Paul O'Higgins' championship-winning JPK10.80 Rockabill VI from the Royal Irish Yacht Club will be challenged by a smaller JPK 10.30 when the 2024 ISORA Viking Marine Coastal Series gets underway next Saturday morning at Dun Laoghaire Harbour.
Coquine, a brand new JPK 1030 design from the JPK yard in France – a not-so-little sister – to the O'Higgins' vessel, will join the ISORA fray from Belfast Lough under skipper Alan Hannon.
Also among the confirmed boats are the two J109s, Ruth from Dun Laoghaire and Indian from Howth.
The first Irish coastal has an 11.00 start and finish off Dun Laoghaire on Dublin Bay.
The course will be selected to provide a three to four-hour race.
"I’m hoping we can attract a good fleet, as four of the five races are part of the Vincent Farrell Trophy Series take place over the next four weekends," ISORA boss Peter Ryan told Afloat.
The last two races are on Sunday to avoid a clash with DBSC. "There are no excuses for boats taking part", Ryan said.
But some notable absences have already been signalled, with the First 50 Checkmate XX still on the hard. Also, from Howth, the Grand Soleil 44 Samatom is being sold, and skipper Robert Rendell is currently sailing across the Pacific, so there will be no ISORA racing for the Samatom crew this season. And from Dun Laoghaire, the J122 E Valentina is on the hard in Malahide.
However, all boats are hoping to make it to the second race.
Meanwhile, in Pwhelli, the Welsh ISORA fleet completed their first coastal race of the season on Saturday (March 30), with Andrew and Sam Hall's J125 Jackknife the overall IRC winner. See results below.
