ISORA Debutante 'A Plus' Wins Dun Laoghaire Offshore Race

2nd August 2020

Class two ISORA debutante, the Archambault A31 'A Plus' (Mick Flynn and Grant Kinsman) on her way to overall victory in the 50-mile ISORA offshore from Dun Laoghaire. Scroll down for slideshow Credit: Afloat

Despite similar conditions as the three previous ISORA coastal races, Saturday's first offshore at nearly double the distance off Dun Laoghaire has produced substantially different results, with National Yacht Club Class two newcomer A Plus (Mick Flynn and Grant Kinsman) taking the IRC win overall.

The Wolf's Head qualifying race turned inside out when the wind died mid-race and smaller boats caught up with the leaders.

Neck and neck as weather boat J122 Aurelia, Sunfast 3600 Hot Cookie and eventual winner the Archambault A31 pass Dun Laoghaire Harbour Mouth

Provisional results published by ISORA here give second overall to Class 1 J99, Juggerknot 2, sailed double-handed by Royal Irish Yacht Club duo Andrew Alego and Mark McGibney. Third was More Mischief the Grzegorz Kalinecki skippered First 310.

Sailing doublehanded with Mark McGibney, Royal Irish skipper Andrew Algeo (above) was second overall in the 50-miler Photo: Afloat (Above and below) Sailing double-handed with Mark McGibney, Royal Irish skipper Andrew Algeo (above) was second overall in the 50-miler and the IRC One winner Photo: Afloat

Juggerknot II, a J99 in double-handed configuration is the only two-hander in the 2020 ISORA racing offshore series Photo: Afloat

Starting at 8 am at the Dun Laoghaire outfall buoy, the 11-boat fleet sailed a 50-mile course first to a Virtual Mark then to Kish light, South Codling, South India and the Muglins before finishing off Dun Laoghaire Pier Heads yesterday evening at tea time. The tracker is here. Light Westerly winds never got over 10-knots.

Reigning ISORA champion Rockabill VI (Paul O'Higgins) crashed out of the running and finished eighth in IRC overall.

Rockabill VI made an impressive downwind start right on the gun

John O'Gorman's Sunfast 3600 'Hot Cookie' was the IRC Class Zero winner. Multiple Irish Fireball champion Noel Butler on helm (left) Photo: Afloat

The race was the first qualifying race of the 2020 season for the Wolf's Head trophy but due to COVID-19, the ISORA fleet did not race cross channel but instead competed separately in two different offshores, one in Dublin and one off Pwlhelli, as Afloat previously reported.

Pwllheli Offshore Race

A turnout of just three boats for the Welsh edition saw Nigel Ingram's J109 Jetstream from Holyhead Sailing Club win from Andrew Hall's J125, Jackknife.

ISORA Race 4a slideshow below

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