ISORA will race its first Dublin Bay coastal race of 2021 next month on April 17 and a month later it has scheduled its first cross-channel race to Holyhead, Wales on May 15th.
ISORA Chief Peter Ryan says he will announce the new schedule at Saturday's ICRA AGM, a meeting that includes key updates from regatta organisers from around the coast as regatta organisers are left in limbo by the pandemic.
The 2021 ISORA Series of races comprises the traditional Offshore Series of six cross-channel races, one Coastal Series in Ireland and one Coastal Series in Wales.
ISORA Chairman Peter Ryan has announced the first 2021 ISORA Dublin Bay Coastal Race will be on April 17th
Last year, when the challenges of pandemic shutdown arose, Ryan grasped the opportunities provided by being Chairman of the Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association, and having access to a generously donated consignment of Yellowbrick trackers, he set about devising a programme that would comply with regulations while still providing good sport. It was a bravo move that earned Ryan an Afloat Sailor of the Month award.
Ryan says the offshore body has been "spurred on" by recent announcements by its sister offshore club, RORC in the UK.
As Afloat reported earlier, RORC has announced its own return to offshore and overnight racing after a one year break due to COVID.
As a result ISORA, Ryan says, has decided to nail its colours to the mast and give Irish Sea sailors a date to aim for in 2021 too.
Subject to government guidelines, Ryan says "ISORA is open for business" but with total flexibility for whatever situation prevails at the time.
"If we're not going across the Irish Sea, we'll be going up and down it". It's a nod to how the association aims to work around COVID-restrictions that may yet prevent cross-channel racing again in 2021.
After having to abandon early-season efforts at Dun Laoghaire Harbour due to lockdown, Ryan is keen to encourage movement and willing to take a punt to get things going again.
"Our mission is to promote the sport of offshore racing in the Irish Sea, " he says. "ISORA is very nimble with our tracker set up so we can call off a race with a day's notice if needed", he told Afloat
