The 2021 West of Ireland Offshore Racing Association (WIORA) AGM was held in Dromoland Inn in County Clare last Thursday evening. The meeting was well attended with representatives from a number of clubs on the western seaboard.
Prior to the meeting, an EGM was held to ratify the eligibility of voting rights on the location of the annual West Coast Championships. The proposal was that one vote would be allocated to a boat that has participated in two of the last three West Coast Championships; previously boats only had to attend one of the last two West Coast Championships. The rationale for the change is to ensure that the boats that make the effort to sail at an away venue, as well as their home venue, get to decide where the event is held and this will hopefully encourage boats from clubs who wish to host the event in the future to attend away events and make their presence felt.
The proposal received the two-thirds majority required to pass.
The AGM began with reports from the officers including the outgoing Commodore, Gary Fort, of Tralee Bay Sailing Club who welcomed the opportunity to meet face to face after two years and thanked everyone who participated in the previous year’s West Coast Championships. He commented on the challenges faced by everyone in sailing in the past two years and looked forward to this year’s West Coast Championships at the Royal Western Yacht Club of Ireland in Kilrush.
A motion was put to the meeting to provide a grant to cover the entry fee to any Under 25 Teams participating in the West Coast Championships, which was immediately approved by the members.
The venue for the 2024 West Coast Championships was also chosen at the meeting and it will be hosted by Foynes Yacht Club.
Other discussions at the meeting included the change in format for the 2022 West Coast Championships, as reported in Afloat in January, specifically shortening the event from the traditional four-day event. The dates for this year’s three-day event were proposed to the WIORA Committee in October last year and the committee was in favour of trying out “any innovation that will increase participation”, particularly in these uncertain times.
There was also a discussion on ECHO handicaps.
The election of officers saw Raymond McGibney, of Foynes Yacht Club and Tarbert Island Maritime Club, become the new WIORA Commodore. McGibney is well known on the west coast for campaigning his Dehler 34, Dis-a-Ray, for many years. Rachel Conway from Foynes Yacht Club is the new Honorary Secretary and Gary Fort will take on the role of Honorary Treasurer.
The other members of the committee are Liam Burke GBSC, Adrian O’Connell RWYCI, Liam Lynch TBSC, Brian Ford GBSC, Mary McCormack FYC (Under 25 Representative).
McGibney, thanked Gary Fort, Cormac MacDonncha and Liam Madden for their efforts on the WIORA through very difficult times and looked forward to a successful year of sailing ahead.