Please select your home edition
Edition
PredictWind - GPS 728x90 TOP

ISORA Lyver Trophy Race ahead of the Pwllheli Pop-Up Regatta

by Victoria Cox 5 Jul 2021 22:41 PDT 2-3 July 2021
Lyver trophy: Mojito preparing for the start in front of the Lyver Building © Sam Kitteringham

When the fleet came together on Friday 2nd July at the start line just east of the iconic Lyver building they found a pleasant 8-12kts from the northwest.

After an AP till 1830 to allow a cruise ship to leave, the race officer, Chris Riley, let the fleet go. All clear apart from Paul Hampson's J105 Mojo. Peter Dunlop and Victoria Cox's J109, unsure of the recall, also ducked back briefly.

Tacking up the Mersey and making use of the tide out, the fleet started to stretch out with Jackknife and Mojito at the front, both gradually pulling away from Paul Kitteringham's Elan 350 'Finally' and Mojo.

As they followed the channel round to the west out of the Mersey between the wind farm and TSS, kites went up and Jackknife eventually starting to get ahead of Mojito, pulling out a mile in front. But as night fell, so did the wind and the fleet were left floating back for hours in the turning tide. A puff of wind and they'd make ground forward only to float back again when the zephyr disappeared.

All crews complained of having the view of the wind farm for many hours. Jackknife, Mojito and Mojo all parking up for around 4-5 hours but for boats towards the back of the fleet the pain was a long drawn out 7hours. For Jan Anderton's Shaula this was several hours too long. Sadly, on approaching the next wind hole at the top of Holyhead Saturday lunchtime they decided to retire.

For Jackknife, by this time 4nm ahead of the fleet, there was only a momentary wait at the Skerries but for Mojito, the 10hours struggling to get past the north of Holyhead was painful and all they could do was watch their 2 mile lead on the rest of the fleet diminish to just half a mile.

Mainly frustrated at lack of progress but with mirrored seas, they gradually became resigned to their fate and occupied themselves with games of I-spy, riddles and jokes and of course the selection of onboard meals and snacks. The food of choice for most boats on the race seemed to have been sausages served in various forms.

When the wind filled in from the south east, the breeze line could be seen on the glassy water with Mojo at the front of that line and approaching Mojito rapidly. Mojito were prepared for the wind though and were able to increase their lead on Mojo again. However, Jackknife we're now almost 25miles ahead of the rest of the fleet. The opposing tide at Bardsey Sound was the only obstacle they faced and baring any more wind holes it was surely their race. With the rest of the fleet also having to fight against tide at North and South Stack off Holyhead, the leaders, Andrew Halls Jackknife were able to pull out to 40miles ahead at the finish, giving them a comfortable win.

Behind them, with wind gusting up to 20kts, Mojito made Bardsey Sound just at slack tide followed by Mojo. Mojito we're able to secure 2nd place overall and 1st in class 1 with Mojo 2nd in class1 and 3rd overall.

Further back in the fleet, Paul Kitteringham's Finally managed to make enough progress against the tide at Bardsey to take 3rd in class1, leaving Mark&Jo Thompson's Jac-y-do fighting against the tide at the sound for another four hours but still managing a 1st in class 2.

The fleet are all now safely in the shelter of Pwllheli and eagerly awaiting the Pwllheli Pop Up Regatta which starts on Thursday. With daily prizes and a rapidly increasing cruiser (NHC) fleet to compliment the IRC classes, there is still time to enter for some well awaited summer fun.

Results can be found at isora.org and details of the pop up regatta along with entry form can be found at pwllhelisailingclub.co.uk/pscv3/index.php/popup-regattaintro

Related Articles

America's Cup: Class Rule and Tech Regs out
The America's Cup Class Rule and Technical Regulations for the Naples Match have been published With the clock ticking down to the start of the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup in Naples in 2027, the AC75 Class Rules and Technical Regulations have been issued to all teams and published with a focus on cost containment. Posted today at 7:18 am
Manly 13ft Skiff and 16ft Skiff Season Opener
It was the perfect start to what shapes as a perfect season It was the perfect start to what shapes as a perfect season for the Manly 13 & 16ft skiff fleets. On a beautiful early spring afternoon last Saturday, a dozen 13s and sixteen 16-footers hit the water for the traditional rust-clearing non-pointscore race. Posted today at 5:55 am
Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup Day 2
Homework pays dividends for Royal Canadian crew After what could only be described as a disastrous opening day for the Japan Sailing Federation team competing in the 2025 Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup, the squad roared back into relevance with a fourth and a first to start Day 2. Posted today at 5:35 am
J/24 Worlds 2025 in Plymouth, UK Day 2
No Luck of the Irish required for Cillian Dickson and his team on "Headcase" More challenging conditions with a 20 knot breeze, low visibility and damp conditions made for an uncomfortable but exciting race conditions on Wednesday for sailors and the race management teams. Posted today at 5:27 am
Lucky joins Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race fleet
With a slew of line honours, overall wins and race records to her name A new international player has emerged as a threat in October's Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race (S2A) sponsored by Harken, as US yachtsman Bryon Ehrhart has entered his Juan Kouyoumdjian 88 designed Lucky. Posted today at 5:23 am
Rolex Big Boat Series starts Thursday
Built on Tradition, Powered by Innovation The waters of San Francisco Bay are set to come alive with four action-packed days of racing at the 61st edition of the Rolex Big Boat Series, Thursday, September 11, through Sunday, September 14. Posted today at 2:46 am
Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup 2025 Day 3
Four seasons day off Porto Cervo Off Porto Cervo this afternoon, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup fleet experienced calms; a stiff 20 knot Mistral with gusts of 30; rain; no rain; an overcast sky and occasional brilliant sunshine - all within a three to four hour window. Posted on 10 Sep
iQFOiL U23 Worlds at Portimão day 3
Tactical Twists and Podium Moves After two days of powerful north-westerlies and full-throttle racing, the men's qualifying series has wrapped up with plenty of movement on the leaderboard. From today, the intensity rises another notch as the fleet splits into Gold and Silver groups. Posted on 10 Sep
35th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup at Porto Cervo Day 3
Mistral wind puts boats and crews to the test The forecast Mistral arrived right on time today for the third day of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, providing a challenge for both boats and crews. Posted on 10 Sep
McIntyre Mini Madness solo around the world!
Orcas, Head Wounds & 144-mile days: Mini Globe Race's most dramatic leg yet The McIntyre Mini Globe Race is a marathon by any measure. Every section is like another solo transatlantic race and there are 11 back to back! The racing is intense for the front runners. It's not a cruise. Posted on 10 Sep
Zhik 2024 DecemberNorth Sails Loft 57 PodcastMackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOM