Sailing
Congratulations Mark O’Connor Mini Transat 20th Place Finish
The following is a report of Marks thrilling finish posted by the organisers.
It is very noteworthy that Mark sailed 3260 nm which is between 100 and 150nm more than many of his closest competitors. To do so and finish so well is testament to Marks perseverance and skill in achieving his ambitions.
All of his efforts is only made possible by the superb support received from you all so bask in the reflected glory of this fantastic achievement
Mark O'Connor: A Rough Start, A Sharp Final
Reciprocal Clubs Update
Members should note that the National Yacht Club has formalised a reciprocal rights agreement with the Yacht Club of Greece https://ycg.gr/en/home-en/. This new arrangement follows a recent meeting and burgee exchange with Stratis Andreadis of YCG Committee and deepens the strong ties between our clubs, allowing members to enjoy access to each clubâs facilities, participate in sporting and social events, and purchase distinctive club insignia
ISORA AGM Documents Released Ahead of Key 2026 Season Talks
ISORA has released key AGM documents online ahead of its annual meeting on Saturday, 8 November 2025. The meeting is set for 1500 hours in the JB Room at the National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire.
The agenda includes proposals on race management, officer elections, and the draft 2026 Race Schedule, which remains open to updates based on member feedback.
The 2026 programme is structured around a full calendar of Coastal Races in Ireland and Wales. The Offshore Series is designed to offer a challenging variety of ports and race formats.
Key events shaping the calendar include:
- Inishtearaght Offshore Race â 29 May
- DMYC Regatta â 6 June
- NYC Regatta â 13 June
- Round Ireland â starts 20 June
- RIYC â 27 July
- SStGYC Regatta â 4 July
- Cork Week â 6 July
- Calves Week â 4â7 August
- Abersoch Keel Boat Week â 24â28 August
- IRC Welsh National Championship â 4â6 September
Also available online are the Chairman's 2025 Report, Hon. Secretaryâs Report, a redacted version of the 2024 AGM Minutes, and a summary of WhatsApp group discussions.
Further details on www.isora.org
D12 Mini Transat : Crossing the Atlantic
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Mini Transat Report 6 November
The end is looming in sight with the Prototype leaders expected to finish late Friday / early Saturday morning For the rest of the fleet with 1/2 seeing the miles turn to under 1000 nm tactics will be foremost on their minds.
While the prevailing wind direction is generally favourable to get to St Francis there are still variations in pressure and wind speed which each skipper must work out to determine their own strategy and tactics.
This is most evident in a pack of 6 boats which Mark OâConnor is part of. Over the past 36 hours Mark has been both leading and at the back of this pack (position 18) and all points in between. Currently he is ranked 24th at the back having taken an early decision to turn south to reach a more favourable wind stream. At time of writing the boats ahead could be considered to have consolidated their position ahead with Mark trailing 18th place by 25 miles. However with at least another 4 days to get to the finish there is plenty of time for lots of changes in the leader board. Mark has a clean passage of good pressure and winds in his path while the boats at 18th - 21st place ae facing into a soft patch in the near term. plenty to play for.
Just to remind you all skippers have very limited real time information on board. While we can log into our favourite weather source and get excellent visuals for up to a week ahead, The Mini skippers however have no such luxury and rely solely on a broadcast by the race organisation daily, in French. giving the weather situation, the 48-hour forecast and the distance to the finish for each competitor. From this each Skipper must work out where the variations in pressure and wind speed is in relation to their current position and from that work out how best to use to advantage.
They can use a VHF to communicate with the boats close to them but this has a limited range of approx. 15 miles.
At current rate of speed and forecast weather conditions we would expect Mark to finish sometime on Monday.
The other Irish Interest Grainne Costigan is approx. 140 miles behind Mark in 48 place. However it is important to remember that this is not strictly a race but more a test of personal endurance and skill to navigate a tiny vessel across the Atlantic. All who achieve that are winners and worthy of every accolade and celebration !
Life on board
The air is warm, the water is warm, and the fast downwind surfs under spinnaker are back. But after 15 days at sea, the heat and salty humidity are making life on board increasingly challenging. To find a bit of comfort in these conditions, Mark brought along a small fan. According to past experience, it can become essential for getting any sleep in this sticky atmosphere.
Hereâs a quick look at some of the must-haves aboard Markâs boat!
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Sean Doyle.
Pat Lawless – Speaker Supper
The start of the NYC CRUISING GROUP's 2025/2026 speakers supper series commences on Thursday, November 6th at 19:30.
We are delighted to welcome back Pat Lawless who kicked off the rejuvenation of the cruising group two years ago. Pat will join us again to talk about his adventures and the build up to his participation in the 2026 Golden Globe Race.
Lake Garda 2.4 mR World Championships 2025
The 2.4mR World Championship was held at Malcesine, Lake Garda from 9-12 October with 55 competitors.
For the first 3 days racing was held in the afternoon after the southerly wind filled in with the wind still very light for most of the racing. The most number of races and the overall event was won by Jeff Linton from USA, despite receiving a black flag disqualification (along with myself and a big chunk of the fleet) on the seventh race.
Megan and Urs finished second and third. On the final day of racing we started at 9am to catch the wind before it died as it always does at midday.
The wind was a good bit stronger and it was a lot choppier. Someone remarked to me afterwards that was the Garda everyone is always talking about.
Megan got a second and a first and ended up tied on points with Jeff, but Jeff won the event as he had more first places.
I finished 41st with my best races being 22, 23, 25 and 27. It was a great event to be part of and a great learning experience and I am looking forward to next year.
Patrick Hassett
