Please select your home edition
Edition
Switch One Design

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

Grant Dalton OBE on Introducing His Son to Sailing
Why the RS Quest is the Perfect Fit When it comes to sailing, few names are as well-respected as Grant Dalton OBE, CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand. Posted today at 6:30 pm
2025 GL52 Pensacola Cup overall
Victor Wild's FOX claims victory at the inaugural event On the fourth and final day of the GL52 Pensacola Cup regatta (3/23/25) two races were run in 10-13 knots of breeze. Posted today at 3:33 pm
2025 Chile World Cup set for epic showdown
The unified PWA IWT World Wave Tour's (WWT) first 5-Star event of the season The 2025 Chile World Cup is set to open the unified PWA IWT World Wave Tour's (WWT) first 5-Star event of the season, with the world's best wave riders converging on Matanzas' legendary waves for two weeks of elite-level competition. Posted today at 3:25 pm
Stay Warmer, Stay Drier
Meet Aquafleece from Rooster With the season fast approaching, it's time to get your kit sorted. Longer days mean more time on the water but with unpredictable conditions, staying warm and dry is key to making the most of every moment. That's where our Aquafleece layers come in. Posted today at 12:00 pm
2025 Hansa and Para Worlds Practice Race
Governor of New South Wales officially opens the event on Pittwater Today marked the first day of the 2025 Hansa and Para Worlds, as 200 excited sailors and race officials from around the world gathered at Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC) on Pittwater for a practice race. Posted today at 9:11 am
2025 WingFoil Racing World Cup Morocco overall
Wingfoil racing crowns its African King and Queen Three times Wingfoil Racing World Cup champion Mathis Ghio of France has won the season opener in Dakhla, Morocco. Posted today at 8:45 am
Australia SailGP Team wing collapse video
Looking at all the angles of the incident in San Francisco With salvage under way, the SailGP Technical Team will now begin an in-depth analysis to determine what caused the incident. Posted today at 7:01 am
Bangor Packet takes J/24 Midwinter Championship
Bangor Packet closed with scores of 5,1,2 to net 27 points Class veteran Tony Parker's Bangor Packet stayed consistent through nine races to earn the 2025 J/24 Midwinter Championship in Miami, FL. Posted today at 6:41 am
Aussies' final hopes end in dramatic wing collapse
On day two at the Oracle San Francisco Sail Grand Prix Tom Slingsby's Australia Team's hopes of making the Podium Final came crashing down on day two at the Oracle San Francisco Sail Grand Prix, as a catastrophic wing failure forced them out of contention. Posted today at 5:07 am
SailGP: Spain scores a repeat win
Spain repeated their win in the Grand Final of Season 4, at the same venue, In a repeat of their win in the Grand Final of Season 4, at the same venue, 2024 Olympic Gold Medalist Diego Botin, helmed the Spain SailGP team to win the fifth event of Season 5 in San Francisco. Posted today at 3:40 am
Allen Dynamic 40 FooterDoyle_SailWorld_728X90px-04 BOTTOMArmstrong 728x90 - MA Foil Range - BOTTOM