The Irish Sea offshore season (ISORA) steps up a gear in early April with the first UK coastal races scheduled for Saturday, 4 April in Pwllheli.
The Irish coastal series follows a week later on Saturday, 11 April, marking the first domestic test of form ahead of a busy summer.
Organisers are assessing class breaks for both fixtures. The early races are expected to provide a clear benchmark just 82 days out from the Round Ireland Race from Wicklow.
32 entries for Round Ireland
Entries for June's 700-mile. Round Ireland are now at 32 with more in the pipeline.
Recent additions include Michael Evans’ J112e The Big Picture from Howth Yacht Club, Barry O’Connor’s Elan 31 Katanca of RIYC, and RORC Griffin, a Sun Fast 3600 campaigned by Jim Driver of the Royal Ocean Racing Club.
As Afloat readers will note, Evans’ 36-footer represents a strong entry. The Howth crew finished runner-up in the 2022 edition in a smaller 32-foot J99 and first in class, a result that earned them the ICRA Boat of the Year Award.
Pre season training
Pre-season preparation has been underway on the East Coast.
Chris Power Smith's Aurelia has been training on Dublin Bay from Dun Laoghaire over the past fortnight, with ISORA, and Kinsale's Inistearaght Race both slated before the Round Ireland.
Meanwhile, El Syd, skippered by Frank Whelan and with four-time Olympian Mark Mansfield calling the shots out of Wicklow, has also been putting in early miles.
Welsh turnout
Across the Irish Sea, early declarations for the opening ISORA race indicate a strong Welsh turnout.
Excession is expected to line up fully crewed, while Lightning is also planning to race. Sam Hall’s overall 2025 champion Pata Negra has confirmed participation, alongside Jezebel, due to launch on 1 April, and Jac y Do, also declared for the opening contest.
These early commitments point to a competitive start to the cross-channel series as the offshore season gathers momentum into April.
