#isora – Having being runner up for the past two seasons the weekend winner of the 2012 ISORA Championship Sgrech is no stranger to the Irish Sea, her skipper Stephen Tudor and crew are a hardened offshore racing team from Pwlhelli in North Wales who have many years experience of Irish offshore campaigns for over 40 years.
Sgrech is a 2003 version J109. She was purchased in November 2010 by Hugh Williams, Philip Yapp and Tudor and replaced the team's J92 in which they achieved a very wet second overall in the 2010 ISORA series.
The team also achieved a second overall in Sgrech in 2011 again being beaten by Skerries Raging Bull.
Skipper Stephen Tudor has not yet been successful in persuading his brother, Richard, to join the crew. Richard skippered two circumnavigations in the Chay Blyth's Global Challenges and has provided considerable assistance in particular with Sgrech's preparation.
The 2012 Sgrech crew this year included the three co-owners and Stephen's son Thomas, one of many third generation ISORA competitors.
ISORA Chairman Peter Ryan who was on board Sgrech for the RORC Lyver Trophy race win in 2011 from Holyhead to Howth has also been on board this year to campaign for the ISORA series and June's Round Ireland Race.
Other crew members include RNLI member and veteran Round Ireland sailor Arfon Jones, Australian Andrew Rosewarne and Sarah Pemberton who sailed extensively with Andrew Hall.
The Tudor association with ISORA goes back to the 1970's when we raced with their father (Huw Tudor) on a Golden Shamrock, Gwobr Aur, at a time before DECCA or other navigation aids.
At that time there were regular ISORA fleets of about 40 which I think peaked at about 70. Stephen's first race was to Dun Laoghaire in 1976 (aged 16).
The Tudor's then campaigned a Contention 33, Panache and after that Greased Lightning. Richard and Huw went on to sail Corwynt Cymru III (Winner Class1 Cork Week 1992).
Corwynt Cymru was later renamed and is now known as Raging Bull, the 2011 champion that was wrecked in gales last May.
