#iphone – Navigating with the iphone is on the cards for Saturday's first ISORA race of the season with courseoptions for crews on both sides of the Irish Sea. Dublin offshore sailors will race from Dun Laoghaire to North Arklow buoy and back while Welsh counterparts are to race a similar distance along the Welsh coast.

In deploying the new mobile technology ISORA has teamed up with 'Predict Wind Tracker' to track the boats in both races. This, says ISORA, is a cost effective method of recording the race that can be viewed live and also viewed after the event.

This feature can only work at present on the iPhone and Android.

Depending on the wind direction ISORA may include "waypoint marks" as part of the course. ISORA Commodore Peter Ryan has issued a reminder to the offshore fleet emphasising it is essential that crews are familiar with how the phones are used and what and when you must record the rounding.

Ryan adds that if the innovative approach to setting courses is successful, 'it will radically change offshore racing to the betterment of all'.