#isora – ISORA held its annual prizegiving dinner dance at the NYC on Saturday 15th November. 171 members and guests packed into the dining room of the club to be treated to a superb night's dining and entertainment.
ISORA's guests at the event were Larry Power, Commodore of the National Yacht Club, Derek Matthews, Commodore of the Royal Dee Yacht Club and Barry MacNeaney, Commodore of the Royal Alfred Yacht Club.
The MC for the evening was Peter Ryan, Chairman of ISORA, who directed the traditional toasts made by each of the guests and Andrew Hall, past Chairman of ISORA. Due to the numbers of people in the dining room the Royal Navy tradition of not standing for the Loyal Toast to the "President of Ireland" was invoked. It was also noted that the Royal Dee YC will be celebrating their 200th anniversary next season and that between the three clubs present at the dinner, it represented 501 years of sailing existence!
Anne-Marie Ryan presented the numerous trophies and prizes to the members. The winner of the Overall ISORA championship for 2014 was Liam Shanahan and "Ruth". Liam was presented with the coveted "Wolf's Head" trophy by the Commodore of the Royal Dee YC, whose emblem is the "wolf's head". ISORA sailors and recent successful Round Britain & Ireland Race two-handed class winners, Liam Coyne and Brian Flahive were presented with ISORA's "Penmaen Plate", a trophy dedicated to a past Chairman of ISORA, Anthony Jones, and award to that member that has most exhibited the "Spirit of ISORA". Pwllheli Sailing Club won the Team Prize.

Anne-Marie Ryan presenting the "Penmaen Plate" to Round Britain & Ireland Sailor. Liam Coyne. Photo: GP Foto

Other awards included a presentation to the Manx Sea Scouts who marshalled and looked after the ISORA fleet during their visit to the Isle of Man during the season.
At the dinner Commodore Derek Matthews of the Royal Dee YC announced that in celebrating their 200th anniversary next year they were organising, in conjunction with ISORA, the Royal Dee Irish Sea Offshore Championship next season. It will be a championship using offshore courses and will consist of the RORC Lyver Race from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire and the four Offshore Races as part of the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta. The event, while part of the VDL Regatta, will be based in the NYC.

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Anne-Marie Ryan presenting an award to Manx Sea Scouts for "Services Rendered" Photo: GP Foto

Earlier at the well attended ISORA AGM it was agreed to run 14 races as part of their series next season – 6 traditional cross channel races including the RORC Lyver Race and an offshore weekend that will include a Friday evening race from Holyhead to Douglas, Isle of Man and another race on the Sunday morning from Douglas to Dun Laoghaire. The Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race will also be part of their Series. Subject to confirmation with Greystones marina it was decided that two Day races would take place simultaneously from Dun Laoghaire and Pwllheli to finish in Greystones on the day before the Greystones Regatta. This will allow those boats to partake in this new popular event. It was also decided to that the day races that start in Dun Laoghaire would not necessarily finish at the same venue but would finish in Wicklow or Howth, subject to weather conditions etc.
Other issues discussed and agreed at the AGM that ISORA would continue its practice of specifying a mandatory Safety requirement in accordance with the ISAF Offshore Special Regulations.

#mothsailing – After the International Moth class worlds in Hayling Island this Summer it was back to the drawing board for the Irish Moth building development programme. Chris Allen of Voodoo Boats in County Wicklow has made another 50 modifications to the hull, deck and rig based on earlier trials and lessons learnt from entering the boat at the Hayling Island event.  
The Irish Voodoo Moth "V2.0″  is now back at the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire, the "spiritual home" of the class, according to NYC sailing manager Olivier Prouveur.
The foiling Moth fleet will be in action this Bank Holiday week-end at the NYC with International Race Officer Con Murphy in charge of delivering a fast pace programme of racing over three days...

#srbi – The National Yacht Club and ISORA have announced that Liam Coyne, Co-Skipper of "Lula Belle" will give a talk in the National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire on the 12th November at 20.30. All are welcome to attend this unique presentation.

The "Dynamic Duo" of Liam Coyne and Brian Flahive came together for only one race in the season of 2014. They had sailed two-handed together for many years taking an active part in ISORA and also competing in the D2D, Round Ireland and the Fastnet races.

The full story of their campaign featured in WM Nixon's weekly sailing blog on Afloat HERE.

At the end of last season Brian had moved to live in Malta so it was decided that if they were to sail together again they would have to make it "worthwhile". To make it worth the trip from Malta they decided to enter the 1800 mile Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race!!! As the organisers had only just allowed two-handed entries for the first time, they seized the moment and entered.

They could not have picked a worst year to take part in this race. The weather conditions for the start were affected by the remnants of Hurricane Bertha. So bad was the weather that the organisers changed the direction of the race to go anti-clockwise around the course. To avoid the worst of the weather the start was also delayed for 18 hours. 28 boats took part in the race.

Racing Two-Handed around Britain and Ireland requires all round skill, great seamanship and tenacity. Most of the time the Two-Handed pair are alone on deck while the other sleeps. It can be a lonely existence on deck and the lack of sleep and the effects of exposure to the harshest of conditions is bound to take its toll on both yacht and crew.

Lula Belle overcame all the challenges that the course could throw at them. Despite significant breakages and technical problems, they limped over the finish line at 11:40:54 on Saturday 23rd August in an elapsed time of 12 days 02 hours 40 minutes and 54 seconds. They took 5th place overall in the race and 1st in the Two-Handed Class and the combined IRC Three and IRC Four Class.

Liam Coyne will give a talk on his adventure. He will talk about the technical and mental preparation required before and during the race. With the inclusion of video excerpts he will describe the challenges both he and Brian faced and how they dealt with them.

This talk is a great opportunity for any sailor who ever dreamt of racing offshore to learn about the severe challenges Liam and Brian lived through while taking part in what is probably the most challenging offshore race ever.

Liam will give his talk in the National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire on the 12th November at 20.30. All are welcome to attend this unique presentation.

Bar food is available in the Club before the talk.

For any enquiries contact Peter Ryan – 087 2545037 or [email protected]

#sb20 – After the SB20 Midlands event in Lough Derg that was unfortunately blown out last weekend, the discard was applied to the 2014 results to decide overall rankings writes class president Justin Burke. Three points separated the top three teams after a season that saw four different regional event winners.

Being the only team to win two regionals, Dinghy Supplies (Daragh Sheridan, Shane Murphy & John Phelan) are sure to feel hard done by in missing out on the overall ranking by .67 of a point.

Corona Extra's (Graeme Grant, Ronan Downing, Tara Flood/ Breffni Jones) consistency pulled them through to take the title counting a 1st, 5th, 2nd and a 4th.Yachtsman.ie (Davy Taylor, Marty O'Leary, Lisa Neary & Rachel Williamson) edged third away from Shark Bait (Darren Martin,Roger Pannell & Simon Murray) by a single point.

Other than some frost-bite sailing out of the National Yacht Club (NYC) in November most SB's have been packed up for the winter.

The first Regional event planned for 2015 is the Easterns in Howth Yacht Club which will be preceded by the spring warmer out of the same club. This is sure to provide the fleet with some breezy conditions in preparation for the 2015 worlds which are being held on Lake Garda in early July. The fleet will be arranging a training event for any and all boats prior to the worlds in order to maximise the best results for the Irish competitors.

Over 10 Irish boats are currently planning on attending the worlds at one of Europe's premiers sailing venues. With the 2016 worlds already confirmed for Cascais, Ireland are lodging a strong bid and are hopeful in securing the 2017 worlds.

The remaining dates and locations for the 2015 Irish circuit will be published once they have been confirmed with the respective clubs.

#lasermasters – There's a strong contingent of Irish competing in the Laser Masters Worlds taking place from the 4th - 11th October in Hyeres, France this week.

The event has broken records for the number competing which topped out at an eye watering 499.

The logistics and challenges for the event organisers of dealing with a fleet this size both onshore and afloat are daunting but COYCH are managing.

Masters fleets are divided by age brackets. The youngest competitors are 35 in the apprentice fleet. At 45 these "young guns" graduate to Masters and so on as the bands continue up in blocks of 10 years.

The Irish team consists of Worlds stalwart and Great Grand Master Denis O'Sullivan. Chris Arrowsmith from RStGYC is in the Grand Master category. Ed Rice and Nick Walsh from Royal Cork YC along with Colin Galavan from RIYC and Kevin Currier from Ballyholme are in the Masters fleet. The team is rounded out by three Apprentice Masters, Dan O'Connell from RCYC, sailing coach Thomas Chaix and Paul Keane also from RIYC.

The weather has not played ball for the organisers who have been plagued by light airs and blue skies. Nice for the beach, of which there are plenty, but not for sailing. After two days of light racing some fleets have only two results but the Great Grand Masters have yet to finish a race.

After coming second in the Pre Worlds and winning the practice race Thomas Chaix was confident going into the first race but there is no quarter being given in the Apprentice fleet which includes 2 current and a very large percentage of ex Olmypians. The start line and contested mark roundings are not for the faint of heart.

The Masters fleet is around 130 boats so it's further split into Yellow and Red fleets. In the Red fleet Nick Walsh is on the hunt for some good results after a very successful domestic sailing season. Nick's sparring partner from home, Ed Rice is in the Yellow fleet and after a shaky first race put the demons behind him to score a decent result in the 2nd.

Well known RStGYC sailor Chris Arrowsmith had a middle of the road result in the first race but a strange abbreviation "PTSr" appeared beside his and others scores. This seemed to be "Penalty turns, retrospective" i.e. you're not whistled by the jury on the water but they take your number and penalise you after the race. An Australian team sailor was also penalised in this way and took the RC to the protest room where it seems to have been dropped. In the second race Chris scored a very respectable 11th. Onwards and upwards.

The forecast for the next few days is quite mixed. Last night a big rainstorm went through the area and there is a current "Orange" weather alert. Tomorrow the sun is due to come back and the wind is forecast in the 12-18kt range from a stable Easterly direction. This means waves in Hyeres Bay. Sun, Waves and Breeze for a Laser Sailor is better than a lotto win.

There is so much more to say about this event I could go on but I've just heard a gun and the AP is being lowered so I've got to go and get out on the water. For a very well observed flavour of the "internationality" of this event read USA team member Joe Berkeley's piece here 

Event photos are here and results here

#fireball – With a forecast of rising wind strengths for the day, which did manifest themselves, IRO Jack Roy and his team set three Windward-Leeward races for the Irish Fireball fleet to close out the regatta season for 2014 writes Cormac Bradley.

Barry McCartin & Conor Kinsella won two of these to allow them to retire from the last race of the day without compromising their march to a clean sweep of regatta wins in the 2014 season.

The consistency of Noel Butler & Stephen Oram (15061) on this second day, with three second places was enough to secure 2nd place overall, ahead of Kenneth Rumball & Finn Bradley (15058), even though the latter combination won the last race of the day.

Behind Rumball & Bradley were the Clancy Brothers, Conor & Jame (14807), followed by another family combination, father and son Michael & James Murphy (14904).

Windwise, this was the exception to the 2014 rule with strong wind on both days. Results wise, the 2014 rule is unbroken with a fifth regatta win for Barry McCartin & Conor Kinsella (15114). They won two of the day's three races to be able to retire from the final race without compromising their first place.

The second most consistent combination of the weekend, Messrs Butler & Oram (15061), "banged in" three second places on day 2 of the regatta to consolidate 2nd place overall ahead of Kenneth Rumball & Finn Bradley (15058) who though they won the last race also scored a three and a four.

The Clancy brothers, Conor and James (15807), put up identical scores on both days, 3,4, 4 to secure fourth place. In fifth place was another family combination - father and son Michael & James Murphy. An OCS was their discard fro a scorecard that boasted a 3, 4,, 5 and 2 x 6ths.

Next up were Neil Colin and Margaret Casey (30pts) followed by Niall McGrotty & Neil Cramer (34pts).

1. B Mc Cartin & Conor Kinsella 7pts
2. N Butler & S Oram 9pts
3. K Rumball & F Bradley 12pts
4. C & J Clancy 18pts
5. M & J Murphy 24pts.

Winds for racing were of the order of 12 - 15 knots but with an adverse forecast sailing was finished promptly. When this correspondent passed the seafront at 15:30, there was no sailing activity on Dublin Bay.

The Irish Fireball season now changes from regatta mode to the Sunday Frostbites but only after a break of a few weeks. This regatta saw a number of new combinations on the water which is very encouraging.

At the AGM on Saturday night an embryonic fixture list was discussed with differing views on the date and venue for the Nationals. There was also confirmation that the practice of sharing venues with other classes will contiinue to be pursued in 2015.

The Class prize-giving will take place at the end of November.

#flyingfifteen – UK visitor Charles Apthorp paired with the National Yacht Club's Alan Green took four wins from five races to be the clear overall winners of the Flying Fifteen East Coast Championships at Dun Laoghaire yesterday. Hayling Island's Apthorp, the 2001 world champion, slipped from the perfect scoreline in race four yesterday afternoon to allow past Irish champions David Gorman and Chris Doorly of the host club take a penultimate race win to be a comfortable second overall on eight nett points from current national champions Andrew McCreery and Colin Dougan of Strangford Lough who finished on 15.

24 boats competed in the end of season event for the keelboat class. Results sheet downloadable below as a jpeg file.

#fireball – For the first time in a very, VERY long time there are more letters than numbers on the first day score sheet of the Fireball Leinsters being sailed out of the National Yacht Club in tandem with the Flying Fifteens writes Cormac Bradley.
A strong westerly clearly took its toll on the fleet so that by the time the third race started only seven of the seventeen registered entries were left on the water. A plethora of "DNCs" marked the bottom end of the score sheet with some boats not getting wet at all.
IRO Jack Roy managed proceedings for the Fireballs and the Fifteens of which there were 24 contesting the last race of the day - sailing their Eastern Championships.
Two Windward-Leewards started proceedings and in the conditions even these were challenging. An easing of the wind meant that the last race reverted to an Olympic configuration.
While an alphabetic rather than a numeric theme to the score sheet was unusual, the names at the head of the points log weren't.
Barry McCartin & Conor Kinsella (IRL 15114) lead with 5pts courtesy of a win and two seconds.
Noel Butler & Stephen Oram (IRL15061) are in second place with six points (2, 1, 3).
Kenneth Rumball & Finn Bradley (IRL 15058) occupy third place on eight points (5, 3, 1).
Though this correspondent wasn't sailing the reports were that the action was fast and furious.The individual race wins were comfortable for each of the crews who took that honour. However, Finn Bradley indicated that they had a good "dice" with McCartin & Kinsella in the last race. By that stage they had gone down to medium setting.
After racing the Class AGM was held, attracting an attendance of 20 people. The incumbent committee will remain in place for another year with Marie Barry retaining the Chair, Margaret Casey staying as Secretary and (though he was absent) Conor Kinsella retaining the Treasurer's portfolio.
A further three races are scheduled for today, Sunday. From my bedroom window the wind appears to have eased but the RTE weather forecast on the radio at 09:00 suggests it may be returning with a vengance as the day progresses.

#flyingfifteen – Flying Fifteen National Champions Andy McCleery and Colin Dougan from Killyleagh Yacht Club on Strangford Lough will have to contend with UK visitor Charles Apthorp, a former world champion, in a fleet of up to 30 boats expected at this weekend's East Coast Championships at the National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire. After a light wind end to the summer, rain and wind are expected for the two day Dublin Bay competition. Local prospects in the fleet include Dave Gorman & Chris Doorly and Ian Mathews & Keith Poole. 

#nyc – The National Yacht Club (NYC) end of season race in aid of the RNLI took place last night on Dublin Bay in a balmy warm 12–knot SE breeze. The start was from Harbour mark as the sailing cruise ship Wind Surf and accompanying pilot vessel Liffey were departing at 18.30.
With the course set the fleet set off in four flights to include a few dinghies from the junior fleet.
Some of the fleet had to round turning mark "down tide" which made for an interesting beat along the pier to the finish at the bandstand. One intrepid helm in his K2 was forced to retire after he hit a jelly fish !
In addition to class prizes the special prizes were won by Huggy Bear Sean Doyle, Manapia Sarah Gorman and flying fifteen 4028 David Mulvin.
The "racing" was followed by a full house party on both decks of the club where the members generously donated €1,000 to the RNLI. Thanks to the race management team headed by Commodore Larry Power and the race sponsors: Leinster Boats, Bretzel Bakery, New Ross Boatyard, Carlingford Marina and Pinell & Bax.