The Shanahan family J109, Ruth, of the National Yacht Club, pulled off a late-race victory in Saturday's marathon ISORA race from Dun Laoghaire to Pwhelli in North Wales.
The win is a significant result in one of the biggest ISORA fleets in a number of seasons and comes against some top Welsh rivals as preparations heat up for June's season Round Ireland Race offshore sailing highlight of 2024.
The results are provisional and viewable below.
While conditions looked like they might favour big boats in Class Zero, the 17-boat turnout (six more than this race last year) in the first cross-channel race of the Irish Sea Offshore season turned out to be a very tight race under very tricky conditions—light winds and very strong tides.
The First 50 Checkmate (David Cullen & Nigel Biggs) achieved line honours, followed by the J125 Jackknife (Andrew & Sam Hall) and the J122 Mojito (Peter Dunlop & Victoria Cox).
The scenario changed on IRC rating as smaller boats made ground in the latter stages of the 90-miler pushing the big boats back down the ratings ladder. The top Class Zero performance came from Royal St George Yacht Club's Chris Power Smith in the J122 Aurelia who will seek to defend his line honours title in Kinsale's 280-mile Inistearaght Race later this month.
Finishing just after 5 am after a race of some 21 hours, Ruth took first in IRC overall and IRC Class One ahead of Mark Thompson's Welsh J97 Jac Y Do. Third was Alan Hannon's Belfast Lough JPK 1030 Coquine.
Light air start at Dun Laoghaire
A building flood tide held boats off the ISORA West Pier line. In the final minute of some well-timed pre-start manoeuvers, NYC Race Officer Barry MacNeaney observed many boats looked like they could be early, so he warned competitors on the VHF radio. It was well heeded, and moments later, McNeaney called 'All clear'. There was a clean start, and race eight was underway.
The pin end of the line was favoured by those keen on getting out of the tide and into the shore, so there were a busy few seconds when ISORA Champion Rockabill VI (Paul O'higgins) and Gelert (Brian Dixon & Chris Williams) both found there was no room at the buoy and were forced to gybe around.
As the 17-boat fleet approaches the start line for the 90-mile race eight from Dun Laoghaire to Wales in barely any breeze, there's no room for Gelert (GBR 1681R) or the approaching Rockabill VI (IRL10800) at the yellow pin end buoy Photo: Afloat
.....leaving both of them no option but to tack off and try again.....Photo: Afloat
...giving the eventual line honours winner, the First 50 Checkmate (IRL 66) clear air for her well-timed start...Photo: Afloat
The JPK 1080 Rockabill VI eventually starts in front of her smaller sister the JPK 1030 Coquine (GBR10301) from Belfast Lough leaving the Corby 36 Gelert to negotiate a tricky to leeward position Photo: Afloat
As the rock-hopping gathered pace at the pier, the well-positioned J122 Mojio, which had started further down the line, cleared the Harbour mouth in a single tack. It held some good breeze up to six knots and was soon in the lead on the water and on the tracker as the fleet hugged the southern shore of Dublin Bay, entering the Irish Sea at Muglin's Rock off Dalkey.
The ISORA fleet tacks off Dun Laoghaire Harbour mouth in a bid to escape a building flood tide on their 90 mile crossing to North Wales Photo: Afloat
Ryan Wilson's Matt 1010 Elixir from Northern Ireland on port tack with Andrew Hall's J125 Jackknife on starboard in the very early stages of the ISORA race eight at Dun Laoghaire Photo: Afloat
Line honours winner, the First 50 Checkmate XX gets up close with Dun Laoghaire's East Pier lighthouse Photo: Afloat
JPK 1080 Rockabill VI ahead of J125 Jackknife at the back of Dun Laoghaire's West Pier Photo: Afloat
There was a selection of several tipped J designs racing, ranging from 41 to 31 feet, including a J125, a J111, two J122s, a J109 and a J97. In the end, however, it was the proven all-round performance of the vintage J109 that won through; a potency which has already been reflected this season in April's double win by the Howth J109 Indian in the Viking Marine ISORA coastal series.
There were several J designs in the 17-boat ISORA fleet for race eight, with the above (from left) showing the IRC overall winner a J109, Ruth, the J122 Mojto and the Cris Miles J111 Jezebel Photo: Afloat
But after eight hours of sailing, the leaders had sailed just 30 miles of the 90-mile course, and at this point, the J122 Mojito and the First 50 Checkmate XX were holding sway on the water and IRC.
Early leader - The J122 Mojito was an on the water and IRC leader in the early stages of the ISORA Cross Channel race Photo: Afloat
The tracker for ISORA's 90-mile race eight from Dun Laoghaire shows an exciting finish into Pwllheli, North Wales after 21 hours of racing Image: via YB tracker
Next up for the ISORA fleet is the Pwhelli to Dun Laoghaire Race on May 25th.
