#vdlr2013 – Dun Laoghaire regatta organisers will take a fresh look at the coastal course today in view of this morning's light wind forecast and the fact yesterday's finishers in this new 16-boat division did not get back to harbour until well after 7.30pm, an hour or more after the rest of the 393-boat fleet. 'Even the race office had gone home!', joked one competitor last night.

The coastal series accommodate those offshore sailors and larger cruisers who prefer to take part in races where the distances between marks are greater.

Last night, all times taken were declarations recorded by the competitors themselves at the last mark on the course, a feature of some offshore courses such as the ISORA series.

The first course: Muglins, Killiney, the Volvo Regatta mark, XC60, and the 40 foot mark, off Sandycove point was modest enough but proved a leg too far.

Due to the light conditions the fleet, with a handicap rating span of 15 minutes in the hour, all ended up rafted together, waiting for the time limit to arrive so that times rounding Killiney mark would apply. 

This morning, there are moves afoot to have the regatta's Sailing Instructions changed so any boat retiring would be recorded to their last mark.

The new division is designed to facilitate a large number of standard cruiser designs not suited to prevailing tight inshore courses and who cannot compete on handicap with some of the out and out racing machines but yesterday the longer course just ran out of wind.