News
ISORA News Items all in date order.
The Committee has set the Class splits for the 2019 Series as follows:
Class 0 - 1.035 and above
Class 1 - 1.000 to 1.034
Class 2 - 0.999 and below
This amends 4.1 of the General Sailing Instructions -- 2nd May 2019
ICRA Offshore National Title Up for Grabs at RSGYC in Early June.
Recognising the strength of the Offshore fleet in Dublin over the last few years, the seed planted a few years ago with the introduction of coastal courses for the fleet at ICRA National Championships meets a golden opportunity for a strong offshore championship. With the 2019 ICRA National Championships taking part in Dublin waters at the Royal St George Yacht Club on the 7th - 9th of June, an ideal opportunity arises to crown an offshore champion amongst a strong fleet of contenders.
ISORA has been working with ICRA and the event organising committee to set up a good programme of day offshore races that will be exciting. Quite a lot of effort and planning has been made to offer boats that are more interested in offshore day racing a quality programme of demanding day races.
The Offshore day races will be held each day, with a start 30 mins before the other boats, and given a demanding coastal course that will last a good part of the day, and get back in time to enjoy the social scene planned each evening.
Additionally, complimentary berthing has been made available for those of you taking part later in the D2D Regatta starting in June 12th!
It would be great to support ISORA's efforts in trying to promote more coastal and offshore sailing with other sister organisations such as ICRA, so please do not delay entering so we can show the strength of the fleet.
If your boat has not yet registered for the 2019 ICRA National Championship now is the time. You can register here (https://cruiserracing.ie/icranats/registration).
See you in the water!
Information for competitors on the use of the ISORA YB Trackers - please play the video clip:
The 2019 General Sailing Instructions are published here
The 2019 Race schedule is as follows:
Amendment 1 - 14th April 2019 -
- Race 6 is Dun Laoghaire to Dun Laoghaire 27/03/19 - see suplemental SIs here
- Viking Marine Coastal Series 5 races 4 to count
- Global Coastal Series 4 races 3 to count
- Version Race Schedule 2b published
[Please read the General Sailing Instructions Sis
and the Suplemental Sailing Instructions for each race - see hereWe have a great race schedule for 2019 that combines with many top class regattas. Details can be found on the ISORA website.
The series starts with the Viking Marine Coastal Races in Ireland and the Global Display Coastal Race in Wales, followed by the first Offshore race from Dun Laoghaire to Holyhead where a warm welcome is awaiting us.
We have again this year teamed up with other races in the Irish Sea and arranged the racing so that deliveries are mimnimised. This includes the Dun Laoghaire to Dinglr Race and the Liverpool to Douglas Midnight Race.
The Royal Dee Yacht Club, in conjunction with ISORA are running the RDYC Irish Sea Offshore Championship again this year as part of the VDLR.
The offshore race from Dun Laoghaire to Pwllheli on the 5th August is a feeder race to the Spinlock Welsh IRC Nationals. The IRC Welsh National Championships at Pwllheli 9 - 11th August 2019 is planned to be bigger and better than last year! Racing for IRC Fleets as previously with windward/leeward courses plus a coastal race; and two new fleets, sports boats racing around the PSC Club marks, and a cruiser class with one race per day around various marks in Tremadog bay. Something for everyone with a warm welcome and great socials and fun ashore.
While good and challenging racing is a must for offshore and coastal races, the social side of ISORA is equally important. It is the social side of the races that binds the fleet together and allow crew to share experiences. Whenever possible, a social reception will be arranged either the night before or after each race. Courses will be selected that, where possible, will allow all boats taking part in any race to be able to partake in any post-race reception.
With the increasing exposure in the media of offshore racing, we are getting many requests from potential crew to take part in ISORA. It is important that we encourage as many people to take part and to have as many crew available for any race. Lack of crew is the most common cause of boats not taking part in a race.
Although ISORA is totally voluntary and all entry fees go towards prizes, additional funds are now needed to run the ISORA YB trackers and promote the important social side of ISORA. While many of our sponsors from last year are continuing to sponsor ISORA, we need new sponsors for 2019. If you would be interested in sponsoring an ISORA race, please contact me.
We are greatful for Viking Marine who are sponsor for the Irish Coastal Series and Global Display Ltd who are the sponsor of the Welsh /UK coastal Series. The full list of sponsors for 2019 will be published before the first race.
Stephen Tudor
Hon. Sec ISORA
I know that offshore racing is one of the last things on your mind at Christmas, a time for celebrations, family gatherings and festivities.
Between celebrations, please take a moment to look at our 2019 racing program so that you can start planning your 2019 campaign, whether you want to target one of the two Coastal Series, just the classics Midnight Race from Liverpool to Douglas or the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle, The Offshore Championship as part of the VDLR, offshore racing as qualifiers for the Fastnet Race, as deliveries to VDLR and the Spinlock IRC Welsh National Championship (part of the RC35 Celtic Cup) or all races for a chance at the ISORA Offshore Champion Title for the prestigious Wolfs Head trophy.
Offshore racing in the Irish Sea has increased in popularity and I am sure that we will see this continue in 2019 and I hope that you will be part of the ISORA challenge.
I also hope that Father Christmas will remember your new sailing kit so that you will be ready!
Happy Christmas
Stephen
Hon. Sec ISORA
At the ISORA AGM on Saturday 10th November it was decided that the fleet would have 16 races in 2019 which would include a race finish in Holyhead.
The fleet will also visit Liverpool and Douglas - the 100th year celebration for the LYC Classic 'Minight Race' with an onward race from Isle of Man to Dun Laoghaire in readiness for the VDLR a few days later.
There is a race to Dingle - ,another classic and additionally a feeder race from Dun Laoghaire to Pwllheli for the Spinlock IRC Welsh National Championship.
The last race of the series is the tough race from Pwlheli to Dun Laoghaire which will be follwed by a past race gathering and celebration of the season end!
The 2018 ISORA Annual Dinner & Awards Prize Giving Dinner Booking form is available here -
Saturday 10th November 2018 - Confirmation of Bookings & Pre-Payment
Price: €75pp - Fill in the form and pay on-line and please indicate your boat name.
ISORA presents the 2018 Year Book
Please click on the image and then turn the pages - just like a book!
Report on Race 15 James Eadie Race – Pwllheli to Dun Laoghaire - by Chairman Peter Ryan
The 2018 ISORA Offshore Championship was decided in a nail biting finish to the last race on Saturday. Reigning ISORA Offshore Champion, “Mojito” (Peter Dunlop & Vicky Cox), had lead the series for much of the season but Chris Power-Smith’s “Aurelia” just had to win the last race to snatch the coveted Wolf’s Head trophy back from “Mojito”.
The race was the annual James Eadie Race from Pwllheli to Dun Laoghaire, a distance of 80 miles. There were 27 entries for the race but only 15 were confirmed starters. Of these only 13 managed to get the Pwllehli for the start.
The forecast for the race was strong South-West winds backing to South later in the day. The forecast also indicated no winds in Dublin Bay for the finish. As well as the strong winds at the start, driving rain made the exit from Pwllheli challenging. The strong winds had whipped up big seas on the beat from the start to Bardsey, with mountainous overfalls at St Tudwals islands.
“Aurelia” took an early lead followed by Andrew Hall’s “Jackknife” with “Mojito” close behind. By the time the fleet had slipped through Bardsey Sound three distinct groupings were starting to form. “Aurelia” and “Jackknife” were out in front, “Mojito” and Brendan Coughlan’s “YoYo” formed the next group. The remainder of the fleet was led by Stephen Tudor’s “Sgrech J111”, Cris Miles “North Star” and Derek Matthew’s “Pleione of Dee”. Grant Kinsman “Thalia” and “Plieone of Dee” were sailing two handed.
Read more: Jackknife blocks Aurelia’s attack on Mojito for the Wolf’s Head.
ISORA Team Racing
The Victoria Cup - Irish Sea Cup
Background
The Victoria Cup was presented to ISORA by the The Royal Mersey Yacht Club for the best Club team in the ISORA series.
At a later date the Irish Sea Cup was awarded in place of the Victoria Cup.
With the growing interest in ISORA it was agreed in the 2013 AGM that the team racing would be reintroduced with the aim of generating a team approach to the ISORA series and to encourage more competitors to offshore racing.
There have been various rules for the team racing in the past and the following is a modern variant to achive the objectives set out above.
The Rules
Each Club must have three competitors to qualify
The scores are taken from the Overall Results Table applying the Clubs best three results overall. The club with the highest points wins!
Although the Club Race Points Table will be updated after each race it is the total at the end of the series that counts for the Trophy.
Competitors from clubs who do not have three boats participating in the ISORA race series will qualify for the 'Barbarians Team'.
The Barbarian team will be:
- drawn from the overall results table
- from clubs who do not qualify as a club team
- the best results in the overall table
The results for 2018 are available here and summarised in the table below
Aurelia won the last race in the Viking Marine Coastal Series and also the series with an impresive two firsts, a second and third in the four race series.
Wakey Wakey took second place and Rocksabill VI was third in the series.
The full results are available here
There is a great race report with photos in AFLOAT.ie
Race 14 was the final race of the Welsh coastal series, which would decide the Global Displays Welsh Coastal Series. With 23 boat competing in Ireland for the Viking Marine Coastal Series, and 7 in Pwllheli, both coastal series have been well supported this year.
Leading up to race day, the forecast showed light north westerly winds, with a potential to reduce through the day and back. After much discussion, the race committee set a 29 mile course from Pwllheli to the Westend mark, round St Tudwals Islands, Porthmadog Fairway and back to the finish via a turning mark at the south of the Westend.
With a steady 12-15kt breeze, the fleet got away cleanly for a fetch down to the west end before the reach down to St Tudwals. “Jackknife” lead the charge with “Sgrech J111” close behind. Round the first mark “Sgrech” elected to hoist an A5 which enabled a more direct course to the sound. Most of the fleet flew running A sails, but struggled to stay high enough to make the sound and had to revert to white sails close to the the islands. Once round St Tudwals West, a glorious 9 mile spinnaker run to Porthmadog, with just a few gusts to contend with, and crew working hard to stay high enough to lay the mark. It was great to be sailing in such fantastic conditions, with stunning views of Snowdonia and the Gwynedd coastline. This was very welcome after the previous three very wet and windy ISORA races, and a breezy IRC Nationals.
Cork 1720 “Mojito Bach” approaching the finish. photo by M Thompson
Read more: Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association “Global Displays Welsh Coastal Race”
The 12th race in the ISORA Offshore Series took place on Saturday the 11th of August, with 11 of the 13 entered boats coming to the start for an 08.00 gun. Many of the regular competitors were elsewhere engaged, with this month’s busy event calendar. Bam and AJ Wanderlust are taking part in the Round Britain and Ireland Race. Others that did and did not take part were still suffering from the August “crew blues”.
The forecast was for moderate South Easterly winds steadily building throughout the day and veering to strong Southerly. It was decided that the course would be direct to Pwllheli with Bardsey Island not a mark of the course. The fleet was set on it’s way to windward from Pier Mark at Dun Laoghaire by race officers Larry Power and Barry MacNeaney of the National Yacht Club.
The first leg toward Bardsey was a beat against strong north going spring tides. The tide was due to change south at midday.
“Jacknife” and “Aurelia” lead the fleet out of the bay taking the middle course followed by “Mojito” and “Wakey Wakey”. “Mojo” and “YoYo” took
Read more: ISORA Race 12 - Dun Laoghaire to Pwllheli – Another tough race.
Report on Race 11 – Dun Laoghaire to Howth Offshore - Rollercoaster Ride.
Video from Windjammer -
The 11th race in the ISORA Offshore Series took place on the 28th July with an 08.00 start from Dun Laoghaire. 20 boats were due on the start line for the race but poor weather forecasts and a problem with adequate crewing levels for the race, resulted in two boats withdrawing.
The 60 mile course was from the normal start at Dun Laoghaire – South Burford (P) – M2 Weather Buoy (P) – Rockabill (P) – Rowan Rocks (S) and to a virtual finish line set up just west of Rowan Rocks. M2 Weather buoy is located in the middle of the Irish Sea east of Lambay Island.
The weather started to deteriorate before the race when 20 Knots of wind built rapidly while boats were still in the marina. The weather forecasts for the race area varied widely. While Met Eireann were forecasting SW 7-8 for the general sea area north of Howth, other more site specific weather forecasts were talking about SW 25 knots veering W and decreasing 15 knots. Unfortunately for the fleet, MET Eireann was more accurate.
Read more: Report on Race 11 – Dun Laoghaire to Howth Offshore - Rollercoaster Ride.
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.
More DetailsPlease Get in Touch to Know More About ISORA
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