Over 90 people turned out for the ISORA talk "Introduction to Offshore Racing" held in the National Yacht Club on the 7th April.
The first speaker was Capt Mick Liddy who gave a talk on "Preparation for Offshore Racing"
Capt. “Mick” Liddy is an Air Corp Helicopter pilot / flight instructor with extensive Search & Rescue experience. Mick has recently spent time flying the Garda Air Support Helicopter and served with the UN in Liberia and Sierra Leone. He has also flown politicians and heads of state as part of his government service duties.
On the water, Mick has received even more plaudits. As one of Ireland’s most accomplished amateur offshore yachtsmen, he has held two World Sailing Records, including the record for the fastest solo sailing time around Ireland, and won the Double-handed Round Britain and Ireland race in 2006. He added a win in the Maxi World Championships in 2009, one of his many successful appearances for Ireland on the international yachting stage.
In 2010 he completed the Round Ireland Race with, visually impaired sailor, Mark Pollock.
The ISORA Chairman, Peter Ryan, gave a presentation about ISORA, the Clubs and ports involved, a brief outlook of the races in the 2011 program and some tips on the tides involved.
The last speaker was Maurice "Prof" O'Connell. Maurice has competed successfully in the Sydney Hobart, Fastnet and Round Ireland offshore races, has won numerous one-design national and international titles, was a member of the coaching team at the Athens Olympics in 2004 and campaigned for selection for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He recently skippered "Legally Brunette" to victory in the 2009 Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race. He currently assists teams from dinghies to big boats in maximising their performance on the water and also represents North Sails in Ireland. Prof is a member of the RCYC and RStGYC.
Presentation:
Capt Mick Liddy: Mick Liddy OFFSHORE RACING (pdf 542kb)
Peter Ryan: Introduction to Offshore Racing Part 1 (pdf 4.8Mb) Introduction to Offshore Racing Part 2 (pdf 3.1Mb)
Maurice "Prof" O'Connell: Prof OConnell (pdf 3.5Mb)
