Justin Burke’s JPK 10.30 ReQuest overcame a last-minute propeller drama to win Saturday’s Viking Marine 25-mile ISORA coastal race from Dún Laoghaire, taking overall IRC honours in a race that ranged from a timid five-knot start to a testing southerly of up to 20 knots.
The National Yacht Club boat completed the course in 4 hours 12 minutes 20 seconds, giving ReQuest a corrected time of 4:17:53 and victory by 4 minutes 11 seconds from Chris and Patanne Power Smith’s J/122 Aurelia of the Royal St George Yacht Club.
Simon Knowles’ J/109 Indian from Howth Yacht Club took third overall, a further 2 minutes 8 seconds behind Aurelia on corrected time.
Propeller Drama Before Start
ReQuest’s victory was all the more notable because, just 24 hours earlier, Burke had expected to miss the race after losing the boat’s propeller off the Tuskar.
Burke appealed to the ISORA fleet for help sourcing a replacement Gori propeller. Offers of assistance followed, including the prospect of a propeller from Tom Shanahan, and by Friday night Burke was able to confirm: “ReQuest will be racing tomorrow.”
The rapid turnaround was rewarded with Saturday’s overall victory.
It was also ReQuest’s second ISORA coastal race victory at Dún Laoghaire this summer. On June 27, Burke’s JPK 10.30 took both line honours and overall IRC victory in the Viking Marine Coastal Series race, sailed in a very different 20–30-knot southerly.
Five Knots to 20
Seven boats finished Saturday’s race, which started at 11am from the Dún Laoghaire West Pier outfall buoys.
Caption: Breeze tease — ISORA boats exit Dublin Bay after Saturday morning’s start in tricky light conditions. Loinnir (right) is powered up with a bow wave in a line of breeze, while boats only metres to leeward struggle for wind and make slower progress Photo: Afloat
The opening stages were sailed in a light north-easterly of around five knots, with crews searching for the narrow lines of breeze across Dublin Bay. Finding one could quickly produce a bow wave and useful progress, while boats outside the pressure risked being becalmed.
Conditions changed markedly during the 25-mile race, however, with the fleet eventually encountering a southerly that built to as much as 20 knots.
Aurelia was the fastest boat around the course, finishing at 15:03:20 after 4:03:20 elapsed. ReQuest finished nine minutes later but, after IRC correction, moved ahead to take the overall win.
Indian Third Overall
Indian finished at 15:23:40 and corrected to 4:24:12 for third overall and first in IRC Class 2.
John Malone and Emmet Sheridan’s JPK 1030 Loinnir, representing Lough Ree YC and the Royal Irish YC, was fourth overall on 4:38:31 corrected.
Breeze please — Double-handed Loinnir returns to Dublin Bay under spinnaker for the revised ISORA finish in conditions transformed from the light morning start. ILCA 7 sailors preparing for the upcoming Men’s World Championship are training in the background. Photo: Afloat
Tom Murphy’s Sunfast 3300 Paradox took fifth on 4:43:33, followed by David Townend’s Archambault A35 Pillaban of the Royal Irish YC on 4:44:39.
Grzegorz Kalinecki’s Ker 32 Hijacker completed the seven finishers, correcting to 4:58:49.
William Desparr’s Mustang 30 Blacksheep was recorded DNF, while El Syd, Darling XX, Cristina, Ruth, No Xcuse, White Lotus, Katanca, State O’Shassis and Tsunami were listed as DTP in the published results.
