Billed as an early-season clash of Irish contenders for June’s Round Ireland Race, the opening Viking Marine Coastal contest delivered—but not as expected, with one key entry retiring minutes before the start due to a rig problem.
Disappointingly, the Sydney 43 GTS El Syd, which had travelled from Greystones for the fixture, retired just minutes before the start with a technical issue, denying an expected contest with Johnny Treanor’s higher-rated NMD 43, Cristina.
Pre-Start Issue — El Syd drops its mainsail during pre-start manoeuvres off Dun Laoghaire moments before withdrawing from the ISORA coastal race
The ISORA Viking Marine Coastal Series got underway in earnest off Dun Laoghaire on Saturday following last weekend’s postponement.
Race 2 of the Musto ISORA 2026 series delivered a 23-mile contest in fresh westerly conditions, with a 13-boat fleet completing the opening coastal test.
Aurelia leads the overall IRC standings after securing victory on corrected time.
Pre-Start Jockeying — Cristina positions at the pin end during pre-start manoeuvres off Dun Laoghaire, crew trimming and timing the run to the ISORA coastal race start
The J122, sailing off a TCF of 1.077, headed a competitive fleet that saw Cristina (NMD 43) take second, with Indian (J109) completing the overall podium.
A north-west breeze of around 15 knots, with stronger gusts, set the tone, filling in two hours before high water as the flood tide eased toward slack.
A clean start off the line saw the leading group favour the committee end, with Cristina and Aurelia quickest into stride.
Aurelia suffered an early setback, broaching shortly after the gun.
“We had a great start and hoisted the A2 on the line, but were immediately hit by a big gust and spun out after an override on the sheet,” said skipper Chris Power Smith. “It was early-season stuff, and we took time to settle.”
The front-runners initially hugged the West Pier shoreline, seeking flatter water and tidal relief before standing out across the harbour mouth.
At the Muglins, positions began to settle, with Cristina maintaining pressure and Howth's Indian closing on the leaders.
The Bray Outfall leg proved decisive, as Aurelia made gains on the offshore stretch, while ReQuest and Ruth consolidated positions in the chasing group.
Deck Work — ReQuest’s crew trim hard off Dun Laoghaire, battling gusty north-westerlies during the ISORA Viking Marine coastal opener.
Further changes unfolded on the run toward East Kish, where shifting pressure tested sail selection and boat handling.
On the final leg back to Dun Laoghaire, Aurelia’s pace proved decisive on corrected time.
“We gained good ground on the beat home and managed to finish seven minutes ahead of Cristina on corrected time,” Power Smith told Afloat.
In IRC Class 0, Aurelia led Cristina, while El Syd was third but did not finish.
ReQuest topped IRC Class 1, ahead of Paradox and Razorbill.
Indian led IRC Class 2, with Ruth second and Magic Touch third.
Full Grind — Simon Knowles' J109 Indian crew, powering through the ISORA coastal opener en route to a podium finish
In the two-handed division, Paradox took the win from Katanca and Black Sheep.
ReQuest (JPK 10.30) finished fourth overall, followed by Ruth, while Magic Touch (First 34.7) led the remainder of the fleet home.
All competing boats recorded finishes apart from El Syd, marking a largely clean and competitive start to the Viking Marine Coastal Ireland Series.
Read Chris Power Smith’s full account of Aurelia’s win here
