Kenneth Rumball and John White are taking the Irish National Sailing and Powerboat School’s popular ‘man overboard’ lecture to the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s London clubhouse this evening (Thursday 16 May).

On 29 June 2018, the J109 yacht Jedi started the Round Ireland Yacht Race — but little did her crew of eight know that just says later, at 1am on 2 July, crew member John White would be swept overboard south-west of the Blasket Islands.

After well received talks at Wicklow Sailing Club in January and the Royal Irish Yacht Club in February, Rumball and White are in London to tell the story of how Jedi’s crew dealt with the situation — and what lessons were learnt from the incident.

Tonight’s RORC talk from 7pm is free for members and £10 for non-members, with booking available online HERE. For dinner reservations following the presentation email [email protected] or call +44 (0)207 493 2248.

Skipper Kenny Rumball and the INSS crew celebrated a fine second overall in a fleet of 32–boats, the biggest division of the 2017 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta. The J109 crew on Jedi were only five points off the top spot, taken by Howth's Flashback, after a tricky series of four coastal races in which the sailing school students finished second twice.

The INSS scored 12, 2, 2 and a 9 on the final day over courses that saw the impressive offshore fleet race out to the North Burford buoy on Dublin Bay and as far south as Bray, County Wicklow in mainly light winds and some strong tides. 

Offshore success is nothing new for the INSS who are regular offshore competitors in ISORA. Last year, Rumball scored tenth overall in the 63–boat, 2016 Round Ireland race, again with sailing students as crew.