The National Yacht Club is proud to host NYC Member Mark O'Connor for an insightful presentation on the upcoming Mini Transat, "Race for Orbis," followed by a special fundraising dinner.

Wednesday 14th May @ 19.30pm

At 26 Years old, Mark is the skipper and founder of MOC Ocean racing. He graduated with a Masters of Electronic & Computer Engineering from University College Dublin, and has always showed a passion for sports and the sea. He moved to France in 2023 to realise his dream of racing across the Atlantic Ocean solo as part of the ‘Mini Transat’ race in 2025.

Since moving to “Sailing Valley”, he has gained over 10,000 kilometres (5,000 Nm) with the Mini 6.50 class and immersed himself in the offshore sailing industry. This has allowed him to gain invaluable experience. He precipitated in the ‘Monnoyeur Duo For a Job’ 2024 Vendée Globe Campaign, preparing their IMOCA for the round the world race.

Most importantly Mark is passionate about his project and determined to make his dream a reality.

After 2 years of hard work, he has now qualified for the 2025 edition of the Mini transat!

Mark has now partnered with Orbis Ireland to launch the campaign “Race for Orbis”

Orbis Ireland, an independent affiliate of Orbis, has set an ambitious goal: to eliminate avoidable blindness in Ethiopia. Focusing on a region of over 4.5 million people—where the prevalence of blinding diseases like trachoma is among the highest globally—Orbis Ireland is tackling the three leading causes of avoidable blindness: trachoma, cataracts, and refractive error. Through a combination of hands-on medical training, telemedicine, and partnerships with local health systems, Orbis builds sustainable eye care programs that put treatment within reach for all.

You can donate to Marks charity GoFundMe here, donations will also be taken on the night.

Join us for an evening of adventure, inspiration, and support for a great cause.

Members, please book via Club App.

Non-members please click here to book.