We have a great race schedule planned for 2023. It combines with many top-class regattas and includes several mini-series, writes ISORA Chairman Peter Ryan
Details can be found on the Musto ISORA website here
The online entry is now active. We would encourage boats that intend to participate to enter as soon as possible, as this will allow us to produce the class splits to ensure similar numbers of boats in each class.
The latest version of the 2023 ISORA Calendar
The series starts with the Viking Marine Coastal Race in Ireland and the Plas Heli Coastal Race in Wales, both on 15th April, followed by another two coastal races on the following weekends.
This season, in addition to the Viking Marine Coastal Race Series in Ireland and the Plas Heli Coastal Race Series in Wales, we plan to run a several mini-series that include specified races. The first mini series, the Irish and the Welsh Spring Series, includes the first three coastal races from Dun Laoghaire and Pwllheli. A trophy will be awarded for the overall winner and prizes will be awarded to overall Class winners, all in addition to the usual race trophies and prizes.
(Above and below) typical ISORA Coastal Race startlines at Dun Laoghaire under National Yacht Club Race Officers Barry MacNeaney (left) and Larry Power Photo: Afloat
There are also mini offshore series. The first offshore mini-series, Dun Laoghaire – Pwllheli Double Offshore Series, includes the offshore race from Dun Laoghaire to Pwllheli and then the return race, soon after. Similarly for the Offshore Weekend, the Northern Offshore Weekend Series, including the races from Holyhead to Strangford on the Friday evening, 11th August, and the return race from Strangford to a gate in the Mid-Irish Sea finish, starting on the Sunday morning, 13th August.
ISORA Series / Mini-Series List
- Wolfs Head Series – Any 5 best race results to count
- ISORA Series – All race results to count.
- Irish Coastal Series –4 best results from 6 race Irish Series to count
- Welsh Coastal Series – 4 best results from 6 Welsh Series to count.
- Irish Spring Series – All results from races 1, 2 & 3.
- Welsh Spring Series – All results from races 1, 2 & 3.
- Dun Laoghaire – Pwllheli Double Offshore Series – Results from Offshore Races 7 & 8.
- Northern Offshore Weekend Series – Results from Races 14 & 15.
The first Offshore challenge is a race from Dun Laoghaire to Pwllheli on 6th May, in time for the IRC Welsh National Championships 12th to 14th May. Then a return race from Pwllheli to Dun Laoghaire on 20th May.
Andrew Hall's J122 Jackknife ISORA racing off Dun Laoghaire Harbour Photo: Afloat
We have again this year teamed up with other races in the Irish Sea and arranged the racing so that deliveries are minimised. This includes the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race and the Liverpool and RDYC Lyver Trophy Race.
In conjunction with ISORA, the Royal Dee Yacht Club are running the RDYC Irish Sea Offshore Championship again this year as part of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta (VDLR). This will include the Lyver Race and the four Coastal Races in the VDLR.
The weekend double offshore event is being run in conjunction with the Royal Ulster Yacht Club and Quoile Yacht Club.
ISORA's social side
While good and challenging racing is a must for offshore and coastal races, the social side of ISORA is equally important. It is the social side of the races that binds the fleet together and allow the crew to share experiences.
A social reception will be arranged the night before or immediately after each race whenever possible. Courses will be selected that, where possible, will allow all boats taking part in any race to partake in any post-race reception. The course for the Coastal races will be selected based on the weather information to get all boats finished in time to take part in the apres sail.
The 2023 ISORA season will finish with the annual prize-giving dinner dance in the National Yacht Club on the 11th of November
With the increasing exposure in the media of offshore racing, we are getting many requests from potential crew to take part in ISORA. We must encourage as many people to participate and have as many crew available for any race. Lack of crew is the most common cause of boats not participating in a race.
Although ISORA is totally voluntary and all entry fees go towards prizes, additional funds are now needed to run the ISORA YB trackers and promote the important social side of ISORA. While many of our sponsors from last year continue to sponsor ISORA, we need new sponsors for 2023. If you want to sponsor an ISORA race, please contact me (details below).
We are grateful for Musto, who sponsors the Overall ISORA Offshore Series, Viking Marine who is the sponsor for the Irish Coastal Series and Plas Heli, who is the sponsor of the Welsh /UK coastal Series. The full list of sponsors for 2023 will be published before the first race.
The season will finish with the annual prize-giving dinner dance in the National Yacht Club on the 11th of November.
We look forward to meeting up again with all skippers and crew in 2023
Peter Ryan
ISORA Chairman
[email protected]
