The Commodore of the South Coast Offshore Racing Association (SCORA) says it has a number of aims for the season ahead – getting more boats off the marinas and out racing, creating links between dinghy sailors and keelboat racing and continuing to increase youth participation.
Daragh Connolly told the annual general meeting of SCORA that last season, the first full one after the impact of restrictions from the Covid pandemic, had been a good one for offshore racing on the South Coast. “This has created a lot of enthusiasm for further development. SCORA will provide a platform for more participation and actively encourage newcomers".
“Offshore racing, coastal races, and short-handed sailing have been developed since the impact of the pandemic. Overall there is a positive, enthusiastic approach for going offshore which is encouraging,” he told the well-attended meeting and prizegiving at the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven.
SCORA 2022 prizewinners gathered at the Royal Cork Yacht Club. Photo: Bob Bateman
On my Podcast, we discuss how the ageing structure of boat ownership will have to be counteracted, how this can be done and whether more crew members can be successfully introduced onto offshore racing boats. Can links be developed with the dinghy sector to lead sailors from there into keelboat racing? Are enough racing boats travelling to events outside their own immediate areas, and how is this affected by current social and work demands?
I started our interview by asking Daragh Connolly to review how the past season had turned out for offshore racing on the South Coast.
Listen to the Podcast below and see Afloat's SCORA agm report and prizegiving photos here
