Cormac MacDonnacha describes himself as “one of the busiest men” in Galway this week as he strives to bring traditional boats and the modern GRP racing variety together in a major sailing event at a fledging club, writes Tom MacSweeney.

That’s his aim as he leads the organising committee of WIORA for the West Coast Championships which will be held for the first time in the Aran Islands, by decision of the twelve clubs whose racing fleets from Kerry to Donegal comprise the Association.

They voted in favour of Aran two years ago in support of Club Seoltóireacht Árainn, the only Gaeltacht sailing club in Ireland, recognised as a Category 1 Sailing Club by the ISA in April. WIORA will start on Wednesday, July 5 and conclude on Saturday, July 8, with a very serious bit of sailing planned on the final day.

Cumann Huicéirí na Gaillimhe has joined forces with WIORA to include the Galway Hookers with ‘modern yachts’ – planned to race side-by-side, on Saturday, July 8.

That should be interesting and there is a belief around Galway and the West Coast that bragging rights are up for grabs!

The hope around Galway is that this year’s WIORA will revive the event following some years of a downturn after the economic crash. It would be appropriate that this should mark the 40th anniversary of an overnight race that was run to Kilronan by Galway Bay Sailing Club back in 1977 when its Commodore was FF minister Bobby Molloy. The late ex-minister remains popular in Aran for his work to develop the islands. To commemorate the event, the WIORA Committee is dedicating a race to his memory. His widow, Phyllis will present the prize.

A 100-metre marina of floating pontoons is being installed for the event. Draft plans have been presented to Galway County Council for a permanent marina. BIM has announced 50% funding to install 16 moorings in Kilronan for the event.

#wiora – The 2014 West of Ireland (WIORA) champion is Tribal, Liam Burke's Galway Bay Sailing Club based Corby 25 that produced four wins from seven races in last week's WIORA championships at Mayo Sailing Club. Burke's scoreline was good enough to win class 2 IRC ahead of top Foynes contender Dis–A–Ray, a Dehler 34, and take the overall award too, in a series that had everything from flat calms, forked lightning plus some very good Clew Bay breezes to boot. 

IT was a "WIORA West Coast Championship to remember..."

That is how Simon McGibney, Commodore of the association described the 2014 West Coast Championship event hosted by Mayo Sailing Club in the waters of Clew Bay.

While Team Ireland was taking honours at the Commodores Cup in the UK, the Irish domestic sailing community on the west coast was battling it out for the 2014 WIORA title under the stunning backdrop of Croagh Patrick leaving everyone wowed by the experience.

And that is certainly how the 200 or so competitors felt leaving the event after Tribal, sailing out of Galway Bay Sailing Club, lifted the coveted trophy as overall winner of WIORA 2014. A worthy title holder in an event where everyone was victorious in some way shape or form.

But it was Liam Burke's Corby 25 that won four of the seven races in Class two and was always staying in the mix by adding a 2nd and 3rd on Day 3 and 4 of the event that was enough for the Galway boat to take the honours in what was a hotly contested division.

Tribal and its crew now take the title back to Galway Docks where the 2015 event will be hosted by their home club of GBSC.

Race Officer Alan Crosbie, on receiving a small presentation from the Eoghan Cunningham, Commodore of Mayo Sailing Club, said it is an event he loves to see coming around every year, "and one I will not miss, because when I get the call I just say yes straight away." WIORA he said, "is a great event close to my heart".

On hosting the event, the ever popular MSC Commodore Eoghan Cunningham said that in the lead up to WIORA, "I was dreading it, but now I just don't want the week to end".

Receiving a huge round of applause, the WIORA sub committee at Mayo SC, together with Eoghan at its head were praised for their hosting of the event – even the little things like all the race competitors being delivered choc ices on Friday while drifting on the waters of Clew Bay under the summer sun as the crews waited for the breeze to fill in – to a care package of cold beers delivered to every boat as they completed the long coastal race at the conclusion of the event – will go a long way to indeed making WIORA 2014 one to remember.

Congrats to all at Mayo Sailing Club, to the helpers, to the race officers and flag boat crew, to the rib drivers, to the staff at the club house, to the WIORA committee, to the competitors that raced in every possible weather condition including thunder and lightening, to those ashore that waited and supported and to those that we forgot – we thank you and we look forward to meeting on the water again soon and if not, certainly back at Galway Docks in 2015 when the battle will commence to see who can take the West Coast Championship title off the crew of Tribal.

WIORA West Coast Championship 2014 Winners

Overall WIORA West Coast Championship Winner Tribal (GBSC)

Class 1 IRC Winner Now What (GBSC)

Runner Up TK Lean Machine (GBSC)

Class 2 IRC Winner Tribal (GBSC)

Runner Up Dis-A-Ray (TIMC)

Class 3 IRC Winner Boojum (TBSC)

Runner Up Django (RWYCI – LRYC)

Class 1 ECHO Winner TK Lean Machine (GBSC)

Runner Up X-Rated (MSC)

Class 2 ECHO Winner Dis-A-Ray (TIMC)

Runner Up Elixir (MSC)

Class 3 ECHO Winner Subadar (MSC)

Runner Up Privateer (MSC)

White Sails Winner As Lathair (MSC)

Runner Up Xstatic (MSC)

BJ Marine cup Genie

X-Yachts cup X-rated,

Tommy OKeeffe trophy Dis-A-Ray,

Next year's WIORA moves to Galway and in 2016 the event is heading back to Kilrush on the Shannon Estuary.

Full WIORA results are on the Mayo Sailing Club site HERE

The West of Ireland Offshore Racing Association (WIORA), 'West Coast Championships' concluded at the weekend, which was hosted by the Royal Western Yacht Club based in Kilrush Co. Clare.

Strong winds prevailed thought the event and unfortunately no sailing took place on Friday due to the extreme wind conditions, but international race officer Alan Crosbie and his team did an excellent job in getting six races completed for each of the four classes; On the last day, race management was conducted from the Navel Ship the LE Aoife making a visit to Kilrush and adding greatly to the spectacle afloat. Photos on the gallery here.
Numbers may have be back on previous years but what was lacking in numbers was made up for by the standard and competiveness of the racing in each of the classes, so much so that in Class 2 it went to the wire on the final race of the final day to decide the overall placing in the Class with the order they finished in deciding the order of the class overall's. 

In these economic times without the huge support of partners, events like this Regional Event could not be staged and with alot of help from Kilrush Credit Union / Kilrush Creek Marina / Shannon Development / Dubarry Ireland / Kilrush Chamber of Commerce / ropelocker.ie / fotosail.com / afloat.ie and the many local business made sure this was a very successful event.

In IRC Class 1, Glen Cahill's J109 Joie de Vie from Galway Bay Sailing Club took the overall slot with Rob Allen's Corby 36 Mustang Sally from the host club finishing in second and Martin Breen's Harley 33 That's Life also from Galway Bay Sailing Club finishing a close third overall. In Echo Class 1, Rob Allen's Mustang Sally took the overall laurels with Team Foynes X332 from Foynes Yacht Club finishing second on equal points with Glen Cahill's J109 who finished third only been separated by count back on points.
In IRC Class 2, only three points separated the top three boats with Ray McGibney's Dehler 34 DISARAY sailing under the burgee of Foynes Yacht Club taking the final race and the overall in the class with Brian Rafferty's Corby 26 2602 from Sligo Yacht Club finishing only one and half points adrift securing second and Finbarr O Connell's Sigma 33 from Tralee Bay Sailing Club finishing a very close third. In Echo Class 2 it was even closer on points with only .75 of a point separating the top three with Liam Lynch's Sigma 33 from Tralee Bay Sailing Club taking the overall with Brian Rafferty's 2062 finishing second and Finbarr O Connells Treyona finishing third overall.
In IRC Class 3, Martin McNamara & Thomas Whelan's Chartered J24 Jaws/Chaos from the host club with four wins took the top slot with John Paul Buckley & Donal McCormack's Golden Shamrock Battle from Foynes Yacht Club finishing second and Gary Fort's chartered J24 Jaguar from Tralee Bay Sailing Club taking third overall. In Echo Class Three John Paul Buckley & Donal McCormack's Battle taking first with Gary Fort's Jaguar taking second and fellow club mate from Tralee Bay Sailing Club Mark Prendiville HB31 rooster taking third overall.
In Class Four (White Sails) all the way from Howth Yacht Club it was Stephen Mullaney's Beneteau 375 Walter Mitty taking the top slot with Richard Glynn's Oceanis 411 Velella from the host club taking second and John Finnegan's Oceanis 311 Jasmin II from Foynes Yacht Club taking third overall.

Best performing production boats –

X Yachts Cup – Team Foynes X332 Dexterity Foynes Yacht Club
Sigma 33 Cup – Finbarr O' Connell's Sigma 33 Tralee Bay Sailing Club
Beneteau Cup – Stephen Mullaney's Beneteau 375 Walter Mitty Howth Yacht Club
Full list of the West Coast Championship results please visit www.westernyachtclub.com

For WIORA the season is far from over with the continuation of the Murphy Marine Services West Coast Super League which is an extracted series of seven events on the West Coast, the next event is the O' Sullivan Marine 100 mile race from Fenit to Valentia Island on the 30th July followed by Clifden Regatta on the 06th – 08th of August with the Galway Bay Sailing Club Regatta on the 03rd – 05th September and Foynes Yacht Club Regatta on the 25th&26th of September.

For more information please vist the WIORA website www.wiora.org

The annual WIORA championships kick off today in sunny conditions at Kilrush Creek marina, hosted by the Royal Western Yacht Club. PRO Alan Crosbie has a range of courses at his disposal, including a variation on the popular slalom course that rose to prominence at Cork Week 2008. Two races will be sailed per class per day.

Results and race reports will be posted on the RWYC website HERE, with Gareth Craig of Fotosail.com covering the photography.