Defending ISORA champion and current series leader Pata Negra will sit out Saturday's penultimate offshore race from Dún Laoghaire to Pwllheli, giving her closest championship rivals an opportunity to strengthen their challenge with just two races remaining.
The Andrew and Sam Hall-skippered Lombard 46 heads the provisional 2026 ISORA overall standings but will not make the Irish Sea crossing after recently completing the RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race.
Second-placed Aurelia, Chris and Patanne Power Smith's Royal St George Yacht Club J/122, is among the entries for Saturday's race, as is third-placed ReQuest, the National Yacht Club JPK 10.30 of Nathan, Justin and Darren Burke.
Fourth overall Loinnir, John Malone and Emmet Sheridan's JPK 1030, has also confirmed her intention to race.
Fifth-placed El Syd, Frank Whelan's Sydney 43 GTS, will not compete.
Championship Leaders Miss Pwllheli Race
Missing leaders — ISORA series leader Pata Negra and fifth-placed El Syd, pictured racing together, will both sit out Saturday's Dún Laoghaire–Pwllheli offshore Photo:Afloat
The absence of both first-placed Pata Negra and fifth-placed El Syd puts added focus on the three boats between them in the provisional championship standings.
However, Saturday cannot be viewed simply as an opportunity to collect points while Pata Negra scores none. ISORA's overall championship uses a high-points and weighted scoring system, with the best five race scores counting towards the series.
Saturday's race carries a weighting of 1.2, while the September 12th season finale carries the higher 1.3 weighting.
That leaves plenty still in play after the fleet reaches Pwllheli this weekend.
75-Mile Irish Sea Crossing
Saturday's race is scheduled to start at 08.00 off Dún Laoghaire, with all classes starting together.
The fleet will start at the Dún Laoghaire Outfall Buoy before passing the ISORA Dublin Bay Virtual Mark to port and heading across the Irish Sea for Pwllheli. The sailing instructions give the course distance as approximately 75 miles.
The finish is between the Pwllheli Fairway Buoy and the bridge at Plas Heli, with finishing times automatically recorded by the fleet's YB trackers.
Other boats indicating that they will race include Cristina, Finally, Hijacker, White Lotus and Pillaban.
Indian, Simon Knowles's Howth Yacht Club J/109 and winner of the 2026 ISORA Irish Coastal Series, will not compete.
The race is the final offshore contest before the September 12th ISORA finale, which takes the fleet from Pwllheli via Kish Light to Dún Laoghaire.
