Taking a lead from this year's Lyver offshore sailing race, when Liverpool Yacht Club used a "virtual" waypoint as a mark on the course, ISORA may include this type of mark in future races, that's according to Commodore Peter Ryan. His comments come in a plea to members for feedback before the 2012 ISORA calendar is set at the ISORA agm on November 19th. Virtual marks would be a means to ensure that the offshore fleet get true upwind legs and still have reasonable length races.

It would, says Ryan of Dun Laoghaire's National Yacht Club,  also facilitate the shortening of the day races.  'We have been around Rockabill so often over the last few years that the bird life there think we are residents!' he adds.