The Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association (ISORA) final race will proceed on Saturday, and competing yachts will fly a black flag following Queen Elizabeth's death.

ISORA says it is 'not possible' to set another date for the 80-mile race from Pwhelli in North Wales to Dun Laoghaire on Dublin Bay.

The race results will determine the 2022 overall champion for offshore racing's prestigious Wolf's Head Trophy.

ISORA expressed its condolences to the Royal family in a statement:

"ISORA learnt with great sadness of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II earlier today and pass our sincere condolences to the Royal Family.

The Organising Authority has received requests for guidance from competitors on the status of the concluding race of the ISORA 2022 Series, the James Eadie Race, scheduled for Saturday, 10th September.

The Organising Authority had to take into consideration that competitors will travel from great distances to take part in this race, and delivery times for competing yachts can be more than 15 hours.

It is not possible to set another date for this race, so a postponement would necessitate the cancellation of the race.

The Organising Authority have listened to guidance and advice and has decided that it is in the best interest of the sport for the scheduled race from Pwllheli to Dun Laoghaire to continue.

As a mark of respect, competitors will fly a black flag above the class flag on the backstay."

As Afloat reported earlier, Andrew Hall's J125 Jackknife from Pwhelli is in pole position after 14 races, with her best scores amounting to 510.9. 

RYANI

In Northern Ireland,  the RYANI Youth Championships, due to take place this weekend, have been cancelled as a mark of respect. 

The results of Saturday's final race of the Musto ISORA Series will determine the 2022 overall champion for offshore racing's prestigious Wolf’s Head Trophy.

Andrew Hall’s J125 Jackknife from Pwhelli is in pole position after 14 races, with her best scores amounting to 510.9.

The final race is the James Eadie Trophy Race from Pwllheli in North Wales across the Irish Sea to Dun Laoghaire Harbour, a distance of 80 miles.

Jackknife is closely followed by Robert Rendell’s Grand Soleil 44, Samatom with 501.4, Vicky Cox and Peter Dunlop's J109 Mojito with 489.4, then 2021 Champion JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI (Paul O'Higgins) with 482.1.

ISORA's Wolf's Head Trophy

The best five scores of the season are to count.

Robert Rendell’s Grand Soleil 44, Samatom Photo: Afloat

Vicky Cox and Peter Dunlop's J109 Mojito Photo: Afloat

JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI (Paul O'Higgins) Photo: Afloat

Class results on Saturday will also be concluded on Saturday night for Class 0, Class 1 and Class 2 at an end-of-season pow-wow at the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

Champion JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI skippered by Paul O'Higgins completed Friday night's ISORA points-weighted night race off Dun Laoghaire Harbour in a time of four hours and ten minutes. 

Light airs on Dublin Bay frustrated a number of competitors who retired, according to the race tracker. 

Provisional results show the Royal Irish's Rockabill VI with the gun in line honours, IRC Zero and IRC overall.

The race tracker shows Robert Rendell's Grand Soleil 44 Samatom second in line honours and IRC Zero.

As reported earlier by Afloat, an ISORA Welsh night race will be held this evening.

This weekend's two night races on either side of the Irish Sea at Dun Laoghaire and Pwhelli have produced a good combined offshore turnout for the last race of ISORA's Viking Marine coastal series 2022. 

From a Dublin entry of 16 for tonight's 24-mile race,(sponsored by Jack Ryan Whiskey), ISORA Chairman Peter Ryan admits, however, the final nine boat turnout is 'disappointing' from an Irish point of view.

While numbers may be down, the quality at Dun Laoghaire remains high with key contenders for the overall ISORA Wolfs Head Trophy all coming to the startline for tonight's staggered start from 2000hrs. (Class 2 - 20.00 and Class 1& 0 - 20.30)

As previously reported by Afloat, after winning the 24-miler a fortnight ago, Bob Rendell's Grand Soleil 44 Samatom now leads the Coastal Series with just tonight's higher-scoring night race to go.

Two Dun Laoghaire yachts, Brendan Coghlan's Sunfast 3600 YoYo and Paul O'Higgin's JPK 10.80 Rockabill remain in the hunt for the coastal prize.

Dun Laoghaire Coastal Night Race

Ryan is setting an intercept line at East Kish and due south, in case he has to shorten the Dun Laoghaire race.

The Dun Laoghaire course of 24 miles approx

The usual full finish YB intercept will be set at the finish.

The Course will be:

• Usual Dun Laoghaire start at Dun Laoghaire Outfall Buoy 53 18.404N 6 8.348W
• ISORA Dublin ISORA Virtual (P) N53 17.110 W6 00.100
• North Kish (S) 53 18.560N 5 56.423W
• East Kish (S) 53 14.343N 5 53.595W
• Muglins (P) 53 16.515N 6 4.550W
• Usual Dun Laoghaire Finish between the pier heads. 53 18.145N 6 7.619W

The night race in Pwllheli is tomorrow and the entries are below. Download the supplementary Sailing Instructions below. 

ICRA Coastal Class champion Samatom (Robert Rendell) was the winner of yesterday's ISORA Coastal Race off Dun Laoghaire.

Three potent Jeanneau Sunfast 3600s were among the nine-boat fleet that contested Saturday's 24-mile ISORA coastal race along the Dublin and Wicklow coastline, but none could beat the Grand Soleil 44. 

The race was the 11th Race in the Musto ISORA 2022 series and also the third race of the Viking Marine Coastal Series.

For the second time this season, a technical glitch in the YB Tracker set-up showed the winner being other than the Howth Grand Soleil. Organisers told Afloat the matter is being investigated. 

After winning the 24-miler, Rendell now leads the Coastal Series with one race to go; a higher-scoring night race.

Top Welsh J109 Mojto is in chasing Samatom for the Viking Marine ISORA Coastal top prize Photo: Afloat

Two Dun Laoghaire yachts, Brendan Coghlan's Sunfast 3600 YoYo and Paul O'Higgin's JPK 10.80 Rockabill remain in the hunt for the coastal prize.

Andrew Hall's J/125 Jackknife from Wales tops the ISORA leaderboard Photo: Afloat

The 2022 ISORA overall table (below) now shows Andrew Hall's J/125 Jackknife leading and being chased by Samaton, the J109 Mojito and Rockabill.

Three Jeanneau Sunfast 3600s are among the nine-boat fleet that will contest Saturday's 24-mile ISORA coastal race along the Dublin and Wicklow coastline.

With an eye on current light wind forecasts, race organisers have stated the course may be shortened off Bray in County Wicklow.

This race is the 11th Race in the Musto ISORA 2022 series and also the third race of the Viking Marine Coastal Series.

John O'Gorman's 3600 Hot Cookie and Pete Smyth's Searcher, both from the National Yacht Club, will be joined by Royal St. George Yacht Club's Yoyo (Brendan Coghlan).

Also racing is Howth Yacht Club ICRA coastal champion 2022, Robert Rendell's Grand Soleil 44, Samatom. 

The forecast is for northerly winds of six knots at 0955 start time with the hope of a sea breeze later

Entries for the 11th race in the Musto ISORA 2022 series and also the third race of the Viking Marine Coastal Series

The course will be at ISORA's usual Dun Laoghaire start line at Dun Laoghaire Outfall Buoy and then to: 

• ISORA Dublin Virtual (P) N53 17.110 W6 00.100
• North Kish (S) 53 18.560N 5 56.423W
• East Kish (S) 53 14.343N 5 53.595W
• Bray Outfall (S) 53 13.254N 6 4.485W
• Muglins (P) 53 16.515N 6 4.550W
• Usual Dun Laoghaire Finish between the pier heads. 53 18.145N 6 7.619W

The course for the 11th race in the Musto ISORA 2022 series and also the third race of the Viking Marine Coastal Series

The time limit is 17.00

IRC Class 0 J125 entry Jackknife skippered by Andrew Hall of Pwllheli Sailing Club was the winner of ISORA's 120-mile Race Ten from Dun Laoghaire to Pwllheli on Saturday.

The race was won in an IRC corrected time of 14 hours 35 minutes and one second.

The Class Zero entry beat classmate Nigel Ingram's Farr 30 Wild Haggis for the top spot in the nine-boat fleet. 

Third was Howth Yacht Club's Robert Rendell in the Grand Soleil 44, Samatom.

The successful Welsh J109 Mojito (Vicky Cox and Peter Dunlop) that was crowned K2Q and Cork Week Coastal Class Champion earlier this month on the south coast returns to the east coast of Ireland for the last offshore fixture of July as the favourite in ISORA's for Saturday's ISORA cross-channel race from Dun Laoghaire to Pwllheli in North Wales.

Up to 11 starters from a pool of 21, including and six from Wales, are expected for Race No. 10 in the Musto ISORA 2022 Series and ISORA's sixth offshore race.

Royal St. George Swan 60, Lee Overlay Partners is expected to make her ISORA debut and the Northern Ireland yacht Excession from Belfast Lough is also slated to compete.

Samatom, the Grand Soleil 44, owned By Bob Rendell from Howth is racing to Pwllheli

From 0800 hours, starting from Dun Laoghaire Harbour the fleet will sail to South Arklow to finish off Pwllheli. 

The course is approximately 120 miles long.

The course is as follows: STARTING LINE at Dun Laoghaire, Muglins Island (S) ISORA Dublin Bay Virtual Mark N53o17.110 W6o00.100 (P), South Arklow Cardinal Buoy N52o40.234’ W 5o58.767’(P) FINISH LINE – at Pwllheli 

Winds are forecast to be westerly at 10 knots with gusts up to 16  at start time.

Entrants for Race No. 10 in the Musto ISORA 2022 Series

Kinsale Yacht Club's second offshore race of the season indicates a south coast demand for this type of racing. Still, the absence of any Cork boats on July's K2Q 260 race course means organisers look set to alter the timing of future editions of the Dun Laoghaire to Cork Race.

The gun for Kinsale's next race will fire on August 19th for an All-In race around the Fastnet Rock. It's another offshore fixture that ISORA chief Peter Ryan says proves 'there is interest in offshore racing'.

Ryan has been in the vanguard of an offshore revival on the east coast over recent seasons bringing together Dublin and Welsh crews for cross-channel racing and local coastal races. 

Ryan, as one of the K2Q race organisers, accepts that the timing of the July 1 K2Q race (with both 160 and 260-mile course options) was too close to June's Round Ireland Race, but he also says it 'went well' for its first staging. 

As regular Afloat readers know, the K2Q is a Dun Laoghaire to Cork Race. Its staging was a collaboration between the Munster-based SCORA and the Irish Sea ISORA offshore racing associations.

As previously reported, the K2Q was a replay of the first recorded Irish offshore race of 1860.

It was won by Welsh J109, Mojito (Vicky Cox and Peter Dunlop), while the 160-mile course was won by Royal Cork yacht Grand Soleil 40, Nieulargo (Denis and Annamarie Murphy). 

2022 K2Q (160 miles) race winner - Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo Photo: Afloat

Denis and Annamarie Murphy win the McGovern trophy for the K2Q Race 160 mile course Photo: Bob Bateman

There were 26 entries in the race but only 13 starters. Only four completed the Fastnet long course.

There were no Cork boats in the four-boat race, and three of the four ISORA boats competing were from Wales.

2022 K2Q (260 mile) race winner - J109 Mojito Photo: Afloat

K2Q winners - In 1860, It is reported that the race's winner was paid a £15 at the time, and all competing boats got a bursary of 10/6 each. The first race winner was a Schooner Kingfisher owned by Cooper Penrose Esq. The race was held on July 14th 1860, with sixteen boats racing. In 2022, Mojito was awarded the first prize of a cheque for €15 mounted and framed and a Trophy provided by the Royal Cork Yacht Club, the oldest yacht club in the world. Photo: Bob Bateman

Speaking to Afloat, Mojito Co-skipper Vicky Cox said, "the race was a real tough one for the crew, both physically leading to the rock and mentally coming away from it."

ISORA Chief Peter Ryan, who set up the race with SCORA's Daragh Connolly, told Afloat, "It’s a great format - dual courses. It could be an annual event but definitely a biennial one. If biennial, it needs to be later, possibly mid-August. 

ISORA and SCORA are to sit down to review the race, discuss other co-operations and set a date for a future edition.

Just as the 2022 Round Ireland Race concludes at the end of June, a new Irish biennial offshore racing fixture between Dublin and Cork has launched with a start in five days' time, and a 'novel set up' to provide two races in one.

The long-established Dun Laoghaire to Cork offshore race – reintroduced in Covid as the 'Fastnet 450' in 2020 – has been further developed as the 'Kingstown to Queenstown Race' or 'K2Q' race.

The Dublin-Cork promoters say it will facilitate all offshore sailors by providing a medium-length offshore race and a long offshore race by having two races in one, with all boats completing the shorter race.

The new race echoes the first-ever ocean yacht race on Irish waters in 1860 held from Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) to Queenstown (now Cobh), a story told here by Afloat's WM Nixon.

Nigel Biggs and Dave Cullen's First 50 Checkmate XX from Howth missed the Round Ireland Race due to COVID but will race the K2Q Photo: Afloat

The race has attracted an initial entry of up to 15, with entry still open for the July 1 fixture. The entrants to date comprise Welsh, Dublin Bay, and Howth boats from the ISORA ranks but also include top Cork Harbour yacht Nieulargo.

ISORA boss Peter Ryan of the National Yacht Club, who has developed the race in conjunction with SCORA's Daragh Connolly and the Royal Cork Yacht Club, says in the following years, the race aims to incorporate a "rally class", too.

The race is aimed to run in alternate years to the popular Dun Laoghaire Dingle or 'D2D race'.

The K2Q will consist of two combined events:

The primary race for the "The Breffni McGovern cup" will be approximately 260 miles, starting in Dun Laoghaire, passing through a virtual gate at the Cork Buoy, rounding the Fastnet Rock and finishing at Roches Point.

The "restricted" race for a still-to-be-announced trophy will start with the primary fleet in Dun Laoghaire but finish at the same virtual finish gate at Cork Buoy – approximately 150 miles.

All boats starting will be included in the "restricted" race. Boats passing through the finish gate at Cork Buoy and continuing to round the Fastnet and finish at Roches Point would also qualify for the primary K2Q event. Yachts can only win prizes in one of the events.

The race for the ISORA points will be the primary race – 260 miles. 

Peter Dunlop and Victoria Cox's champion J109 Mojito from Pwllheli Sailing Club Photo: Afloat

UK Entrants so far include Nigel Ingram's RORC flagged Farr 30 Wild Haggis, Paul Sutton's Holyhead SC J109, Jaydreamer, Peter Dunlop, and Victoria Cox's champion J109 Mojito from Pwllheli Sailing Club, the Sunfast 3200i of Mark and Jo Thompson Jac y Do from Pwllheli Sailing Club. Andrew Halls' J125 Jackknife is also sailing.

Mark and Jo Thompson's Sunfast 3200i Jac y Do from Pwllheli Sailing Club Photo: Afloat

Magic Touch will be racing from Ireland Steve Hayes's Beneteau First 34.7 from Bray Sailing Club. George Sisk and Tim Kane's new Reichel/Pugh design "X-Treme 37", WOW is also confirmed.

The customised Mills 36 Prime Suspect is sailing, and so is Joe Conway's Sigma 33 Elandra from the Royal Irish Yacht Club, Elandra.

The customised Mills 36 Prime Suspect Photo: Afloat

Nigel Biggs and Dave Cullen's First 50 Checkmate XX will compete from Howth.

Cork yacht of the year, the Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo (Denis and Annamarie Murphy), John Conlan's Sunfast 37 Humdinger and Noel Coleman's Oyster 37 Blue Oyster will also race.

Noel Coleman's Oyster 37 Blue Oyster Photo: Afloat

Ryan also says some top ISORA performers, such as the J122 Aurelia (Chris Power Smith) and  Robert Rendell's Grand Soleil 44 Samatom, are currently 'maybe but unlikely' to race, given the boats also competed in the 700-mile Round Ireland.

The plan is for both 'K2Q races' to finish at the old RCYC clubhouse on the Cobh seafront, which will require a tweak to the ISORA YB trackers.

The Sirius Arts Centre in Cobh. Originally the 1854-completed Royal Cork YC clubhouse, it was here that the first Dublin Bay to Cork Harbour Race of 1860 finished, and where the new K2Q race will finish this July

This year, the winning boat will be awarded the first prize of a cheque for €15 mounted and framed and a special trophy provided by the Royal Cork Yacht Club, the oldest yacht club in the world.

Download the Notice of Race details below