News
ISORA News Items all in date order.
The flyer for the Liverpool to Isle of Man - Midnight Race on On Friday Evening 6th June 2014 has been released.
A printable PDF version is available here.
This is the 4 th Race in the ISORA 2014 series and is followed by the race form Douglas to Dun Laoghaire on Sunday 8th June.
This takes the fleet to Dublin Bay - ready for the ICRA on the following weekend.
The Notice of Race and Sailing Instructiobs will be availabe here when released.
The new Irish Sailing Association SafeTrx App monitors your boat journeys and alerts Emergency Contacts should you fail to return on time.
ISA SafeTrx is a Smartphone App for both Android & Apple iOS devices (iPhone, iPad) that allows you to plan your journey on your Smartphone.
Directly from your Smartphone you can enter your journey details and set off knowing that should you not return by the time given, your Emergency Contact will be alerted and advised to initiate appropriate action. Where an Emergency Contact calls the Irish Coast Guard concerning an overdue trip, the Irish Coast Guard will have access to your location and SafeTrx Trip data through a secure SafeTrx server. Since the ISA SafeTrx app periodically sends your location data back to our servers, the Coast Guard's response team can get help directly to you, and quickly.
Whilst the app is not intended to be used as a replacement for normally approved safety devices (VHF, EPIRB, AIS etc), it is a resource that in some instances may help to raise an alarm earlier and assist emergency services to locate casualties more accurately.
For more information and download details please visit the ISA web site
'The Irish Sea has few rivals anywhere in the world as an ideal area for middle distance and shorter off-shore races. An interesting variety of coastlines, a useful selection of turning marks, a fascinating mixture of tidal conditions, and an entertaining choice of hospitable ports at which to start and finish races, makes for the ideal mixture whereby the offshore brigade can have the maximum amount of sport and its attendant celebrations with the minimum amount of hassle.'
- as true today as it was when written in 1986?
ISORA races can be followed by watching the Predictwind tracking system.
Follow this link to the latest ISORA races in the 2014 Offshore series.
The above link takes you to the last sailed race in the ISORA sereis.
The next race is the second cross channel race from Dun Laoghaire to Holyhead on Saturday 24th May - this is a 100 mile offshore race starting at 0800hrs.
Instructions to Competitors to set up the Predictwind tracker here
ISORA - Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association
ISORA (Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association) is the Association that has been running offshore yacht racing on the Irish Sea since 1971. The Association is run in conjunction with all the leading yacht clubs on the east coast of Ireland and on the west coast of Wales and England and the Isle of Man.
ISORA will run ten races as part of their “ISORA Offshore Racing Series 2014″. They will consist of traditional offshore races of distances from 50 to 100 miles and long day and night inshore races of under 50 miles.
The Spinlock IRC Welsh Championships web site was launched on 1st January 2014.
With growing support for the Championships the Academy Event Team have extended the promotion by publishing a dedicated web site. This not only includes access to the usual information required for racing but also provides an invaluable guide to the vunue, the town and the area. Accommodation information and travel information will assist competitors with their planning and also provides information for activities before and after racing.
We would welcome any comments about the web site to
The IRC Championships in August at the Welsh National Sailing Academy and Event Centre in Pwllheli has received another boost with coverage in the Irish Times on Friday 22nd November - see here.
Bob Lowe, Chairman of the Events team at the Academy said "the Academy and National Event Centre is determined to make this a truly spectacular event and the news of support from Ireland compliments the support already received from Sailing Clubs in the UK including The Royal Dee Yacht Club, Liverpool Yacht Club and also
The prize giving dinner took place in the National Yacht Club yesterday evening. The dining room was packed with 165 people. The pre-dinner reception took place in the JB room. The classical trio “The Trident Trio” provided the background music while the guests mingled and chatted. A superb meal prepared by the NYC head Chef Cormac Healy, was served. See attached menu.
Chairman, Peter Ryan acted as MC for the night. The traditional toasts were made by Mr James Cannon, Director of KONA, Mr. Paul Barrington, Commodore NYC, Mr. Barry MacNeaney, Commodore Royal Alfred Yacht Club and Mr. Derek mathews, Commodore of the Royal Dee Yacht Club. Anne-Marie Ryan presented the many prizes to the winners. The prizes included unique personalised “KONA” jackets for race winners and Series Class Winners.
Apres dinner entertainment was provided in the Main Bar where festivities continued into the early morning.
Photographs were taken by gpfoto. See Gallery by clicking HERE. A short video of the event was also prepared by gpfoto. To view this click HERE
Chairman’s Report to ISORA AGM.
16th November 2013
This season has been unique in that for the first time we have had the support of our generous sponsor Mr. Michael Martyn, lynx metmAsts for the complete series. His support has facilitate us promote ISORA by having a feature item in the Afloat annual at the beginning of the year, our pre-season briefing evening in the NYC, our complimentary crew bus for races that start in Pwllheli and the provision of special personalised jackets to our overall race winners.
Michael also kindly donated an additional trophy for the winner the race from Pwllheli to Wicklow in June. The winner of this race was “Ruth” and the trophy was presented to Liam Shanahan. Recently lynx metmAsts have rebranded as KONA. I hope that our relationship with KONA and Michael Martyn will continue in 2014.
The ISORA series in 2013 consisted of 11 races in total - 7 offshore races including the Lyver Race and 4 day races. Three day races took place from Dun Laoghaire while one day races took place from Pwllheli. The races included the usual ports ofDun Laoghaire, Holyhead, Pwllheli, Wicklow and Howth. ISORA worked with the National Yacht Club, Royal Alfred Yacht Club, Royal Dee Yacht Club, Liverpool Yacht Club, Pwllheli Sailing Club, Holyhead Sailing Club, Howth Yacht Club, Wicklow Sailing Club and Douglas Bay Yacht Club. I would like to thank all these clubs for the facilities they freely provide to ISORA, without them, we would have no racing or social life.
Guys,
I attach the proposed Agenda for our AGM to take place in the NYC next Saturday 16th November at 15.00 – the same day as our dinner.
I also attach a race schedule for discussion and agreement. I think I have taken on board the comments I received about the schedule. There are a few interesting races and events – the inclusion of the Midnight Race from Liverpool to Douglas IOM on a Friday afternoon with a race from Douglas to Dun Laoghaire on the Sunday morning. This promises to be a great offshore sailing weekend. This race also feeds to the ICRA Nationals hosted by the Royal Irish YC in Dun Laoghaire. You will have plenty of time to amass your “brownie points” and take part in this weekend.
The Conwy race can act as the qualifier for any boats doing the Round Ireland as it will be 100 miles.
There is a new event in Pwllheli / Abersoch on the 1st-3rd August – Welsh IRC Nationals. We are proposing a feeder race to this exciting event. The Royal Dee YC have presented a trophy – “The Tidal Cup” for this race as well as the usual ISORA trophy. I hope we can all have a great weekend in Pwllheli / Abersoch for that event.
Last but not least, the Round Ireland Race is on this year and it is hoped that many ISORA boats will enter and complete this great race. There are some developments relating to the race that I am sure WSC will inform all about in due course.
I hope to see a large turnout at the AGM as it is important to have your views aired. If there is anything you would like to be added to the Agenda, please contact me.
The dinner is booked out and promises to be a super night. The reception will start at 19.00 and dinner will be served at 20.00 sharp. I will try and streamline the speeches and presentations to ensure that we have time to enjoy music in the bar after the dinner.
Peter
The annual ISORA AGM will be held in the NYC at 15.00 on Saturday 16th November, same day as the dinner.
One of the main items on the agenda that will be circulated alter is the race schedule for 2014. To try and keep the meeting focussed and as short as possible I would welcome any suggestions for races in 2014. Next year is the Round Ireland race. While it is not proposed to include this race in the ISORA schedule (subject to AGM), it brings renewed interest in offshore racing every two years.
Conwy are keen to host a race start on the 10th May. The response to the IOM race last year was huge. Arklow is also a keen location. Greystones is also a new venue. In Dublin Bay there are four week of regatta races. Pwllheli / Abersoch will be hosting an IRC event in August? Skerries have expressed and interest. Our normal venues are Dun Laoghaire, Howth, Wicklow, Holyhead and Pwllheli.
I would also welcome some suggestions on the marks we use. The virtual marks have not been utilised fully but with the Predict Wind tracker app used properly we could nominate a waypoint on the day for rounding?
I would welcome any suggestions for race starts and finishes. Based on the response I will produce a draft schedule for discussion at the AGM.
I look forward to receiving your feedback ASAP.
I look forward to seeing a good attendance at the AGM.
Our generous sponsors for 2013, “lynx metmAsts” have rebranded themselves as “KONA”. KONA press release here: Click Here
Peter Ryan
Chairman
Results of the Royal Alfred yacht Club Offshore Series 2013 after three races.
One more to go with one discard - All open!!!
ISORA have successfully tested the use of the Predict Wind tracker during their recent Night Race. Nine boats of the sixteen starters had taken part in the test. The tracker is based on the GPS facilities within any iPhone or smart phone that has an inbuilt GPS.
The track for the race can be viewed on the downloaded app for the iPhone or smart phone. It can also be viewed by following this LINK
It is proposed to carry out another test on the next race from Dun Laoghaire to Pwllheli where is use in mid channel will be assessed. All boats entering that race are asked to download the Predict Wind Tracker app from the relevant source.
ISORA Chairman, Peter Ryan, has commented that the use of this form of tracker will revelutionise offshore racing in ISORA and will be a great took in the promotion and exposure of offshore racing.
The presentation of the lynx metmAsts Offshore Trophy was presented by Michael Martyn, Managing Director of lynx metmAsts to this years winner Liam Shanahan ( Ruth).
The presentation took place at the NYC.
Michael Martyn, Managing Director of lynx metmAsts, announced their sponsorship of the the 2013 ISORA Offshore Racing Series at the Irish Wind Energy Association's conference in the Fours Seasons Hotel, Dublin, on the 28th March.
ISORA Chairman, Peter Ryan, was present for the announcement and stated that the sponsorship with lynx metmAsts was very exciting and will allow ISORA and offshore racing to develop even further in the Irish Sea.
The lynx metmAsts perpetual trophy for the Pwllheli to Wicklow race was on display.
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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