Second ISORA 2023 Welsh Coastal Race at Pwllheli Sailing Club

The second ISORA coastal race in Pwllheli was a race with two halves. The course had been a difficult one to decide on with forecasts of little wind for the weekend.

Too short and there would be disappointment for the faster boats looking for more than a quick bay race but too long could see some of the slower boats locked out by tide till the late evening. In the end, a 17nm course was set from the Pwllheli start line, west for a mile along the beach to Pwllheli Sailing club's mark number 2, before heading east to the Porthmadog fairway buoy and back to the Plas Heli finish via mark number 10, off Penychain.

By the morning Porthmadog was looking ambitious. With staggered starts every 30 minutes, Class 2's Jac-y-do and Zigzag got off first and were only just approaching mark number 2 by the time class 1 were on the start line. Mojito got a well timed start in the katabatic wind from the north with Darling xx and Panache behind but as they approached mark 2 they approached a transition zone and the 3-4kts started to drop. Mojito rounded and hoisted their kite but Darling and Panache barely filled theirs before the wind died to virtually nothing. Mojito, with momentum, just about managed to keep their kite filled to edge closer and closer to the darker water and gradient wind further offshore.

At one point both Jac-y-do and Zigzag had kites on port while Mojito, on the same heading, had theirs on starboard till they reached the new wind. When they got to the new wind it switched a complete 180degrees and started to build rapidly to 12-13kts. It then backed, producing tighter wind angles for all the kites. 2 handed Jac-y-do were seen heading rapidly towards the beach trying to get theirs kite down while Mojito peeled to code zero passing all of class 0 sat at the start in a wind hole.

The wind continued to build as the leaders progressed east, with Mojito seeing gusts of 17kts before passing Jac-y-do and Zigzag who were already on their return legs. Mojito rounded the fairway buoy 15 minutes behind the leader, Jac-y-do and sister Sunfast Zigzag, all with a significant lead ahead of the remaining boats. By the time they passed the class 0 boats on their outward leg they were already close to rounding mark 10 before heading to the finish.

Line honours were taken by 2-handed Jac-y-do, giving them 1st in class and 2nd overall, followed just 40seconds behind by Zigzag in 3rd place overall and 2nd in class. Mojito finished 21 minutes later, taking 1st overall and in class 1. Jackknife then came to the finish at significant speed to take 1st in class 0.

Mojito leading with J70s Sgrech Bach and Mojito Bach behind n the second race of the ISORA 2023 Welsh Coastal Race in Pwllheli - photo © Karen Cartwright

Sunday's two round the cans races saw Mojito out again, this time competing against the two new J70s, out training. A quick reach along the beach before heading downwind offshore to mark 9 then 5 followed by an upwind leg back to the start. The second lap was direct to number 9 and 5, before returning back upwind to the finish. Mojito won both races, Sgrech Bach 2nd in both with the short handed Mojito Back taking 3rd in each race.

Next Saturday (29th April) sees the third of the Pwllheli coastal races, again with staggered starts commencing with class 2 at 0800. More information on the ISORA website at www.ISORA.Org and www.PwllheliSailingClub.co.uk