The first Viking Marine ISORA Coastal Series race of 2024 at Dun Laoghaire on Saturday produced a dead heat for first place on IRC rating, according to race organisers at the National Yacht Club.
Chris Power Smith's J122 Aurelia from the Royal St. George Yacht Club made the best of gusty southwest winds to win the line honours, but the smaller champion Rockabill JPK 10.80, skippered by Paul O'Higgins of the Royal Irish Yacht Club, put up a sturdy defence to share victory in the first challenge of the season.
"It was a dead heat for first place. Amazing! Never saw it happen before!" ISORA boss Peter Ryan told Afloat.
Although there was a 15-boat entry, only an eight-boat fleet contested the 18-mile race out of the Bay to the Kish Bank and back this Saturday morning at 11 a.m.
Bright sunshine and offshore winds of up to 20 knots set the scene for the season opener, which welcomed Aurelia's return and a new ISORA arrival, the J/99 Mister Ollie.
The 2023 champion Rockabill VI was the best starter, even if an hourglass hoist cost vital seconds. The French design established an early lead off the West Pier start line in the sub-three-hour race to finish with a corrected time of 2 hours, 27 minutes, and 00 seconds, exactly the same as Aurelia in a first for ISORA racing.
Tom Shanahan's J109 Ruth came third.
The fleet sailed a tight starboard hand reaching leg out to North Kish and a beat back to port, passing the Dublin ISORA virtual mark on the relevant side.
Two J109s made a potent start in the eight-boat fleet, with the Shanahan boat powering off the line under blue spinnaker, easily matching the bigger Aurelia and ahead of Simon Knowles's sistership Indian from Howth Yacht Club.
The next Irish coastal is Sunday, April 21st, with an 11.00 start for a scheduled four-hour race.