ISORA has amended its 2024 Sailing Instructions and Notice of Race as the fleet heads into its final offshore race of the season on August 25th.
The change was made to correct a 'coordination typo' in the document containing two conflicting items. One, 18.1, at the bottom of the schedule, says the ISORA series will count five races from their offshore races, while the second, 20.1, says it is five races from all their races.
Arguably, if left unchanged, this could have led to a situation in which one boat won one option and another the other.
ISORA has issued the following amendment on 18th August 2024: "Clarify any five races count for Overall Championship 18.3 (20.1 - not changed)".
Looking at the top four ISORA races so far, it appears that whatever top boat does well in the final offshore on the 25th of August – with a 1.3 loading – is likely to come out on top overall, except that a coastal race on the 20th of September might still put the cat among the pigeons.
The Pwllheli Sailing Club J122 Mojito, of Vicky Cox and Peter Dunlop, leads in the Musto Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association Series Photo: Afloat
Though current results show the Pwllheli J122 Mojito of Vicky Cox and Peter Dunlop leading the standings, the National Yacht Club's J109 Ruth (Shanahan family), pictured top, is in the driving seat when just four results are considered. On that basis, she has a circa 18-point lead over Mojito and the Northern Ireland JPK1030 Coquine (Alan Hannon).
The Belfast Lough JPK1030 Coquine (Alan Hannon) Photo: Afloat
Also, Ruth's lowest of the four results is lower than the other two boats, so if the final coastal race affects the results, it may well be said that Ruth is in the best position to improve from that race.
