at the same time, was postponed.
Fortunately the weather moderated on the west Irish Sea and the forecast for the race was for SW 10-15, Gusting 25 knots. This was the weather that existed for much of the race except when conditions became very squally when winds up to 35 knots were recorded.
Of the 22 entries only 13 boats came to the start line at DBSC “Pier” mark and were sent on their way by Barry MacNeaney and Larry Power. The race organiser for the race was Grainne Ryan and the Safety Officer was Anita Begley.
Conditions at the start were light with 8-10 Knot SW winds providing a spinnaker start for the fleet towards the first mark. The tide on the day was a strong spring tide so the course for the race, as set by the Sailing Committee, ensured that the least amount of tide plugging took place. The tide was fast flooding north at the start. The fleet headed north.
The 39 mile course was:
Start at DBSC “Pier Mark”
ISORA Dublin (Virtual Mark ) (P)
Taylor’s Rock Cardinal (S)
Lambay Island (S)
Bennet (S)
ISORA Dublin (Virtual Mark ) (S)
Finish between the pier heads in Dun Laoghaire.
Conditions leaving Dublin Bay became light with winds dropping to 5-6 Knots for a time. Chris Power-Smith’s “Aurelia” led the charge out of the bay and was first to round ISORA Dublin virtual mark. As the fleet rounded ISORA Dublin the first of many squalls hit and caused a huge amount of frenzied activity on many boats, trying to get spinnakers down and jibs up. The squalls did not last long, but it changed the Leaderboard.
“Aurelia” and Paul O’Higgins “Rockabill VI” led the fleet north towards Taylors Rock Cardinal, located just north of Lambay Island. This leg was a tight reach and suited those boats with asymmetric spinnakers. Rounding Taylor’s Rock caused some confusion to the fleet as there was no light on the buoy and the first boats approached the buoy in darkness. Well used to rounding virtual marks, the fleet successfully rounded the “dark shape” and turned south toward Bennet. This leg was a fetch. Squalls were still blowing through.
The Line Honour placings within the fleet remained the same except that the faster boats could not get sufficiently away from the remainder of the fleet to take overall leading positions. The leg from Bennet to ISORA Dublin Bay was a beat and the final leg to the finish was a very tight reach.
Finish times were recorded automatically using the YB trackers and results were displayed immediately a boat crossed the finish line.
“Aurelia” took line honours but not sufficiently far ahead to prevent “Rockabill VI” taking the Overall IRC and Class 0 win. Simon Knowles, J109 “Indian”, took 2nd place Overall IRC and 1st in Class 1, just ahead of Peter Dunlop’s “J109, “Mojito”. Lindsay Casey’s “Windjammer” took Class 2. Grzegorz Kalinecki’s “More Mischief” took Silver Class. Full results are on the ISORA website >here
The result for “Rockabill VI” tightens the top of the ISORA Overall Championship and focuses the spotlight on the top four contenders – Andrew Hall’s “Jackknife”, “Rockabill VI”, “Aurelia” and “Mojito”. As the championship uses the high point scores, the Champion for 2019 will not be known until after the last offshore race on the 7th September, from Pwllheli to Dun Laoghaire. This race is of further importance as the weighting for the points in the race is 1.3. In the Silver Class, “More Mischief” and Joe Conway’s “Elandra” are close together for the Silver Class Series.
As we head into the last coastal race next Saturday the Viking Marine Coastal Series will be decided in Greystones. A discard will kick in after that race and this will open the Series to several boats. At this stage “Mojito” is leading in Overall but “Windjammer” and “Rockabill” are close behind. Class winners will also be decided.
The next race is a coastal race and takes place next Saturday 24th August. The start is in Dun Laoghaire and finishes in Greystones. It is the final race in the Viking Marine Coastal Series and acts as a feeder race to the Greystones Regatta. Greystones Regatta is a great social and sailing event and takes place on Sunday the 25th. ISORA boats are encouraged to enter this event and join in the fun.
The Pwllheli ISORA Night Race, postpones from last Friday, is rescheduled for next Sunday 25th August, a Bank Holiday in the UK.
Entries for any of the remaining ISORA races are welcomed. Online entry can be made on the ISORA website – www.isora.org
Peter Ryan
Chairman ISORA
Amendment 1
Race 13 (Pwllheli Night Race) is Postponed and has been re-scheduled for Sunday 25th August 2019
Amendment 2
The re- rerunning of the postponed Race 2 is Cancelled
Stephen Tudor
ISORA Hon Sec
16th August 2019
The build-up to race 11 showed a consistent NW wind in the mid Irish Sea, with potentially less in both Dublin and Cardigan Bays. The general consensus of the sailing committee, was to start as published and route direct to the finish line at Pwllheli, with the only mark of the course the ISORA bay mark to keep clear of Dublin Port. The talk in the bar the night before however was the tidal gate at Bardsey, and its impact on the race - with a potential in light airs for the class 2 boats to take advantage of a parked fleet, or in stronger winds to allow the faster boats to get through before the tide turned.
Saturday dawned brightly, and a fleet of 15 gathered off the Dun Laoghaire harbour entrance, ready for the 75 mile race to Pwllheli, with the up to date forecast promising a little more wind, particularly on the Welsh side.
Barry MacNeaney and Larry Power of the National Yacht Club started the fleet from the pier mark, with the fleet getting away cleanly in a 10 kts North Westerly breeze, with spinnakers hoisted on the line on Starboard Gybe
J125 Jackknife taking an early lead, chose to remain on starboard and go south of the rhumb line, with most of the fleet gybing onto port shortly after passing Muglins. Leaving Dublin bay the wind built as promised averaging 12-17kts allowing a fast crossing, with the fleet bunching in class order! The south going tide was with the fleet for 5 hours, allowing most of the fleet to sail just south of the rhumb line, and soak further down when able, to mitigate the later tide turn. The fleet enjoyed a great spinnaker run, with some impressive boats speeds, and frankly champagne sailing!
YB Tracking – Jackknife approaching Bardsey Sound
Approaching the Welsh side, the north going tide didn’t trouble the fleet too much, particularly as the wind veered a little to the north as the tide changed, which was very helpful in being able to lay the sound without gybing. A few boats went close to the North coast of the Llyn Peninsula , and reported some big windshifts and turbulent water. Jackknife managed to get to Bardsey Sound just at the end of slack water and blasted through with speeds of 10-12ts over the ground, with Aurelia arriving as the tide turned. The rest of the fleet lead by Rockabill and Mojito got to Bardsey a little later and had to sail though against 4-5 kts of tide, but with the wind holding at 15 kts were able to maintain good boat speed. The sound was reasonably calm considering wind over tide, but a few boat experienced the overfalls and disturbed water south of the tripods!
Champagne sailing in the Irish Sea – Jac Y Do
The whole fleet got through Bardsey against the tide without any major problems.
Once through Bardsey a straight forward sail to Pwllheli with a few wind holes for the backmarkers to negotiate, in a generally dying northerly breeze, with a fetch from St Tudwals to the Plas Heli finish line under white sails, manned by ISORA finishers Brian Metcalf and Robin Evans. The last boat finished at 21:20 , and all enjoyed a “boisterous” aprés sail in Plas Heli, with Richard Tudor (Jackknife) and Pete Ashworth (Zig Zag) celebrating a special birthday milestone this weekend. Congratulations to Andrew Hall J125 “Jackknife” who took line honours, class O and overall, Peter Dunlop and Vicky Cox J109 “Mojito” who won class 1 and Lindsay Casey and Denis Power J97 “Windjammer” who won class 2 giving the J109’s a great race. Silver Class was won by Gregorz Kalinecki “More Mischief” and they now lead the Silver Class Series table chased bt Joe Conway on Elandra.
“Jackknife” leads the ISORA overall from “Rockabill VI” with coastal races on both sides of the Irish sea in August, before the high point scoring “James Eadie” race from Pwllheli to Dun Laoghaire in September
Race management by Peter Ryan at the Dun Laoghaire end, with Jo Thompson and Awel Tudor managing the trackers in Pwllheli. Thanks also to safety officer Anita Begley .
The next races are the Exposure lights night races on August 16th
Follow the link for the full results - Race Overall Race Results, Class Results and the full series results
The Course for the 11th Race in the ISORA 2019 series, which was weighted at 1.2, with 15 competitors on the start line.was as follows:
Start in Dun Laoghaire in Scotsman Bay and leaving the ISORA Dublin Mark (Waypoint) N53 17.110 W6 00.100 to port.
to the finish at Pwllheli being a line from the bridge at Plas Heli the Welsh National Sailing Academy to the Pwllheli Fairway
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35 boats took part in the Hendrick Ryan Royal Dee Offshore Championship 2019 that took place over two weekends and over 5 races. The championship included the ISORA Offshore from Douglas IOM to Dun Laoghaire on Sunday the 7th July and the four Offshore races of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta. The series was decided on points from the five results with no discards. The ISORA race had a weighting of 1.2. The High Point scoring system was used.
At the end of the series, J109, “Mojito” (Peter Dunlop and Vicky Cox), from Pwllheli, the current Championship holders, just regained the title, but only by 0.4 of a point over 428 points. Another J109, “Jetstream”, Nigel Ingram from Holyhead took second place. Paul O’Higgins from the Royal Irish in his JPK10.8, “Rockabill VI” took third place.
“Rockabill VI” took Class 0 Overall with “Mojito” taking Class 1 Overall. Lindsay Casey’s J97, “Windjammer” took Class 2 Overall.
The race winners were:
Race 1 – “Jackknife” – Andrew Hall
Race 2 – “Mermaid IV” – Seamus Fitzpatrick
Race 3 - “Mermaid IV” – Seamus Fitzpatrick
Race 4 – “Mojito” – Peter Dunlop & Vicky Cox
Race 5 - “Mermaid IV” – Seamus Fitzpatrick.
Prizes were presented as part of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta prize giving and they were presented by the Royal Dee Yacht Club Commodore, Charlie Jones.
Full results can be found on this link
Peter Dunlop & Vicky Cox with Crew of “Mojito” with RDYC Commodore Charlie Jones.
Paul O’Higgins with crew of “Rockabill VI” with RDYC Commodore Charlie Jones
Seamus Fitzpatrick of “Mermaid” with RDYC Commodore Charlie Jones
Aurelia won the 100th edition of the Midnight Race and Jackknife won race 9 back to Dun Laoghaire - full report to follow shortly
Race 6 was originally planned as an offshore race from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire, but had to be re-planned to start and finish in Dun Laoghaire, due to ongoing infrastructure issues at Holyhead, following last years devastating damage to the marina.
The build up to the race gave the race committee the usual course setting conundrums with light winds forecast, and tides to consider. The forecast seemed to consistently indicate a light SW wind building to a stronger 10 - 12kt westerly as the day progressed
After much deliberation, a course was agreed as follows:
Start (DL Pier Mark)
Muglins (S) and keeping the ISORA Dublin Bay Virtual mark to port (this mark is to keep the course away from the TSS)
West Codling (p)
South Codling (p)
East Codling (p)
Kish Lighthouse (p)
ISORA Dublin Bay VM (s)
Finish (DL Pier heads)
A distance of 43 miles, with hopefully 2 hours of south going tide to help the fleet on its way.
Mojito, the 2018 ISORA Champions, wins the Dun Laoghaire Offshore Race on Saturday 25th May with Winjammer in second place.
Jackknife got line honours, completing the course in 10.31hrs and holds her overall lead of the ISORA Championship, but is being chased hard by Windjammer
The full results are available by following the link below.
2025 Class bands are anticipated as follows:
Class 0 = 1.070 or greater
Class 1 = 1.010 to 1.069
Class 2 = 1.009 or less
2025 bands will be published before the first Race.
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