News
ISORA News Items all in date order.
50 Years of ISORA – 2022 Season
ISORA has been organizing offshore racing in the Irish Sea since 1972.
After the last two very strange seasons, when cross channel races were not possible, ISORA is planning a full calendar of Coastal and Offshore racing in its 50th season.
The full calendar includes 15 races, 7 traditional offshores and 8 coastal races – 4 on the Irish side and 4 on the Welsh side.
There are several changes planned to the racing in 2022. These include the pre-setting of offshore courses and the use of staggered starts. For 2022, the offshore races have their courses set and will not be altered due to weather conditions, good or bad. It is hopes that this will result in boats gaining more experience in night racing. We are also using staggered start times for all races, where the lower rated boats will start earlier. It is hoped that this will bunch the boats towards the finish of the races and this will facilitate all boats to take part in the social après-race activities.
In promoting Offshore Racing, we have joined up with the Offshore Racing Academy who have compiled a series of “Zoom” seminars relating to offshore racing. Details of these seminars can be found on their website: https://www.offshoreracingacademy.com/isora-training-2022
The seminars cover topics for the basic requirements for offshore racing to the highly technical end of weather planning and tactics. The first event takes place on Wednesday 23rd March and it is hoped that this event will introduce new crew to boats.
The main offshore racing events this season is the Round Ireland Race and the Kingstown to Queenstown Race. The ISORA racing calendar was also planned around providing experience to boats and crew in preparation for these events.
The social aspect of ISORA has always been a very important part of offshore racing experience. This year, with the staggered starting times, we will work with the finishing clubs to provide “après race” facilities to all boats, irrespective of when they finish.
Missing for two years was the main social event in ISORA, the Annual Prize Giving Dinner. This year we have booked the 12th November for our AGM and Dinner in the National Yacht Club.
This, our 50th season, we are happy to have MUSTO as our main sponsor. It is fitting that a great offshore clothing company agreed to be associated with ISORA. This year we happy that our regular sponsors will also be supporting us: TUDOR, Plas Heli, Viking Marine, Hendrick Ryan and Jack Ryan Whiskey. We are always looking for other sponsors or benefactors to support the promotion of offshore racing.
Our Notice of Race has been published and our online entry is active.
I look forward to meeting with all participants during ISORA’s 50th Season.
Peter Ryan – Chairman ISORA
See the list of runners and riders in Afloat.ie here
A spectacular fleet of 75 boats, ranging from 32ft (10m) to 125ft (38.07m) will take the start of the 13th edition of the 600 nautical mile RORC Caribbean 600 on Monday 21st February 2022. Teams from all around the globe are arriving in Antigua and represent over 32 different nations. For those lucky enough to be in the Caribbean, the start of this classic 600-miler can be viewed from Fort Charlotte, high above Antigua's Pillars of Hercules and also from Shirley Heights.
RORC Caribbean 600 - Start times
Monday 21st February 2022
First warning signal: 10:50 local time Antigua
Start sequence: IRC One, IRC Two, CSA only - 11:00
IRC Zero - 11:10
IRC Super Zero - 11:20
MOCRA - 11:30
Start from Fort Charlotte, Antigua
Race fans and spectators can keep up-to-date with the 600nm race via the race website and social media. You can track the fleet and follow all the updates as the race unfolds. To follow the RORC Caribbean 600 visit the Royal Ocean Racing Club on social media and via the dedicated race website: https://caribbean600.rorc.org/
All yachts will be fitted with a race tracker: https://caribbean600.rorc.org/Tracking/2022-fleet-tracking.html and armchair sailors can take part on Virtual Regatta.
WEBSITE: caribbean600.rorc.org
2022 - ISORA is celebrating 50 years of Racing in the Irish Sea
Next year ISORA will be celebrating 50 years of Racing in the Irish Sea
Following the 2021 AGM on Saturday 4th December a new schedule of Races has been agreed and this is now published below.
The web-site is now being updated with to reflect the 2022 Musto ISORA series of races, a balance of Offshore Races and Coastal Races.
The Notice of Race will be published shortly.
The schedule includes a qualifyer for Round Ireland, the Kingstown to Queenstown race and Round Ireland Race.
There is also Coastal Series in Ireland and also in the UK.
Article about the 2022 season proposals in Afloat.ie
ISORA Race Management Team have been working on the 2022 Series Programme and the following DRAFT is now published as a discussion document for wider comment and subject to the feedback from competitors and potential competitors it will be put to the AGM for amendment /approval.
Your comment on the draft programme would be appreciated .
John Morris has been a prominent figure in the sailing fraternity both locally and throughout the Irish Sea for many decades. After his early years of sailing Square Metres and Dragons in Cardigan Bay he then in 1972 bought a She 31 called “She Wolf” that dominated the racing locally, as well as successfully campaigning her on the South Coast where in 1973/74 won many of the RORC Class V races and series.
John competed on Tiderace in the 1976 Round Britain Race and after moving to Pwllheli in 1977 and establishing Firmhelm Limited, Pwllheli Boatyard he went on to build the High Tension 36 “Force Tension” for Tony Vernon which he gained line honours in the inaugural 1980 Round Ireland Race, from here on John was a very well respected sailor, racing and skippering boats throughout the Irish Sea in ISORA and beyond such as Autonomy, Greased Lightning, Teambuilder, Jackhammer, Jackabout, Korimako and Glider to name but a few.
John served on the ISORA Committee and was the ISORA Trophy Secretary for many years.
In later years he will be remembered for his volunteering with his Catamaran Sirena as committee boat or pin end boat at many of the national and international events hosted by Pwllheli Sailing Club and Plas Heli.
Together with sailing John’s other interests were horses and skiing.
John Morris
1933-2021
The Funeral is on Wednesday 10 November 2021 at 3.30pm at Bangor Crematorium. (Please take and wear a mask as per Welsh Covid rules.)
The family request no flowers, any donations to be made to Bob Champion Cancer Trust, collection will be on the day or via Ifan Hughes Funeral Director, Llanaelhaearn, Caernarfon LL54 5AG – 01758 750238.
Everyone is welcome back to Plas Glyn y Weddw, Llanbedrog LL53 7TT for refreshments after the funeral.
The Racing this weekend (28th and 29th August) produced two Champions
Rockabill VI - Viking Marine Coastal Series Winner in Ireland
Mojito - Plas Heli Coastal Series Winner in Wales
Congratulations to the teams - follow the link for the results
The James Eadie Race from Pwllheli to Ireland (11th September) produced two Champions:
Rockabill VI - Musto Series Winner in Ireland
Mojito - Musto Series Winner in Wales
Congratulations to the teams - follow the link for the results
Please note the Noticeto Mariners and the requirement to adheare to Regulations
Amendment to SSIs for Race No. 7 Offshore Wales (OW)
1. PSC1 substituted for PSC2
2. In the event of the course being shortened - pass Archdeacon as per mark of the course - the finish line is an undefined length north of the Buoy, not 0.3m as previously published.
3. Course shortening will be announced. by the lead boat on CH17, and subject to phone signal posted on the ISORA UK 2021 WhatsApp group
Amendment to SSIs for Race No. 3 Coastal Wales (CW)
1. The warning Singnal is changed from 11.15hrs to 12.15hrs - this amends the Race 03 CW SSIs
2. Notifications on Trackers in SSIs 13.3 and 13.6 should now be by the WhatsApp Group messaging (WhatsApp - ISORA -UK Series)
Amendment to SSIs for Race No. 5 Offshore Wales (OW)
1. Notifications on Trackers in SSIs 13.3 and 13.6 should now be by the WhatsApp Group messaging (WhatsApp - ISORA -UK Series)
2. Retirements - in addition to texting the race officer, please type in the boat name and "retired" on the WhatsApp - Skippers ISORA -UK Series which will be monitored by ISORA race management.
Kenneth Rumball a previous successful competitor on the ISORA circuit, along with team mate Pamela Lee has been competing in the toughest offshore sailing circuit, the one-design Figaro circuit in France. This circuit has produced some of the worlds greatest sailors including Jean Le Cam, Armel Le Cleach and Mike Golding to name a few.
In the past 18 months, RL Sailing have been racing, training and coached by the most experienced French coaches in the training hubs of Lorient and St Gilles Croix De Vie. The aim of RL Sailing is to qualify and represent Ireland in the mixed double-handed offshore class at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
RL Sailing has similar aims to grow the sport of sailing in all disciplines in Ireland. A key ethos for enjoyment of the sport is understanding. If more crews and skippers alike have a better understanding of the sport, they are more likely to enjoy their time on the water and will want to spend more time on the water.
RL Sailing in conjunction with a sponsor of the team are offering pre and post-race analysis of the two ISORA training races pre the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race and also a pre-race briefing for the D2D race. These sessions will be delivered via Zoom unless restrictions ease to allow briefings to be held in an outside well ventilated area such as a marquee.
Pre-Race briefings will be conducted to look specifically around the wind and tides to be expected during the training races and also to look at some generic boat setup discussions.
Different weather models will be discussed along with local weather trends such as sea breezes, tidal variances and current changes.
However given the wide variety of boats sailed in the ISORA races, specific boat type settings and setups will not be discussed. These briefings are standard practice in the Figaro circuit to help skippers and crews discuss and understand the weather ahead of them to give a better understanding of the race and race course.
Post-Race analysis will be a led discussion centring around which weather models were most accurate, the course and route taken by the leading boats, sail selection and options for different boats.
A certain amount of this discussion will be prepared from the Yellowbrick trackers to give skippers and crews an understanding of boat speeds and courses taken by each boat.
Once again this information sharing is a key training tool used in the Figaro circuit. While we are all competitors on the water, for all sailors to improve, information is shared and discussed to build knowledge.
We believe that training like this is invaluable to all skippers and crews and will only lead to a better understanding of offshore racing which will improve the standard of sailing and the performance of Irish offshore sailors both in home waters and abroad.
These sessions are currently subsidised by a generous sponsor of RL Sailings to all ISORA sailors competing in the training races on the 15th and 29th of May 2021 and the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race, however in due course, there will be a modest fee for later races for this service.
The initial weather briefing for the race commencing on the 15th of May will take place on the 14th of May at 20:00 hours summertime and will last for approximately 1.5 hours.
Updates will be given on the RL Sailing Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/RLSAILINGTEAM/
Zoom link here;
Topic: ISORA Training Race 15-5-21 Pre Race Weather Briefing
Time: May 14, 2021 08:00 PM Dublin
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87838370799?pwd=ZHpQZU44UWtHa2ROT2lTY0Q3Q1RqUT09
Meeting ID: 878 3837 0799
Passcode: 297492
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
The Association is run by volunteers for the benefit of competitors by working in partnership with boat owners, crew, yacht and sailing clubs, other associations and the governing bodies for boating in Ireland, Wales and the UK.| Home | About | Contact | Declaration | Disclaimer | Results |
Web site Designed by offshore sailors for offshore sailors ISORA.