Third ISORA 2023 Welsh Coastal Race at Pwllheli Sailing Club
by Stephen Williams 1 May 2023 06:26 BST
22-23 April 2023
The magnificent scenery of Tremadog Bay was lost in a thick sea mist for the ISORA race 6 of the 2023 series, the third Pwllheli Coastal race.
Eleven boats set out from the harbour at Pwllheli, soon to be lost to each other in the mist, making for a challenging start line for race officer Robin Evans. Winds were light and fluky and the conditions stressed crews, forced to sail on instruments.
The course set, took boats beating past the St Tudwald Islands and most boats took a southerly route passing close to the Islands and outer reefs hearing the surf breaking, birds calling and seals barking in the mist. Eerie conditions indeed.
The course then set for the Causeway cardinal, marking the western point of Sarn Badrig but light conditions dictated a shortening rather than the original intention to continue to the Gwylan Islands further west. The sea mist cleared as boats converged on the Causeway buoy and the race was on for a code zero and spinnaker reach back to Pwllheli.
Boats taking a more easterly passage fared best and Nigel Ingram in his Mumm 30 Wild Haggis followed by the Corby 36 Gelert were the first to round, followed by the J109 Mojito and XP33 Darling xx. The wind filled, providing a relief to the earlier light conditions, securing Wild Haggis’s lead.
The magnificence of Tremadog Bay was again visible and crews enjoyed the sun. Mojito overtook Gelert close to the finish and set the result accordingly. Full results here.
With the Pwllheli ISORA fleet due to start their Offshore campaign, at the end of the mini 3 race coastal series, a party was organised at Plas Hel. Prizes were presented to the winners, Jezebel (class 0), Mojito (class 1 and overall) and Zigzag (class 2) followed by a raffle and music by Jezebel’s Chris Miles and his band with guest tambourine accompaniment from the audience.
The fleet now go offshore to return on the 6th May in the ISORA race from Dun Laoghaire to Pwllheli ready for the IRC Welsh National Championships on 12th to 14th May, followed by the return ISORA race from Pwllheli to Dun Laoghaire on the 20th May.
Further information can be found at www.ISORA.org, www.IRCWelshChamps.com and www.PwllheliSailingClub.co.uk