ISORA - Introduction to Offshore Racing in the Irish Sea
Two Courses prepared by The Irish National Sailing and Powerboat School:
For many yacht owners and crew the idea of racing offshore is daunting as they are concerned about applying navigational skills in unfamiliar settings and under race conditions pressure.
Additionally, many are unsure of what preparation to take and may be concerned about doing the right thing in an emergency. The Irish National Sailing and Powerboat School has developed two short courses that aim to build confidence and skills for those who want to race offshore, in particular, for those wishing to take part in the excellent Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association (ISORA) races.
Shorebased Navigation and Theory
The course aims to enable skippers and crew to have the information and skills to safety sail a yacht on the common ISORA long distance passages by both day and night. The programme incorporates elements of the RYA Cruising Scheme Courses, passage planning and navigation by modern chart plotters and other portable e-navigation equipment such as IPad and laptop.
There are no pre-requisites, this is open to all ability levels. The course syllabus includes:
- Passage Planning
- Meteorology tailored to Irish Sea Passages
- Traditional and Electronic chartwork, including the advantage and pitfalls of both. Specifically:
- Dead reckoning and estimated position
- Course to steer
- Tidal heights and stream - Considerations for safety at sea
- Navigation by night and in reduced visability
- Pilotage including transits and the use of sailing directions.
Course Dates and Times…
Courses run on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6.30pm-9.30pm in Dun Laoghaire.
- Course 1: 17th, 19th, 24th, 26th January
- Course 2: 21st, 23rd, 28th, 30th March
The course price is €199. You can book online below, or by calling the Irish National Sailing and Powerboat School office on 01 2844195. Please ensure to have read the terms and conditions prior to enrolling.
Practical Course
The practical course will be dynamic and tailored to the direct needs of the participants. The fundamental aim is to give you the confidence and ability to execute a typical ISORA race passage. This course is suitable for both skippers and their crew, and will take place on a race boat, such as our Reflex 38 Lynx.
Covered on the course...
- Preparation of the boat to go to sea and engine checks
- Navigation en-route (building on the shorebased course)
- Plan and execute pilotage into unknown and unfamiliar havens
- Practise emergency skills, including man-over board recovery.
- Execute a night passage
- Planning for rough weather, including reefing.
We will also be covering some skills designed to get the most from boat and crew;
- Jib and spinnaker peels
- Optimal spinnaker, mailsail and jib trimming
- Crew positioning
- Helming for optimal performance
Course Dates and Times...
The practical course will take place on the following dates in DunLaoghaire:
- Course 1: Saturday 4th February (9am-Midnight)
- Course 2: Saturday 4th March (9am-Midnight)
The course price is €279, including all food for the duration of the course. You can book online below, or by calling our office on 01 2844195. Please ensure to have read our terms and conditions prior to enrolling.
Book both programmes and save!
The Irish National Sailing and Powerboat School is delighted to offer both programmes for the discounted price of €420, saving €58. To avail of this discount, please call our team on 01 2844195.
More information from The Irish National Sailing and Powerboat School here
