Yes indeed. With only a fortnight to go to the Golden Jubilee of ISORA's emergence from the old Northwest Offshore Association, Chairman Peter Ryan of Dun Laoghaire and Honorary Secretary Stephen Tudor of Pwllheli and their members can walk tall in the knowledge that all three boats with direct ISORA connections that were doing the Rolex Fastnet Race 2021 have been very much in the big-time success frame.

Let's go straight to the IRC Overall listing, in which 264 boats started - everything from slim little Contessa 32s up to the mighty 140ft Skorpios. We've only gone three places down the listing when we come to the Lombard 46 Pata Negra. Until now, she has only been a rare visitor to the Irish Sea, if at all. But she'd have been here last August when Darren Wright of Howth had her lined up for the postponed Round Ireland Race, as he knew the boat with his successes with her in the RORC Caribbean 600. But then the Round Ireland 2020 had to be cancelled completely.

Now, she's owned by Andrew Hall of Pwllheli, who must have sailed every course in the ISORA programme many times in boats like Jackknife and Jackhammer. Whether or not Pata Negra becomes an ISORA regular is neither here nor there. After all, she is a star, at her best in the majors. But the Middle Sea Race must be beckoning, and next year's Round Ireland is surely made for her, a formidable contender with second in IRC 1 to add to her third overall around the Fastnet.

Going on down the long list, we've only got to 14th overall when the Sunfast 37 Desert Star pops up. The sudden arrival in Cherbourg this morning (Friday) of a whole gaggle of IRC 4 boats opened up the overall list more than somewhat, and Desert Star's cool placing was augmented by being second in class after hours and days of very switched-on strategic and tactical sailing by Irish Offshore Sailing's principal Ronan O Siochru, and his talented right-hand man Conor Totterdell.

Over the years, Desert Star has become an ISORA regular, as the Association's bite-sized events are ideal for a sailing school working within tight time constraints. That said, those who signed up for 2021's Fastnet Programme with IOS ("No Experience Necessary, We'll Provide It and Turn You Into a Veteran") have now got themselves the bargain of a lifetime – a bargain which they can scarcely have imagined during the first incredibly challenging 24 hours of the race itself.

Happy campers. The Fastnet Race trainees aboard Irish Offshore Sailing's Desert Star (with skipper Ronan O Siochru on right, and Conor Totterdell third from right) got themselves the bargain of a lifetime in buying into the 2021 programme. Photo courtesy IOS

And finally, the ISORA threesome is completed by the Figaro 3 RL Sailing. While Pamela Lee has only occasional ISORA experience to refer to, co-skipper Kenneth Rumball is an old ISORA hand. And although the turnout in the special Figaro 3 Two-Handed Class was a modest five boats, RL Sailing's victory in it was by an incredible margin. In fact, the high point in her race was in the final stages, when she found herself in a fortuitous three-way duel with the two IRC 2-Handed leaders, the Sun Fast 3300 Swell and the JPK 10.30 Leon, from which RL Sailing emerged six minutes ahead boat-for-boat at Cherbourg. UPDATE Penalty for RL sailing. (August 17) here 

Pamela Lee and Kenneth Rumball on RL Sailing

Only three boats perhaps, but they provide a remarkably comprehensive lineup of memorable achievements in just one sailing of this great race in its new format, in which Cork's representative, the Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo, put in a truly heroic performance in pulling herself out of a private quagmire which had put her back in 26h in IRC 3 at one low point, yet by the finish she'd got back up to 13th, a memorable recovery.

But if we were forced into a corner and asked to nominate the Rolex Fastnet Race 2021's outstanding achievement, it was probably the way in which Charlie Dalin and Paul Meilhat took the IMOCA 60 Apivia through the first 24 hours.

Getting an IMOCA 6 to go well directly to windward in a seaway is not a talent with which every skipper is blessed. Of course, to some extent, it depends on the boat in question, but in some cases it's what you'd imagine a giraffe would look like if it tried to go ice-skating.

But with Apivia, these guys were doing the business from the word go, and they put the cream on the cake by the master-stroke of holding on starboard tack after the Needles to go clear across the Channel and on behind and beyond the Channel islands until they finally went on to port off the north coast of Brittany, having carried the same ebb tide the whole way from the Solent to Cap Brehat. There, they were beautifully placed for a swift and clear open water passage across towards the Isles of Scilly, where they found themselves pacing with Skorpios despite the latter being more than twice their overall length, and better configured for going to windward.

It was a master-stroke. Some would way say it was a case of taking a beautiful flyer. But when it turns out as well as that, it's everyone else who is taking a flyer………..

Apivia at the Fastnet Rock

Tracker below

First in IRC One and first in IRC overall, Peter Dunlop and Vicky Cox sailing the J109 Mojito were the winners of the seven-boat ISORA race from Dun Laoghaire to Pwllheli on Saturday. 

Andrew Hall's Jackknife took line honours in the 80-miler, the first ISORA cross channel race in almost two years. The J125 finished third on IRC overall.

Grzegorz Kalinecki, small First 310 More Mischief from Dun Laoghaire took second in IRC overall.

Results are here 

Next up for the ISORA fleet is the ISORA Viking Marine Irish Coastal Race on August 28.  The race is weighted at 0.9 for the overall Championship.

ISORA will stage its first cross-channel race in nearly two years on Saturday morning for a 75-mile offshore race from Dun Laoghaire Harbour to Pwllheli.

Despite teething problems with COVID passports, new customs procedures, a clash with deliveries to Calves Week Regatta, and this weekend's Lions Rugby match, an eight boat fleet will start Dun Laoghaire outfall buoy for an 8 am start.

Four Dublin boats and four Welsh boats will test the waters, but the reigning champion Rockabill VI from the Royal Irish Yacht Club along with the Royal St. George top performer Aurelia, both from Dublin Bay, have pulled out.

Nevertheless, there's still a potent lineup with two J/109 designs, a J/125 as well as some Jeanneau Sunfast marques competing.

The starters are: A Plus (Archambault 31), Indian (J109), More Mischief (First 310) and Elandra from Dublin Bay and Mojito (J109), Zig Zag (Sunfast 3600), Jac Y Do (Sunfast 3200i) and Jackknife (J 125) from Pwllheli.

J/109 Indian from Howth

Peter Dunlop and Vicky Cox's J/109 Mojito were winners of the Tremadog Bay 'pop up' Regatta at Pwllheli Sailing Club in North Wales.

This Welsh regatta was organised over the same days as the cancelled Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta - hence its “pop up” moniker.

It produced a great local fleet of 14 offshore boats with IRC racing for Class One and two and inshore boats.

There were four days of 'Round the Cans' races as well as a day to take in the sights of Tremadog Bay.

According to provisional tracker results, reigning Irish ISORA Champion Paul O'Higgin's in the JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI was the winner of yesterday's 35-mile Dublin coastal race. 

There was a fine turnout of 14 competitive boats for Race Ten of the series to and from Dun Laoghaire Harbour that featured Lambay Island as a turning mark.

The fleet favoured the pin end for the the start of ISORA's Coastal Race Ten off Dun Laoghaire Harbour

Local knowledge of the Fingal coast gave Simon Knowles's Howth J/109 Indian second overall with the line honours winner, Chris Power Smith's J122 Aurelia from the Royal St. George in third place.

Simon Knowles's Howth J/J109 Indian was second overall

Chris Power Smith's J122 Aurelia

The IRC 2 podium was a Beneteau affair, the winner was Leslie Parnell's First 34.7 Black Velvet with the Grzegorz Kalinecki skippered First 310 More Mischief second and a second 34.7, Magic Touch third.

Leslie Parnell's First 34.7 Black Velvet

Kalinecki's plucky More Mischief also won the Two-handed and silver fleet prize. 

Grzegorz Kalinecki skippered First 310 More Mischief

Provisional results are here via tracker

Race Ten ISORA Photo Gallery

There is a 'quality' fleet now assembled for Saturday's 35-mile Viking Marine sponsored ISORA race that starts and finishes at Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

With entries still open for race ten of the season, the Irish fleet is back to full strength after a busy June that saw many boats opt-out of last weekend's 64-miler.

As Afloat previously reported, there will be three Sunfast 3600s and two J122s racing as part of the fleet that currently stands at 15. 

The Grand Soleil 34 Justtina has dropped out, but the arrival of a second First 34.7, Magic Touch, will be more competition for Leslie Parnell's Black Velvet sistership from the Royal Irish Yacht Club.

Early forecasts indicate light south-easterly winds for Saturday.

The latest entry for ISORA Race Ten totals 15 boats

The race start is at 10.00 am. Entry is still open here

14 strong and competitive entries have been received for Saturday's ISORA Race ten of the Musto Irish Coastal Series including potent Greystones 2021 debutante, Frank Whelan's new J122, Kaya.

The July 10th race will be to and from Dun Laoghaire to Dun Laoghaire with a target distance of 35 miles starting at 10 am.

ISORA boss Peter Ryan says he is confident of even more starters by the weekend with Dublin Bay numbers back up to full strength after last month's trip south with both the D2D Race and the Sovereign's Cup at Kinsale. 

Two J122s

Chris Power Smith's Aurelia – last Saturday's line honours winner in the 64-mile offshore – can expect more competition from her J122 Wicklow sistership and a few more new entries besides including the overall leader Rockabill VI (Paul O'Higgins).

Pete Smyth's new Sunfast 3600, Searcher

Three Sunfast 3600s

There will be no less than three Sunfast 3600s racing with Pete Smyth's new Searcher making her return to ISORA after the Dingle Race. Currently placed third overall in the offshore points series, John O'Gorman's 3600 Hot Cookie from the National Yacht Club is racing as is Brendan Coghlan's Yoyo from the Royal St. George Yacht Club. 

The entries so far for Saturday's tenth ISORA Coastal Race

Link to race entry form here

Reigning ISORA Champion Rockabill VI Paul O'Higgins leads this season's ISORA Irish points series after Saturday's 64-mile offshore race from Dublin. The Royal Irish JPK 10.80 also leads in the overall combined UK and Irish ISORA league.

As regular Afloat readers know, ISORA organisers have been forced to separate the Musto sponsored leagues for a second year given the ongoing restrictions due to COVID that rules out cross channel racing. 

Last Saturday's line honours winner of race eight at Dun Laoghaire Harbour, the J122 Aurelia (Chris & Patanne Power Smith) of the Royal St. George Yacht Club is 32.3 points behind Rockabill VI overall with John O'Gorman's Sunfast 3600 Hot Cookie from the National Yacht Club in third place.

The overall Irish Series position is here

The Welsh Sunfast 3200i Jac Y Do (Mark and Jo Thompson) trails Rockabill VI by just 6.1 points in the overall combined UK and Irish league. Third is former ISORA Champion, the J109 Mojito of Pwllheli Sailing Club (Peter Dunlop & Victoria Cox)

The overall combined UK and Irish position is here

Paul O'Higgin's JPK10.80 Rockabill VI from the Royal Irish Yacht Club was the IRC winner of ISORA's race eight over a 64-mile course off Dublin Bay yesterday with Chris Power Smith's corinthian crew on the J122 Aurelia taking line honours at Dun Laoghaire yesterday evening.

A much reduced but nevertheless strong fleet of five boats contested the race, the first since last month's Dun Laoghaire Dingle Race. 

The ISORA fleet is recovering from an intensive June that saw some of the boats also contest Kinsale's Sovereign's Cup.

The 64-mile course saw the ISORA fleet head out of Dublin Bay at 8 am

The 64-mile course saw the fleet head out of the bay at 8 am leaving the Muglins to Starboard, then to North India (P), Taylors Rock (P), (Lambay was NOT a mark on the course), ISORA Dublin (S) and a finish between Dun Laoghaire Pier Heads that evening at 6 pm.

The reigning Irish Sea Coastal Champion Rockabill VI (Paul O'Higgins of the Royal Irish Yacht Club) got the upper hand on second-placed J122 Aurelia with the Sunfast 3600 Hot Cookie in third place.

ISORA Race 8 IRC Overall from the race tracker

This article was updated to include the IRC and line honours winners

There are six proposed starters for Saturday's first ISORA race since June's big offshore Dun Laoghaire Dingle Race including the 2021 Irish Sea Coastal Champion Rockabill VI (Paul O'Higgins of the Royal Irish Yacht Club). 

The Archambault 31 A Plus, the Beneteau More Mischief, the Sunfast 3600 Hot Cookie and Howth J109 Indian, all D2D competitors, are slated for the 0800 am start from the Dun Laoghaire Harbour Outfall Buoy for race eight of the Viking Marine Coastal Series.

ISORA's proposed 64-mile course from Dun Laoghaire for Race 8 of the Viking Marine Coastal Series

The 64-mile course will see the fleet head out of the bay leaving the Muglins to Starboard, then to North India (P), Taylors Rock (P), (Lambay is NOT a mark on the course), ISORA Dublin (S) and a finish between Dun Laoghaire Pier Heads.

Meanwhile, Lyver Race (ISORA) from Liverpool to Pwllheli also has a six-boat fleet mustered for it Friday evening start on the other side of the Irish Sea.