While our offshore fleet were enjoying Arklow, Ian McMillan and crew started their Cowes week adventures on J105 ‘Only just an Eejit’ in the IRC 4 class.
All you need for racing right here
It’s been a busy summer already with many of our fleet racing in regattas and events away from home. Our offshore fleet competed in the Kingstown to Queenstown race (Dun Laoghaire to Cork) at the beginning of July with many of them staying on for Cork Week Regatta - Jezebel, Panache and Faenol in the coastal class, Mojito in IRC class zero joining Impetuous, and Jac y do in IRC class 2.
After another race along the east coast of Ireland, the fleet then found themselves in Arklow for a glorious weekend, before racing north again for the latest of races in the ISORA series. Pwllheli Sailing Club currently occupy 4 of the top 7 spots with Mojito currently at the top of the table.
While our offshore fleet were enjoying Arklow, Ian McMillan and crew started their Cowes week adventures on J105 ‘Only just an Eejit’ in the IRC 4 class.
everyone is back home for a series of Pwllheli and Abersoch summer races and regattas in the bay.
First of all is Abersoch regatta (www.AbersochRegatta.co.uk) featuring raft races, paddle boards, sand castles and crab catching along with sailing for all. The regatta is open to Pwllheli sailing club boats too, so we’ve set up a feeder race for everyone heading round to the regatta, starting from Pwllheli at 1000 on the Pwllheli club line off Gimblet Rock and finishing at the SCYC finish line using ODMY.
More info about the feeder race can be found here.
Before Abersoch regatta rolls into Abersoch keelboat week, there is just enough time for a club coastal race run in conjunction with ISORA.
Calling all cruisers!! Our offshore sailors will no doubt be there for the coastal but split classes and a longer legs makes this race ideal for cruisers to join in the fun, setting a date and time in the calendar for friends and families to join the crew. Stock up your beverage supplies, pack your lunches and supply of cakes and join the fleet for a sail around Tremadog bay before returning to the finish line around late afternoon.
IRC class 2 boats and YTC cruisers get a head start with a warning signal at 1000, 30 minutes before the class 1 & 0 boats who have a warning signal at 1030.
As usual the start will be off Gimblet rock. The finish will be at the fairway buoy through a transit line to Plas heli and the course to be advised nearer the time. More information here.
The famous Round Ireland Yacht Race starts tomorrow at 13:00. The 704nm race starts from Wicklow, goes clockwise round Ireland and back to Wicklow, leaving all islands, except for Rockall, to starboard.
It is a true test of boats and crews as they usually experience all points of sail and all weathers during the race. It has regularly been known to have a storm at one point in the race, only to experience no wind and strong foul tides a few miles further on. It is not unusual for a good proportion of the fleet to retire as a result.
Pwllheli sailing club regularly has members competing in the race and this year is no exception, with Stephen Goddard on his First 36, ‘Faenol’, Paul Kitteringham and team on Elan 350, ‘Finally’, Chris Miles with J111 ‘Jezebel’, all competing along with Andrew and Sam Hall, this year racing their Lombard 46, ‘Pata Negra’.
The race, typically takes between 3 to 6 days but as bigger faster boats enter, race records are continuously being broken. Our teams can be watched using the Yellow brick tracker app or on the round Ireland website SSE Renewables Round Ireland Yacht Race 2024 – A Real Offshore Challenge
Best of luck to all our skippers and crews.
Fair winds and safe sailing.
First of all, wishing Andrew and Sam Hall (and crew) on Pata Negra good speed on the final leg of the Caribbean 600. With just 80 miles to go, they are looking well placed for a top spot in their class.
And now, back to the sailing year ahead... It’s a busy year in the racing calendar this year with a significant increase in events both closer to home and further afield. Our Pwllheli racing calendar has been updated to work around these events so that we don’t spread the fleet out too much and compromise sailing in the bay. Please make sure you download the up to date program as it has changed from that issued at New Year.
We’ve also been working closely with South Caernarfonshire Yacht Club further along the coast, to try and bring boats together for even better racing during the summer. As soon as we have more information we’ll update you with details. For now though, lets looks forward to sailing in the spring.
As always we’ll get together gently with a tuning weekend over Easter. Weather permitting, many boats will be aiming to launch from mid March onwards so they can tuning up and check running rigging - all the more important for skipper of the many new boats on the scene. Good Friday or Easter Saturday give opportunity for an impromptu line up before the first official race so keep in touch with other skippers, either in Plas Heli or on the racing and berth holders WhatsApp groups to see if anyone else is interested.
The first official race of the season is a coastal race on Easter Sunday. With longer legs between manoeuvres, this is the perfect time to get reacquainted with the boat and to train new crews. Skippers are always looking for more crew so if anyone is interested in getting out on the water, just come into Plas Heli and have a chat. I’ve never known a skipper that doesn’t enjoy a good chat about sailing so come in and join us and find out more.
As always, our Pwllheli sailors love a good party and what better time than straight after the Easter coastal race where we can discuss the days experiences and enjoy some refreshments. Don’t forget to book tickets to the Easter party in advance directly with Sean.
If anyone still has sea legs on Easter Monday, there’s time for a couple of short races before heading home. Warning signal at 1100 with race comms on VHF channel 17 and back in time for a late lunch.
Spring racing then continues with two weekends in April, both consisting of a coastal race on the Saturday followed by two round the cans shorter races on the Sunday. The last weekend of the Spring Series is the 11th and 12th May with round the cans racing both days to get everyone prepared for the Welsh IRC Nationals the following weekend. The 11th May also sees the arrival of the ISORA fleet from Dun Laoghaire to take part in the event.
As always, keep an eye on the club website and WhatsApp groups for up to date racing information.
Happy Sailing!
Hwyl
Summer is most certainly here and the Summer Series is in full swing. This weekend sees the 2nd of 4 weekends in the series. The first weekend put Cryd ar Awel at the top of the table. Will they still be there after this weekends mixed races? Come and join in the fun.
Saturday is a long bay race with separate warning signals per class. Starting on the CHPSC Start Line, it will finish using the Plas Heli Finish line.
First warning signal is at 10:10.
Long Bay race SSIs are available here.
Racing continues on Sunday with three round the cans races, starting and finishing on the CHPSC line off Gimblet Rock. This is the ideal time to perfect your starts and manoeuvres in preparation for the myriad summer regattas.
First warning signal is at 11:15.
Summer series details can be found here
The 4 weekend Summer Series is FREE for Skipper members.
Everyone else is welcome to join the Summer Series at £25 for one weekend /£60 for 2 or more weekends. Please use the On line entry form >here
Tuning Weekend
Its that time of year again and by the sounds and activity in the boat yards, everyone is eager to go.
Marks are in and ready so why not head out for the Tremadog Triangle and send in your times, then join us on Easter Saturday for some warm up racing (please note the amendment below).
More information on the Tuning weekend can be found here with details of the Tremadog Triangle here
And info on the SSIs, course cards and race pack - here
Amendment 1. 28th March 2023
The first warning signal for Saturday 8th April 2023 will all be postponed by 1 hour to 11:30 local time to allow those attending the AGM to join the racing.
Pwllheli Racing Season has arrived!
In preparation for the season ahead we've checked the location of all of the Pwllheli Sailing Club racing buoys and a few of them have migrated slightly NorthEast.
The list of marks has been updated and can be found in the racing pack at the bottom of the pages in the racing section.
Please ensure that you download the April 2022 version until further notice.
However, whilst the chartlet will still give you an idea of layout, it does mean that the Race Mark Matrix is no longer accurate.
Please bear with us until we can herd our buoys back into place.
Happy racing!
Photo by Angela Jenkinson
It’s been a great start to the sailing season in Pwllheli over the last two weekends, and the camaraderie and banter has picked up again in full spirit from where it left off at the end of the season.
Photo by Angela Jenkinson
This season started with a tuning weekend on the 2nd and 3rd April followed by the start of the Pwllheli Spring series last weekend, coinciding with the arrival of competitors for the Youth Nationals. With temperatures plummeting over the last two weeks, there was a return of snow on the top of Snowdon and that put off a few crews from racing just yet. But for those that came out to play there was fun to be had both on and off the water.
Photo by Angela Jenkinson
The first day of the tuning weekend was focussed on upwind trim and making sure that sails and running rigging were all in order. On the Sunday there were two informal races which Peter Dunlop & Victoria Cox’s J109 - ‘Mojito’ won and Paul&Sam Kitteringham’s Elan 350 - ‘Finally’ came second.
Photo by Angela Jenkinson
On the first day of the Spring series, Mojito and Finally were greeted by a chilly hail shower as they left the channel. But once it past, the sun came out for a bright day on the water amongst the many youth sailors and kite surfers in the bay. The sparkling waters gave an ideal backdrop for spectator and keen photographer, Angela Jenkinson, who managed to get some impressive pictures.
Photo by Angela Jenkinson
With wind from the Northwest between 7-13kts and a number of rusty mistakes, the day ended with one win each and crews retired to Plas Heli to discuss the racing. Sunday, a slightly warmer day, brought a promising 14kts from the south east. However both boats struggled to get target speeds in the choppy seas left in the bay, while the breeze swiftly dropped away to just 4 or 5kts.
Photo by Angela Jenkinson
The current standings in the series see Mojito leading with 5 points and Finally currently in second place with 7.
With four weekends to the series and one weekend to discard, there is still plenty of time for boats to compete. The series continues with weekend 2 on the 23rd and 24th April, incorporating the first of this years ISORA Welsh coastal race on the Saturday.
More dates, times can be found in the club racing calendar.
Don't forget to download the list of Racing Marks and Course Cards found at the bottom of this section.
Well this year we still have green leaves on the trees and temperatures are still making it into the 20's but laying up supper notices, boats migrating from moorings to marinas and an unmistakable nip in the morning air can only mean one thing - time for the popular Pwllheli Challenge Autumn and Winter Series.
The Autumn Series, four weekends of round the cans racing starts this Saturday 25th & 26th September with a civilised warning signal of 10:30am both days. The series then continues every other weekend across three further weekends: 9th/10th October, 23rd/24th October and 6th/7th November.
In November, the Autumn series makes way for the Winter Series starting 13th/14th November and continues over two further weekends: 27th/28th November and 11th/12th December, taking us nicely up to Christmas.
As usual racing is open to cruisers using the NHC handicap system, as well as IRC and sports boat classes. With plenty of trophies up for grabs, we are hoping that the large cruiser class that enjoyed the Pop Up regatta in July, will again join the racing in Tremadog Bay in the Autumn and Winter Series. With plenty of discards available, the series allows boats to miss an entire weekend without losing that competitive edge on the points table. That and the schedule of every other weekend, allows skippers and crews to catch up with non-sailing friends and family, who may have felt somewhat neglected during the summers cruising and regatta season.
With the usual increase of boats in the bay for the Autumn and winter series there is always a shortage of crew, so please get in touch if you fancy joining a boat for some racing. All you need is enthusiasm for being on the water. Every boat is different and every skipper has their own sailing styles so they will teach you all you need to join them on their boat. We'd particularly like to encourage any CHIPAC sailors to come forward and have a go.
On line entry form >here
Note: IRC class split will be announced when all entries are in but not after 1200hrs Friday 24thth September
SSIs is now published here
Thursday 8th July - Round the cans races
Friday 9th July - A day for tourists. An opportunity to take in the many sights of Tremadog Bay with stunning views of castles along the coast. Saturday 10th July - Round the cans races
Sunday 11th July - Round the cans races giving plenty of time for prize giving
'CHPSC Skipper Member' for the whole Regatta | £60 |
'CHPSC Primary Member' for the whole Regatta | £80 |
Non-Member -for the whole Regatta | £90 |
'CHPSC Skipper Member' for any two days or less | £30 |
'CHPSC Primary Member' for any two days or less | £40 |
Non-Member for any two days or less | £45 |
Note: A 'CHPSC Skipper Membership' is £125, Primary Membership is £65 - for the year.
Amendment to SIs and SSIs - 20th April 2021
The Crew number shall be 80% of the IRC certificate crew number, rounded to the nearest whole number, or 6 persons whichever is the greater.
This is to comply with Welsh Government Covid-19 Regulations
Dated 20th April 2021
CHPSC Hon Secretary
Welsh Government have adjusted the start date of "organised outdoor activity" (max 30 people) which is now April 26th, the same day as outdoor hospitality resumes. This means organised racing can resume with some adjustments needed to cater for the numbers of people taking part. The racing committee will look at this and options include more classes and different start times to separate groups to remain within the 30 limit for each group/class.
note: this is still subject to final confirmation on April 22nd
Crew numbers
When not racing in an organised activity, the rule of 6 (from maximum two households) apply, however, when in an organised activity (such as club racing we are permitted to sail with mixed households, and more than 6 providing there are mitigation measures enforced.
RYA instruct organisers to publish these by way of Protocols. We will republish the CHPSC Protocol from last year and this is very similar to the rules set by RORC. It will be a condition of entry that all skippers (and crew) abide by our Protocol.
> Crew limited to 80% of the IRC certificate crew number (to nearest whole number)
> Skippers should have a COVID protocol for their boat
> Good hygiene and distancing should be followed, with other mitigations such as masks and gloves, and the current COVID restrictions followed before and after the race and when ashore
> Boats racing under NHC should email
Much credit to the pathway returning us to racing, and allowing organisers to manage their activities goes to the RYA and RYA Cymru Wales.
The following is a copy of the e-newsletter sent out on 21st February to the Racing Sction of CHPSC:
(See it in its origial format here)
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CHPSC Racing schedule 2021
The 2021 race programme has been designed to meet the increased interest in Club Racing and we aim to provide racing to meet everyone's needs, IRC, NHC, sport-boats and white sail class. See the full list of SSIs here
Whether you are a regular racer, new to racing or interested in trying your first race, we would love to hear from you and answer any queries. Below is the 2021 schedule - if you have any questions or suggestions about it please let us know. If there is sufficient interest, we can also arrange additional race weekends - just let us know.
We look forward to seeing you out on the water and in the Club.
We aim to have a pre-race week gathering on Friday nights so that you can discuss tactics and plan your racing. There will also be a post-race gathering so that crew can share experiences in a friendly environment.
NB. The event and training pontoons offer an ideal base for racing and further information about these facilities are available on the Plas Heli web site.
If nothing appears above please refresh your screen. The document is available as a pdf here
The Individual Race SSIs (Supplemental Sailing Instructions) are all listed > 2021 Club Races (SSIs)
CHPSC Racing schedule 2024
The 2024 race programme has been designed to meet the increased interest in Club Racing and we aim to provide racing to meet everyone's needs, IRC, YTC, sport-boats and white sail class. See the full list of SSIs here
Whether you are a regular racer, new to racing or interested in trying your first race, we would love to hear from you and answer any queries. Below is the 2024 schedule - if you have any questions or suggestions about it, please let us know. If there is sufficient interest, we can also arrange additional race weekends - just let us know.
We look forward to seeing you out on the water and in the Club.
We aim to have a pre-race week gathering on Friday nights so that you can discuss tactics and plan your racing. There will also be a post-race gathering so that crew can share experiences in a friendly environment.
NB. The event and training pontoons offer an ideal base for racing and further information about these facilities are available on the Plas Heli web site.
If nothing appears above please refresh your screen. The document is available as a pdf here
The Individual Race SSIs (Supplemental Sailing Instructions) are all listed > 2024 Club Races (SSIs)
CHPSC Racing schedule 2022
The 2022 race programme has been designed to meet the increased interest in Club Racing and we aim to provide racing to meet everyone's needs, IRC, NHC, sport-boats and white sail class. See the full list of SSIs here
Whether you are a regular racer, new to racing or interested in trying your first race, we would love to hear from you and answer any queries. Below is the 2022 schedule - if you have any questions or suggestions about it please let us know. If there is sufficient interest, we can also arrange additional race weekends - just let us know.
We look forward to seeing you out on the water and in the Club.
We aim to have a pre-race week gathering on Friday nights so that you can discuss tactics and plan your racing. There will also be a post-race gathering so that crew can share experiences in a friendly environment.
NB. The event and training pontoons offer an ideal base for racing and further information about these facilities are available on the Plas Heli web site.
If nothing appears above please refresh your screen. The document is available as a pdf here
The Individual Race SSIs (Supplemental Sailing Instructions) are all listed > 2022 Club Races (SSIs)
CHPSC Racing schedule 2023
The 2023 race programme has been designed to meet the increased interest in Club Racing and we aim to provide racing to meet everyone's needs, IRC, NHC, sport-boats and white sail class. See the full list of SSIs here
Whether you are a regular racer, new to racing or interested in trying your first race, we would love to hear from you and answer any queries. Below is the 2023 schedule - if you have any questions or suggestions about it, please let us know. If there is sufficient interest, we can also arrange additional race weekends - just let us know.
We look forward to seeing you out on the water and in the Club.
We aim to have a pre-race week gathering on Friday nights so that you can discuss tactics and plan your racing. There will also be a post-race gathering so that crew can share experiences in a friendly environment.
NB. The event and training pontoons offer an ideal base for racing and further information about these facilities are available on the Plas Heli web site.
If nothing appears above please refresh your screen. The document is available as a pdf here
The Individual Race SSIs (Supplemental Sailing Instructions) are all listed > 2023 Club Races (SSIs)
As the golden leaves of Autumn fall from the trees, and mornings have a slight nip in the air, its time for the Pwllheli Winter Series...
As golden colours start to appear on the trees and crisp leaves crunch underfoot, it can only mean one thing...
A great day on the water on Saturday 29th August - northerly winds and flat seas making great racing conditions - though there were some big waves and squalls at the Causeway buoy - for the boats that went offshore!
Results summary and congratulations ro the following:
Uii - race one winner NHC Class
Diogi - race 2 winner NHC Class
Perfect Pitch - NHC Tremadog Triangle winner and on top of the NHC leaderboard.
Mojito - winner of ISORA and CHPSC coastal race (by 50 seconds after a 5 hour race!
Mojito wins the ISORA Global Display Coastal series of 5 races - and leads the Welsh ISORA series - one high scoring race to go!
Jackknife - Sam Hall leads the IRC Tremadog Triangle with a corrected elapsed time of 48mins and 4 seconds. Diogi is second.
Big thanks to Robin for Race Management duties.
Full report in the Flag Officers Friday news update
All CHPSC racing results are now updated and published on the website 😀 See here
Well it was probably the first time many have sailed their "shakedown" race in July, but with fine weather forecast, an adhoc "race/rally" was devised with 9 boats racing on the "commodores challenge" racetrack - a lap of St Tudwals Islands and Careg Y Trai
With 8 knot NW winds the fleet started on a reach to the islands, with code zeros's deployed by many, though at times a bigger spinnaker would have been appropriate, but for the shorthanded crews reluctance! J80 "Harley Quinn" was the first to hoist an A2, but couldn't hold the course, and with a risk of getting headed went back to Jib. Huzzar 30 "Blue Sky" briefly flirted with a symmetric kite, much to Sammos's amusement, but soon dropped it.
Hower She 36 "Pastime of Hamble" bravely hoisted its A sail, and did carry it all the way round the islands, which kept them at the top of the leaderboard on handicap
After Careg Y Trai it was a fetch to the finish, with those using Genoas doing very well (First 40.7 "No Sense"/She 36 "Pastime") . SF3200 "Jac Y Do" and J97 "Injenious" got on the wrong side of a wind shift at the finish, allowing J97 "Just Magic" to slip past. J125 "Jackknife" took line honours and Class 1, with "Pastime" taking class 2, and second overall ahead of J109 "Jetstream". Special mention to Wil sailing HB31 "Honey Bee" single handed to great effect
Next adhoc racing is planned for Saturday 17th with a 5pm start for a couple of hours in the bay
The first completed race of the “commodores challenge” today (start - St Tuds - finish) by the Butterworth Family
Boat “Vestavind”
NHC class- rating 1.001
Skipper - Simon Butterworth
Start 09:43:02
Finish 12:11:50
Corrected Time: TBA
Safety Protocols and Resource area for both "Plas Heli Bridge" (Plas Heli) and "Pwllheli Bridge" (Gimlet Rock)
Please send any feedback or useful resources to
Plas Heli Bridge - Emergency Numbers:
The RYA are holding a weekly racing rules webinar on their YouTube channel, Wednesdays at 8pm - if joining in live, there is an opportunity to ask questions.
The recorded presentations can also be watched on the YouTube channel.
This iconic 275-mile race takes place in the alternate years to the Round Ireland race, and is an excellent opportunity for offshore sailors to dip their toes into the long distance Irish offshore racing scene, in a race run by the National Yacht Club, in conjunction with ISORA and RORC.
After one to many pints in Plas Heli, I elected to enter the two-handed class with Phil Jackson (Flatly) who agreed to the roles of Co- Skipper, chef and chief kite trimmer.
Preparations for the race were hampered by strong NE winds, with damage to several competing boats on the NYC pontoons, which in hindsight certainly had an impact on the start of our race, with little time to relax in the preceding 24 hours, and having to take refuge in the NYC bar to escape the strong winds.
Only an hour or two before we left the pontoons, the wind was a gusty 25kt Northerly, and we made a decision to start under white sails or our heavy hybrid A3/A4 Spinnaker, (which due to our impeccable preparation, had never been out of the bag!)
The forecast for the first 12 hours was for the Northerly wind over the race area to slowly moderate and ultimately backing to the NW - overall a great forecast, and one that really suited “Jac Y Do”
As we left the safety of the harbour, it was important to just sail and try and relax pre-start, make sure our lines and sheets were rigged correctly and required sails ready. We carry four Jibs and 4 spinnakers and were ready to use all of them!
As we approached the start, the wind dropped significantly, down to a steady 10-15kts. Phil was keen to get the sails sorted for the start and I made Skipper mistake number 1 – lulled into a false sense of security with the sudden flat seas and lighter breeze, I asked him to rig our huge 95m A2 spinnaker.
We made a decision to start at the backend of the fleet to save any unnecessary manoeuvring (hard work under spinnaker when two handed) and to look at the gybe angles and sail selections of the boats ahead.
We were absolutely flying under the A2, often recording 10 kts boat speed and keeping up very nicely with the two-handed fleet, who all elected to maintain port gybe longer and stay offshore. It was in the bag!
It wasn’t long before the wind was back up above 20kts, and gusting to 30kts, but we managed to stay on a steady 150 degrees apparent wind angle, giving an apparent wind of 15- 20 kts. Which was manageable but in reality, probably too much for the big A2 shorthanded. There was no chance of using the autopilot, and the workload was very high for two people
We would need to think about a sail change soon, as it was becoming a struggle to keep control in the gusts, concentrating on not going to deep and avoiding gybing and were getting very pressed when the wind veered in the gusts. I decided that the sensible thing would be to gybe once over the banks, and then head towards the flatter water inshore and consider a sail change. Phil bravely went forward to double check the sheets were ready for an outside gybe, and at that point a monster gust hit, and we had a most spectacular crash gybe, straight into a broach, putting the bows (and Phil) under water and myself pinned under the tiller! I couldn’t get out to ease any sheets, and ultimately as the boat came back up (luckily with Phil still on the bows) the spinnaker did its own thing and wrapped around the forestay about 10 times as tight as a furled sail! This was unfortunate as our furled jib was under the now self-furled spinnaker!
I knew at this point it was survival, and our race at this very early stage was effectively over. Boats on both sides of us suffered issues with the same gust, with two handed J109 “Wakey Wakey” trawling its kite under the boat - which is not good.
After getting the boat back on its feet, we gybed onto a more direct course, and continued under mainsail alone making 7 kts, whilst we recovered from the shock - (at this point in our races, Phil always makes a brew, so we had two) and worked out a plan to get the spinnaker down, and allow us to use anther foresail. With both of us working alternately for about 5 hours, unwrapping the spinnaker, with it often re-wrapping, having to gybe either side of downwind to unwrap the sail one wind at a time, we finally got the spinnaker down, and below deck, with the top 6m, wound as tight as a drum! (remarkably when we were able to unwind it in Dingle after the race it was undamaged! A tribute to it construction)
Ready to unfurl the heavy Jib, we found we had lost both Jib sheets! … to this day we have no idea where they went, as they were attached to the jib clew, and secured on both sheet winches! Remarkably, we were still making reasonable progress, though had slipped to the back of the fleet. After a brief conference (over another brew – that boy can sup tea) - we decided to continue through the night under white sails and make every effort to complete the race and see what happened.
A difficult night, but we managed to make the tidal gate at Tuskar and were on alert after a pan call to help a fellow competitor, (Justtina - Soleil 34) who had lost steering close to Tuskar after a massive crash gybe, and another (Samatom) who was diverting to Dunmore with gear failure. It seemed we weren’t the only boat who had issues!
Once the RNLI reached the stricken boat at Tuskar, we concentrated on getting as much rest through the night as we could, though both of us remained on deck.
With dawn rising and the promised wind shift, we launched the code zero, which also gave us an opportunity to change the Jib for a bigger one, with the forecast showing the wind dropping towards Baltimore. Under the A0 we started to make good progress and overtook some of our competitors which really lifted our spirits. Sadly, one of the issues with this big sail is the apparent wind going forward as speed builds, and it’s easy to get over pressed if the wind builds. Bearing away was not really an option, so it had to come down, and sadly during the furl, the mechanism fell to bits! So, we had to drop it like a spinnaker and shove it down below – no easy feat with a laminate sail. We were getting a cabin full of un-useable sails now! As evening drew in, we had to make a few tacks to keep out of the Fastnet separation zone, but really enjoyed the sail as we rounded this iconic sailing waypoint!
Heading inshore after rounding, we had a good laugh when Phil mixed up a fellow competitors mast light for a car’s headlights! I ignored his calls to crash tack -Delirium had set in!
As dawn broke we were finally heading up the bouncy Atlantic coast, and had got to the front of the rear pack, though unfortunately we got hammered by the wind shift, and whilst the boats ahead got to the Skelligs on one tack, we had a tough beat, which cost us another 3-4 hours. This was hard work on the helm, and not much better on the heads (according to Phil)
Finally getting to Skellig on a lovely bright morning the wind just shut down! Totally! Drifting in company with fellow Sunfast Rónán Ó Siochrú’s Desert Star, we just couldn’t believe it!
Finally, after a frustrating hour going around in circles, we got away on the weakest of zephyrs and avoided having to drop anchor to stop hitting the rocks!
With a decent wind building and a favourable angle, we launched the A5 and had a really spectacular run to the finish at Dingle, but whether we saw Funghi the dolphin is debateable! (less of a debate after several pints)
We crossed the line in 1 day 23 hours and 47 minutes and were absolutely delighted to have
finished within our target of 48 hours, and at an average speed of 5.6 kts.
Whilst not the result we wanted, it was a very rich and rewarding experience.
Jo saw us onto the pontoons, Sammo and Peter Ryan asked where we had been, and told us to get ourselves up the pub sharpish!
The first jar of Guinness in Gibneys didn’t touch the sides, and we had a great few days in Dingle enjoying the hospitality, Phil practiced his Flatly moves, before our delivery cruise back to Dún Laoghaire. We could write a book on that trip alone!
My thanks to Jo who looked after everything ashore, and to Co Skipper Phil, his flying scotsman pressure cooker, and I confirm he has a very regular constitution!
Mark Thompson “Jac Y Do” GBR8432R
The championship is scheduled to take place from Friday August 14th to Sunday August 16th. Despite the current restrictions, work is continuing from home on all of the organisational aspects of the championships, and we remain committed to running the event if at all possible.
Stephen Tudor - Championship Secretary said - “We continue to move forward with plans for the event and remain hopeful that by the time we get to mid-August - still four months' away - the necessity to socially distance ourselves will have reduced sufficiently so that we can run some great boat racing in Pwllheli, following an ISORA race over from Dún Laoghaire“
Charlie Jones, Commodore of The Royal Dee Yacht Club said 'The Royal Dee Yacht Club is very pleased to be working with and associated with PSC on this Regatta : a top class sailing event in a wonderful Bay ideal for quality racing, with competition from Scotland , Ireland , England , Wales and beyond. I look f forward to seeing you at the Regatta.'
Planned Classes
In addition to our traditional two IRC classes and NHC cruiser class, we have added a new class for 2020, an offshore/coastal class racing coastal courses under IRC. This class will aim to race 20-35-mile courses, and the Saturday race will incorporate both the King Constantine Cup (a club race) and the Postponed ISORA coastal race, part of the Welsh Coastal series.
Should Government restrictions and guidance change, we can adapt some our classes and racetrack styles, switching on or off various components with the minimum of lead time, and allowing us significant leeway - perhaps until the mid-July - before we need to make any big decisions.
The safety of participants and volunteers working behind the scenes is foremost in our minds of course, but providing that we can run an event that complies with all guidance in place at the time, then we fully intend to do so. I suspect there will be a lot of sailors desperate to get boats on the water by August!
Notice of Race (NOR)
The Notice of Race is published online at the championship website www.ircwelshchamps.com and further details regarding the coastal class will be added when we have more clarity, but will certainly be confirmed in the SI’s, scheduled to be published by July.
The entry procedure is open for all classes, and camper-van bookings can be made via the Plas Heli website. See Camping booking details here.
Any boat owners requiring accommodation locally, or who have any questions or suggestions relating to the planning of the championships, please reply to this email or contact
Social
We have a great social plan arranged, with a hog roast and local live bands on the deck as we come off the water, and this will be tweaked as we get a better idea of how the event will look.
We all look forward to a great long weekend of racing on Tremadog Bay..
Liverpool Yacht Club have asked us to place this on our Notice Board
The 2020 Spinlock IRC Welsh National Championship will be hosted at the Welsh National Sailing Academy and Event Centre in Pwllheli.
The dates are Friday 14th August to Sunday 16th August 2020
The Notice of Race wil be available here shortly. More information here
The ISORA flreet at the start of the james Edie Race from Pwllheli to DunLaoghaire on Saturday 7th September 2019 -
The full report is available on the ISORA web site here
For the full results see the ISORA website here
Mojito Wins the Royal Dee Yacht Club Offshore Championships in the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta - Congratulations from all at CHPSC on a great Regatta win
Read the Afloat.ie report here
We are really pleased to report that Sanderling has won the 3 Peaks Race, line honours and corrected time!
1st on every leg
1st on sailing sections including winning Barmouth/Caernarfon and Whitehaven/Fort William
2nd on running sections including winning Scafell.
Runners overtook the trimaran runners (1st multihull) coming down Ben Nevis so they even beat the multihulls!
They were pushed hard by Zigzag who were 2nd.
Left to right in finish photo
Emily Falck - shore support
Robert Morris - sailing
Daniel Ayers - running
Toby Thomas - sailing
Tiffer Morris - sailing
Ben Zeman - running
Mali Turtle - shore support
Mayhem wins the Spring Sreries with an impressive race win in all races! Congratulations Glenn and the Mayhem team.
Team Checkmate wins the 2018/19 Spinlock IRC GBR Inland Championship, which took place at Windermere’s Winter Series.
With an astonishing 7 firsts and 3 second places, Checkmate finished on 13 points, 12 points ahead of the second placed boat.
The Winter Series started on November 4th 2018 and finished on March 10th 2019, during which we encountered all types of testing weather.
Checkmate’s Team included Ian McMillan, Steve Goacher, Tim Harper, Chris Robinson, Chris Harman, Mark Somerville, Lynne Morris, Andy Thomas and Stuart Trunkfield.
Winning this Inland Championship has been the icing on the cake of an exceptional year for Checkmate, after becoming the Impala British Champions for the second year running in June, The IRC Welsh National Champions in July and topping it all off wth becoming the IRC British Inland Champions.....What a year!!
CHPSC Racing schedule 2020
The 2020 race programme has been designed to meet the increased interest in Club Racing and we aim to provide racing to meet everyone's needs, IRC, NHC, sport-boats and white sail class. See the full list of SSIs here
Whether you are a regular racer, new to racing or interested in trying your first race, we would love to hear from you and answer any queries. Below is the 2020 schedule - if you have any questions or suggestions about it please let us know. If there is sufficient interest, we can also arrange additional race weekends - just let us know.
We look forward to seeing you out on the water and in the Club.
We aim to have a pre-race week gathering on Friday nights so that you can discuss tactics and plan your racing. There will also be a post-race gathering so that crew can share experiences in a friendly environment.
NB. The event and training pontoons offer an ideal base for racing and further information about these facilities are available on the Plas Heli web site.
If nothing appears above please refresh your screen. The document is available as a pdf here
The Indivudual Race SSIs (Supplemental Sailing Instructions) are all listed > 2020 Club Races (SSIs)
CHPSC Racing schedule 2019
The 2019 race programme has been designed to meet the increased interest in Club Racing and we aim to provide racing to meet everyone's needs, IRC, NHC, sport-boats and white sail class.
Whether you are a regular racer, new to racing or interested in trying your first race, we would love to hear from you and answer any queries. Below is the 2019 schedule - if you have any questions or suggestions about it please let us know. If there is sufficient interest, we can also arrange additional race weekends - just let us know.
We look forward to seeing you out on the water and in the Club.
We aim to have a pre-race week gathering on Friday nights so that you can discuss tactics and plan your racing. There will also be a post-race gathering so that crew can share experiences in a friendly environment.
NB. The event and training pontoons offer an ideal base for racing and further information about these facilities are available on the Plas Heli web site.
Click here for a pop up race Schedule
The Indivudual Race SSIs (Supplemental Sailing Instructions) are all listed > 2019 Club Races (SSIs)
The results for the Winter Series is published here
Mojito wins the series but the Nigel Ingram Jetstream win the last race by 7 seconds on the water and 17 seconds on corrected time - all set for 2019!
By Dave Sharp
12th November 2018
Pwllheli Challenge Series - Weekend 5 (Start of the Winter Series)
The Winter Series, four weekends of round the cans racing, got underway at Pwllheli Sailing Club on Saturday. Points from the winter series also contribute to the overall Pwllheli Challenge series so, despite a large number of Pwllheli skippers and crew at the ISORA (Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association) Prize Giving in Ireland, there were still plenty of boats on the water, keen to maximise points.
Darllen mwy: Pwllheli Challenge Series - Weekend 5 (Start of the Winter Series)
by Vicky Cox 29 Oct 09:23 GMT
28 October 2018
With much of the country experiencing cold winters showers, clear blue skies in Pwllheli gave the fleet super views of a snow covered Snowdon for the final weekend of the Pwllheli Autumn Series and weekend four, the mid point of the overall Pwllheli Challenge.
With strong tide over the line the fleet hung back for clean start on a tight kite reach to mark number 1. Series leader Mojito had a late start behind Nigel Ingram's J109 Jetstream while all the sports boats shot off like rockets ahead of the fleet to the first mark.
With wind anywhere from 6kts gusting into the mid 20's the downwind leg allowed both J109s Mojito and Jetstream to find their speed and managed to take the lead.
Back upwind and Mojito spotted a wind bend and headed in towards the beach making significant ground, pulling away from the fleet. Rounding the windward mark they managed to shift their gear quick enough to get a kite hoist for the second down wind leg. The only boat to hoist in the now 26kt breeze with oscillating shifts of 30degrees put them almost one leg ahead of the rest of the fleet and as a result finished almost 7 minutes ahead over the water.
Second on the water was Stephen Williams's Darling who had a fine race doing enough to take 2nd place on corrected too followed by Will Partington's Honey Bee just 17seconds behind on corrected.
Darllen mwy: Pwllheli Challenge Series at Pwllheli Sailing Club - Week 4
Maddie Rouse (Thaeia) leads the NHC Class in the Pwllheli Challenge.
There is still time to record your time - in NHC or the IRC Classes.
The results are available here
By Vicky Cox
After a chilly night the fleet were welcomed by warm sunshine and very little wind for the second weekend of the Autumn and Pwllheli Challenge series.
As the wind build from the south, the race officer Robin Evans was eager to get the fleet away. However, the fleet had not factored in the tide pushing them over the start line and with such a large fleet the race officer was unable to determine which boats were over, so was forced to call a general recall. A keen fleet resulted in a second general recall, allowing the wind to build to a pleasant 6-8kts by the time they finally got away.
Darllen mwy: Pwllheli Challenge Series at Pwllheli Sailing Club - Week 2
by Vicky Cox 17 Sep 14:53 BST
The ever popular Pwllheli Challenge Series kicked off on Saturday. This year's challenge has had a bit of a shake up by popular demand, so as not to miss out on any good autumn weather and mild winter days. As a result the series now encompasses four weekends of the Autumn Series plus four further weekends which make up the new Winter series, altogether producing a possible 26 races over eight weekends and finishing mid-December. Those competitors not interested in the full challenge series can chose to compete in the Autumn Series or Winter series as stand-alone events.
The new format also saw the introduction of some extra races, so the schedule for the first day was for three races. The fleet saw between 10 and 15 kts SW on the course for the first race but wind gradually built throughout the day and by the third race winds between 15 and 20 kts were seen with the odd gust of 22kt on the instruments.
Darllen mwy: Pwllheli Challenge Series at Pwllheli Sailing Club - Week 1
The 2018 ISORA Offshore Championship was decided in a nail biting finish to the last race on Saturday. Reigning ISORA Offshore Champion, “Mojito” (Peter Dunlop & Vicky Cox), had lead the series for much of the season but Chris Power-Smith’s “Aurelia” just had to win the last race to snatch the coveted Wolf’s Head trophy back from “Mojito”.
Mojito's Overall win helped Pwllheli Sailing Club win the ISORA 2018 Club Team Trophy - (Mojito 1st, Jackknife 3rd and Sgrech 8th out of a total of 60 competing boats!)
Darllen mwy: Mojito clinch the ISORA series, after Jackknife win a fast race to Dun Laoghaire
Race 14 was the final race of the Welsh coastal series, which would decide the Global Displays Welsh Coastal Series. With 23 boat competing in Ireland for the Viking Marine Coastal Series, and 7 in Pwllheli, both coastal series have been well supported this year.
Darllen mwy: Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association “Global Displays Welsh Coastal Race”
Entries are still invited for the IRC Welsh National Championships, in Pwllheli 17th-19th August 2018.
This flagship event is being hosted by Plas Heli, the Welsh National Sailing Academy and Events Centre, and managed by Clwb Hwylio Pwllheli Sailing Club and the Royal Dee Yacht club. Racing is planned for Two IRC classes and a Cruiser class on two racetracks, in a commercial traffic free environment. Cardigan bay has weak tides and provides a safe and fair racing area, for windward/leeward, coastal or round the cans racing, with stunning views of Snowdonia and the Llyn peninsula as a backdrop.
CONGRATULATIONS - Peter, Vicky and the Mojito team - Overall IRC Class 2 winners!
This is a fantastic result for the CHPSC boat - we are all very proud of their success.
ALSO - WRECKS IRC Overall Winner out of a very competative 50 boat fleet!
ALSO - ECHO Class 2 Overall Winner
ALSO - Inshore Racing IRC Class Overall Winner
ALSO - Inshore Racing 2nd ECHO Class
Mayhem leads the Summer Series but being chased by Darling XX and Harley Quinn
ISORA Race 10 Report: With an entry list depleted due to regular entrants racing at Cork Week, three boats came to the line for a 25 mile race. The course had proved tricky to set, with changing forecasts and a big wind shift predicted as a weak occluded front passed through, promising a damp evening but prospect for some wind during our period of racing.
With some concerns about light winds to the SE and potential for the wind to build from the North later in the night, a course was set as follow:
Pwllheli Bridge start - PSC1 - Causeway- St Tudwals Islands- Plas Heli Finish Line
The Summer Race Series has started and the 1720 team on Mayhem (Glenn Pritchard) is in the lead - the results are available here
Mojito raced to the top of the ISORA leaderboard on Saturday when they finished second overall in a 22 boat fleet in the race from Dun Laoghaire to Pwllheli.
The Mojito team now lead the 42 boat ISORA fleet and are now looking forward to the race from Liverpool to the isle of Man.
Jackknife is the next CHPSC team boat in 4th position Overall
The full race report and results are available in AFLOAT here
After four alternate weekends of racing, attracting 10 boats at various stages, the final weekend promised light airs and a chance for three boats to win the coveted 'Aberech Bowl'.
With Peter Dunlop and Vicky Cox, away in Ireland with J109 "Mojito", the Cork 1720 "Mojito Bach" was raced by Dave Picken. Glenn Pritchard finally got his 1720 "Mayhem" onto the water for the final weekend of races, with Eleri and Brooky from "Luvly Jubbly" 1720 onboard. The two J80's "Harley Quinn", Richard Cooks "Jezebel" and J111 "Sgrech" completed this weekends entry list.
CHPSC boats Sgrech J111, Jackknife and Mojito were missing from the bay this weekend as they were competing in the Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association (ISORA) race out of Dun Laoghaire in Ireland.
The 50 mile race from Dun Laoghaire to Rockabill and East Kish saw 25 boats on the start line in very light airs proving very challenging.
The wind filled in from the south as the day progressed but for some the slow start was too much and they were forced to retire, but for CHPSC boats the perseverance paid off.
Stephen Tudor's new Sgrech - J111 is looking like a force to be reckoned with, taking a convincing 2nd place in both class 0 and overall. Andrew Hall's Jackknife took third spot in the same class and overall, whilst Peter and Vicky's Mojito took 1st in class 1 and 4th overall, showing why Pwllheli Sailing Club are the holders of the ISORA team prize, the Victoria Cup.
Read the ISORA Chairman's report here and check out the full results here.
Congratulations to them all. We look forward to watching the next installment.
Congratulations to Gethin Owen winning at his first attempt helming Glenn Pritchard’s Squib ‘Mayhem’ at SCYC last weekend. Great advert for youth development at Pwllheli.
The competition hots up at the Bank Holiday with a number of national champions taking to the water.
Good luck and safe sailing.
The new Sgrech, J111 test sail on Saturday 14th April 2018 - video by CHPSC member and ISORA Sponsor Richard Cook of Global Display..
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The spring series got off to a fine start at the weekend with glorious weather. Who could believe that after the last few weeks in freezing conditions we were all wearing T-shirts and shades and applying sun screen.
The wind also decided to have a little break in the warm weather too and what started as 5-6kts from the east soon became 0 - 2 after rounding the Fairway buoy, first mark on the course.
With kites up, fleet floated gently in the tide towards the next Mark no 2. Harlequin were gaining on the fleet whilst Diva took a higher, hotter route. As the wind died to nothing Harlequin left the race. As the sea breeze took over and the wind swung round to the south, it was Mojito who found themselves with the advantage. The code zero went up and they were gently on their way to the next Mark which the race office had announced as the finish to the shortened course after nearly 2 hours of racing.
As the wind filled in the fleet were able to get another spectacular race out in the bay. Mojito made an error of judgement at the start, allowing Diva a 45 second advantage but an error on the gybe home allowed Mojito to gain on the leader, finishing 18seconds behind and taking first on corrected.
Mojito lead the 4-weekend series with Bill and Greg Chiswell’s Diva 2nd and Dave&Sarah Leather’s Harlequin in 3rd place.
The next racing in the series is in two weeks’ time on the 21st and 22nd April and incorporates the ISORA coastal race on Saturday before returning to 2 short bay races on the Sunday.
Don’t miss out!! Make sure you enter here as there is still plenty to play for over the next three weekends of the challenge.
And if anyone is interested in having a go at crewing on a boat just post on the Pwllheli sailing club - racing Facebook group. There are plenty of skippers after new crew too.
After the winter (and spring!!) snow the fleet headed out for the Easter Series a little rusty, and were grateful that the winds were kind. A gentle, if not cold 9-10kts greeted them from the east with bright sunshine.
The fleet discussed the set course 23 which started towards Fairway and became a windward/leeward race between 2 and 6 before heading for the finish but as it was the first outing for many the race committee decided to be easy on the fleet and set a gentler course. Upwind to Fairway, back to 0 and on to 1 to port before heading for the Tudwalls, the bell buoy and back to 8 before heading to the finish.
The upwind leg tested the fleet, refreshing their memory after the winter. As kites went up the wind sheer was evident and after gybing the fleet were met with 90 degrees wind shifts and 13kts swirling around gimlet rock. Kites went down briefly through 0 and 1 before going back up for the long leg to the islands, accompanied by a pod of dolphins.
The islands created their usual wind shifts with winds dropping to 4kts and although they came back to 6kts once around the bell buoy it was evident that the fleet would struggle to get much more than that for the remainder of the race.
Day two and with various maintenance tasks highlighted by the previous days racing, it was agreed that the 30kt gusts were probably too much for jury rigs and the fleet agreed to cancel racing to enable full repairs in readiness for next weekend.
Everyone is looking forward to next weekend for the start of the Pwllheli Sailing Club Spring Series in what is currently forecast to be warmer dryer weather.
Come and join us on the water for the Spring Series - warning signal 1130 both days, aiming to be back in the bar for 1430-1500.
Notice of race for the Spring Series can be found here
The Spinlock IRC Welsh National Championship is now included in the Celtic Cup 2018.
The Celtic Cup incorporates Championships in Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
RC35 Scotland challenges sailors from Wales, Scotland and Ireland to compete in the Celtic Cup 2018. 4 great events one discard.
Who could be the RC35 Celtic Champion 2018??
Entry £30 and £5 an event.
Contact RC35 Secretary
Have you entered the Spinlock IRC Welsh National Championship - if not have a look at the web site here
Congratulations to Pat and Gerallt Williams 'Pererin' who won the Spinlock Lifejacket in the super early bird prize draw ....
'Pererin' has entered the Cruiser Class of the Spinlock IRC Welsh National Championship
Anotrher Prize Draw will be announced soon - enter the championship here to be included in the next Prize draw..
As we come to the closing weeks of 2017, prize giving complete and many CHPSC trophies presented, as we sip our mulled wine, all cosy amid Christmas decorations, parties and presents, it’s time to contemplate next year’s program. And in 2018 there is something for everyone, whether cruising to Ireland, racing inshore or offshore, or planning to stay in the bay.
The season starts early with a chance to tune up with other boats readying themselves for the season and once ready why not see how you fair in the Easter Series races on Easter Sunday and bank holiday Monday.
The 2018 race programme has been designed to meet the increased interest in Club Racing and we aim to provide racing to meet everyone's needs, IRC, NHC, sport-boats and white sail class.
Whether you are a regular racer, new to racing or interested in trying your first race, we would love to hear from you and answer any queries. Below is the 2018 schedule. Click on an event to get the Notice of Race (if available). If you have any questions or suggestions about it please let us know. If there is sufficient interest, we can also arrange additional race weekends - just let us know.
We look forward to seeing you out on the water and in the Club.
We aim to have a pre-race week gathering on Friday nights so that you can discuss tactics and plan your racing. There will also be a post-race gathering so that crew can share experiences in a friendly environment.
NB. The event and training pontoons offer an ideal base for racing and further information about these facilities are available on the Plas Heli web site.
The season starts early with a chance to tune up with other boats readying themselves for the season and once ready why not see how you fair in the Easter Series races on Easter Sunday and bank holiday Monday.
Click here for a pop up race Schedule
For those looking to race offshore, ISORA (Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association) will again be using Pwllheli and the Welsh coast to host 4 of its Global Displays coastal races throughout the season, finishing its series with the traditional Pwllheli to Dun Laoghaire race for the James Eadie Trophy. Mid-season, ISORA also have a race from Dun Laoghaire in August, acting as a feeder race to the prestigious Welsh IRC National Championships in Pwllheli.
Not in to offshore? Why not stay and enjoy the spring and summer in the bay with two great racing series scheduled, both over four weekends – two in April and two in May for the spring series and for the Summer series, two in June and one in both July and August. The ideal time to get your practice in for both the Welsh IRC National Championships and Abersoch Keelboat week the week after.
Don’t forget that the racing marks are also ideal for practicing sailing manoeuvres for cruising too. Why not head out and do the Tremadog Triangle (TT), head out whenever you feel comfortable, without pressure of other competing boats, take your own start and finish times and send them in to the club for a chance to win a trophy while practicing your moves. You can do the TT course at any time but why not join others on the Spring bank holiday weekend at the end of May, for a ‘TT weekend’ dedicated to the triangle.
Skills perfected, why not join us for a race from Pwllheli to Porthdinllaen on the first Saturday in June, returning Sunday. For those wishing to venture further afield to cruise Ireland’s South coast or for those heading for the Cork Week regatta (15th – 21st July), why not join Pwllheli’s own Cork Week Flotilla making its way to Crosshaven and returning to Pwllheli at the end of Cork week. A superb opportunity to cruise in company over to Ireland and explore to the excellent cruising ground of Irelands southwest coast.
All of that looks like an exciting year all round but let’s not forget Pwllheli’s own regatta on the first Saturday in July. Join us out on the water for a pursuit race around the bay before an entertaining evening and prizegiving at the Summer ball.
Don’t forget to renew your Pwllheli Sailing Club membership at £50 for the year or why not go for the Racing skippers’ membership for £150 for the year. This includes the normal Sailing Club membership but removes the need for repeated form filling and includes free entry into the Easter Series, Spring Series, Summer Series and September series (worth £185).
Separate entry will be needed for CHPSC stared events (the Pwllheli Autumn and Winter Series, and the Welsh IRC National Championships), and for ISORA races.
Mojito wins the Pwllheli Challenge - full series reportand photos below
Clwb Hwylio Pwllheli Sailing Club - Sialens Pwllheli Challenge weekend 4
After losing a weekend to "Storm Brian", the final weekend of this 16 race series promised champagne sailing conditions, with westerly winds veering to northerlies over the weekend, and the possibility of sunshine! With Big Neaps tides we elected to fit in an extra race each day to make up the races to 14. A challenge for Race Officer Robin Evans, was devising courses with many of the marks out of position, or missing following the storm. (if anyone knows where number 10 is please get in touch!)
The results for the pwllheli Challenge are available here
Mojito extends her lead but racing is close and all crews are now ready for the final day on Sunday 29th!
The racing marks have moved from their recorded positions following storm Ophelia
The new positions are as follows:
Mark No. | Latitude | Longitude |
1 | 52° 52.800' N | 004° 24.046' W |
2 | 52° 52.427' N | 004° 25.548' W |
3 | 52° 52.004' N | 004° 22.429' W |
4 | 52° 51.737' N | 004° 24.065' W |
5 | 52° 52.151' N | 004° 22.498' W |
6 | 52° 52.833' N | 004° 22.637' W |
7 | 52° 53.329' N | 004° 23.015' W |
8 | 52° 52.465' N | 004° 23.970' W |
9 | 52° 52.256' N | 004° 23.474' W |
10 | On the Beach |
By Victoria Cox and also featured in Y&Y here
The weekend had been forecast to consist of two extremes with heavy winds from the remains of Lee and Maria on Saturday followed with very light winds on Sunday. But the heavy winds came through over Friday night leaving Saturday with maximum gusts of just 16-17kts, dying off to 6-14 for the second race.
The first start saw everyone eager to get started but far too eager for the strong tide taking everyone over the start time. Pariaba crossed the start line first followed by both Jac y Do and Honey Bee coming in at the pin end followed by Mojito mid line. All four boats were fully over the start line by the time the gun went and all four were called to return. Meanwhile Theia, Legless Again and Sanderling got good clear starts as the others returned. A quick turn around was made and everyone headed to the first mark - no 2, creating many luffing matches as the faster boats returned past the fleet. Sanderling significantly luffing up Mojito to protect their wind on the way but eventually the J109 had more speed on the beat and were able to quickly overtake and head to the mark.
Kites got launched as the wind dropped off. Valkyrie and Legless Again we're making significant ground on Mojito but as Mojito gybed to the next Mark they suddenly picked up pace and pulled away from the fleet, a position they maintained all way round taking line honours and 1st overall. Legless Again had a strong performance giving them 2nd overall and 1st in class 2 with Jac y Do behind them in 3rd place and 2nd in Class 2. Will Partington's Honey Bee took 3rd in class 2 with Valkyrie taking 2nd in Class 1.
Race two and Legless Again got a perfectly timed start, evident from the starting line video which was viewed by all with gasps and cheers in the bar later. Any further forward and they would have been over. As winds dropped, Mark And Jo Thompson's J80 Jac y Do gained good ground on Mojito but couldn't quite maintain enough in the end, finishing just 32 seconds behind on corrected. With reduced winds both Darling and Valkyrie decided to retire and head in for the day.
With Lee and Maria well out of the way on Sunday, the fleet were left with very little wind and AP was flown. As wind filled in race officer Robin Evens tried his best to set a course but as soon as it was announced the wind shut off and for Pariaba, Valkyrie, Darling and Jebus the suspense was all too much and they retired from racing. For those patient enough to stay out, the wind did fill in to give some good racing, testing everyone's skills in the light airs. Tim Rouse, Sailing Theia single handed, got an exceptional start, using the tide pulling the fleet over the line to his advantage, sitting on the line then turning round on the start gun and away he went. Mojito rounded the windward mark first and hoisted their kite just as the wind shut off, allowing Diva, Honey Bee, Legless Again and Jac y Do to pass them. They managed to get the boat going and pull back the race to take another 1st in the series followed by Jac y Do and Honey Bee who also took 1st and 2nd in Class 2 with Legless Again taking 3rd in their class while Diva took a comfortable 2nd in Class 1.
Reducing winds saw more of the fleet retire but Robin managed to set another course for the remaining fleet. Again Mojito parked at the first mark and the fleet passed them. Diva also suffered in the lighter winds so decided to retire. Although Mojito managed to get ahead they were unable to shake the excellently sailed Legless Again who took 1st place overall and in class 2. Failing to make the ground needed Mojito had to settle for 3rd place behind Honey Bee with Jac y Do behind them taking 3rd in class 2.
Full results for the series can be found here
It's still all to play for in the remaining two weekends with more discards kicking in. Come and join us next on the 21st and 22nd October followed by the series finals and Autumn supper and party on the 28th and 29th October.
Despite midweek forecasts of winds gusting over 40 kts putting off a few boats from launching, there were plenty of competitors out to enjoy the first of the Pwllheli Autumn Challenge weekends, although the wine tasting and tapas night at registration the night before meant that there were plenty of fuzzy heads.
The ISORA season finale was the James Eadie race, an 80 mile offshore from Pwllhei to Dun Laoghaire last Saturday, a race that generally finalises results in all classes, but is also renown for its weather! This year gave us 20-25kt North Westerly winds and a beat from Bardsey all the way to Dun Laoghaire, with strong spring tides of up to 4 kts in the Irish Sea, and a big wind over tide at Bardsey!
The race was very important for the four competing PSC boats; Mojito and Sgrech going head to head to win both the Class 1 and the overall "Wolfs head" trophy, Jackknife to consolidate its position in Echo overall and Class 0, and Aquaplane to attempt to climb into the podium positions of Class 2
It was a long and tough sometimes brutal race, fighting the tides, over falls and confused seas, but it's pleasing to report all PSC boats completed the race, with Aquaplane the last PSC boat finishing after 17 hours 14 mins, three long hours after Mojito! Thankfully they saved us some Guinness!
After a challenging 6 month ISORA season, the series was over, with crews experiencing light winds, strong winds, beats and runs, wind holes and broaches both in day and at night. Stops in Holyhead, Dun Laoghaire and Howth amongst others, great parties at all with one of the best at Plas Heli after the Global Displays Welsh Coastal night race. It's not just the sailing that makes ISORA so special, but the banter and camaraderie amongst the crews.
So the final results from a 61 boat fleet who competed over the 14 races now confirmed and it's a great pleasure to announce Peter Dunlop and Vicky Cox "Mojito" as overall series winners of the prestigious "Wolfs Head" trophy, which is on display in Plas Heli, Mojito also win Class 1 and the Global Displays Welsh Coastal series
Team "Sgrech" came 2nd overall and in class 1, after a very strong final 5 races, Jackknife took 3rd in class 0 and overall winners of the Echo division, with Aquaplane taking 3rd in Class 2
These excellent results mean CHPSC provisionally retain the "Victoria Cup" a mini series for the highest point scoring club within ISORA for another year.
Next year there will be another coastal series at Pwllheli, forming part of the ISORA series overall, and this represents an easy opportunity to experience ISORA coastal racing close to home, with a great party afterwards! Diolch yn Fawr Iawn from all the PSC boats to PSC and Plas Heli, it's members and staff for the help and support this year and to both Global Displays and Huw Tudor & Co for sponsorship of the coastal races. See you on the start line next April
Results and Information at www.isora.org
What an awesome month of keelboat racing Pwllheli Sailing Club has had!
The beginning of August saw Mojito sail off to the south coast in preparation for the Fastnet race. They had an excellent start to the race, reported to have been the first in class out of the Solent, a position that they maintained at the rock meaning they were 9th overall at the rock out of the 350 boats entered in IRC.
Did you know as part of the Spinlock IRC Welsh Nationals Championship (11-13th August) we are providing racing not only for IRC classes but also for Small Keel Boats and Cruiser Boats:
Cruiser Class, racing for cruising type boats, with free NHC handicaps supplied by race management. The class will sail just one 2-3 hour race per day, starting and finishing off the PSC club line, away from the IRC fleets.
It's a fantastic opportunity for cruisers wishing to sample some racing in an easy format with Race Officer Robin Evans setting courses which will provide some reaching legs and take in some local landmarks!
With a special entry fee of just £50 it represents an excellent way to be part of this fantastic championships and hopefully get some great racing.
Small Keelboat fleet (under 8m) will race off the PSC start and finish line and it is planned to hold 2 races a day using courses from the PSC race card or as modified by Race Officer Robin Evans. (Similar to the Pwllheli challenge)
Scored under IRC and NHC and racing around the PSC marks should provide a great racing challenge for this fleet and spectacle for shoreside supporters.
If the fleet numbers dictate entrants may be provided with a choice of joining the cruiser or IRC fleets
and the Sailing Instructions are available hereand the Sailing Instructions are available here
Pwllheli sailors are enjoying plenty of success and adventure offshore this Summer with Mojito acheiving 2nd in a tough 270 mile race from Dun Laoghaire to Dingle then race over to the Dun Laoghaire Regatta in an unofficial race after the Lyver Trophy is postponed. Mojito, Aquaplane and Jackknife all competed in the Dun Laoghaire regatta along with another local boat Luvly Jubbly, who were very successful with a 1st place in their class.
on Saturday 15th July
The fun starts with a parade of boats lead by the Pwllheli Lifeboat at 12.00. Meet at the Fairway buoy from 11am onwards.
The parade lead by RNLI Lifeboat Lilly and Vincent Anthony will head to the West End and back giving Andrew Green, who has kindly agreed to be the official photographer for the day, the chance to take pictures for the 2018 CHPSC calendar. Invite any of your friends to join the parade as it should be quite different and enjoyable. If you have any shore based friends ask them to take pictures from South Beach and we are bound to have somebody with a drone who might be willing to film the event.
As soon as the parade has finished there will be a friendly race, starting on a committee boat start between Gimlet and mark number 1. It is anticipated that the race will be two laps leaving marks 1, 2 and 3 to port and back to the start/finish line but thios will be confirmed on the day based on wind directions. It is hoped that the down wind legs will give plenty of opportunity for photos of brightly coloured spinnakers and the winner of the race will be presented with a trophy at the Summer Ball on Saturday evening.
Race organisers are very pleased with the entries for the Spinlock IRC Welsh National Championship on 11th to 13th August
Entries are recorded in all classes and the the social calendar is featured on the web site
If you have not yet entered
please ENTER now
Mojito continues with her successful offshore racing form with a second overall in the punishing 275 mile race from Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race out of 43 competitors
Jackknife - unconfirmed reports that Jackknife won the prestigious Midnight Race from Liverpool to Douglas
Congratulations to both and all of their crew.
Mojito had another exceptional performance in the 5th ISORA race for Howth - around Lambay Island and to the first finish off Baily Head - Mojito was first overall in this part of the race.
The fleet continued through the first finish line to complete the second race at the entrance to Dublin Port - Mojito was second overall out of a fleet of 25 starters - Mojito is now leading the ISORA series with a handsome lead. Congratulations
The full story was reported in AFLOAT.ie here
The 4th ISORA Race on Saturday 27th May was from Dun Laoghaire to Arklow a sixty mile race down the Irish East Coast.
Mojito again had a fantastic race with a second overall result. She is now now the leading boat in the ISORA 2017 series and is the only boat in the 50-boat fleet to have a podium placing in every race so far! Exceptional performance..
MOJO also had a great race with a sixth placing overall - congratulations.
The full race report and results are available on the ISORA web site here
Next race is the 3rd June and then the D2D on 14th June. Full report and results on Saturdays race are on the ISORA web site here
All CHPSC boats had a great race in a challenging but satisfying ISORA offshore race from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire on Saturday 13th May, with very good results for all our crews.
Jackknife achieved line honours in a 32 boat fleet just beating the very impressive and fast open forty, Forty Shades, who is now moored in Pwllheli.
Mojito had a fantastic race with 3rd Overall and first in Class1 - congratulations to Peter and Vicky on the Mojito team.
After three races in the 14 race series Mojito and Sgrech are 1st and 2nd with Jackknife in 5th place in IRC, with Mojo and Aquaplane top of the ECHO leader board.
Darling xx also had an impressive first ISORA race - well done.
Next race is the 27th May from Dun Laoghaire to Arklow. Full report on Saturdays race on the ISORA web site here
May-Day Regatta - Vicky Cox
As the May Day bank holiday weekend started it looked like it was going to be with typical UK bank holiday weather but the heavy showers cleared just as the fleet headed out for racing in anything from 16-22kts from SSE.
First race and 'Mojito' got a good start but as they struggled in the chop 'Sgrech' were gaining on them. The failure to recognise the wind bend as they headed away offshore meant that 'Mojito' over-stood the windward mark allowing the rest of the fleet to gain on them. Downwind and 'Mojito' hoisted the kite while 'Sgrech' stuck with white sails, a chance for 'Mojito to regain their comfortable lead but a struggle to gybe meant that their spinnaker had to come down to allow them to get up to the mark and 'Sgrech' took the lead.
By Vicky Ciox (Mojito) - Results here
ISORA race 2 was the Pwllheli Castle Race, the first of a three race coastal series within the full ISORA series, and sponsored by Global displays.
The sister race to the Irish side's 'Dun Laoghaire to Wicklow' race also saw light winds and a fair weather forecast. On the pontoons the fleet saw an encouraging 12 kts on the instruments but heading out to the start line at Gimlet rock confirmed that the NW-NNW was going to make things interesting. With winds coming over the hills, flat seas were created but also very light, gusty and shifty conditions.
There had been much talk about code zeros at Plas Heli the night before but in reality the course was one big, 2, mile, windward-leeward starting with a short reach to Pwllheli Sailing Club (PSC) mark number 10, an 11 mile run down to the Sarn Badrig (Causeway buoy), an 11 mile beat back to PSC mark number 3 and another short reach to the PSC offshore finish line and all avoiding the racing areas used by the 120 competitors in the Welsh Youth Championships being hosted in Pwllheli
Mojito and Jackknife got off to a good start but Mojito fell into the wind of North Star, a first 40.7 and welcome newcomer to ISORA. Meanwhile last years winners Sgrech found clear air but the higher route meant they needed to cover more distance to the first mark. Jackknife rounded first followed by North Star and Mojito on their transom, up went the kites.
The the whole fleet enjoying the steady northerly breeze, sunshine, stunning views of both The Llyn Peninsula and the mountains of Snowdonia and dolphins!
by Mark Thompson today at 8:10 pm
15-17 April 2017
With changeable weather forecast, a variety of racing formats were arranged to satisfy the differing boats entering the series, over the long weekend.
Day 1 was a 16 mile coastal course from Pwllheli to St Tudwal's West and down to Pen -Y-Chain, before returning on a dog leg via PSC6. Great sailing conditions and this race was won by Mojito with Aquaplane 2nd.
Day 2 had two 8 mile windward/leeward courses in a blustery and showery southwesterly, with fully crewed boats making the most of the conditions. Mojito won both races with Jackknife second.
Day 3, a triangular course was devised for both races, with champagne sailing in a shifty north westerly wind. Both races won by J80 Jac-Y-Do with Blue Sky 2nd.
This gave the series win to J109 Mojito (Peter Dunlop and Vicky Cox) with 2nd place to Jac-Y-Do (Jack Thompson).
The Easter Racing results are available here
The latest Triangle Results are avauilable here
Next racing is the ISORA/CHPSC Coastal race, sponsored by Global Displays next Saturday
Follow this link here for a A QUICK OVERVIEW of the SIGNIFICANT RULE and GAME CHANGES in the 2017-2020 RACING RULES OF SAILING by Dave Perry excerpted from Dave Perry’s Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing through 2020 available from the US Sailing Store (www.ussailing.org or 1-800 US SAIL-1)
What a super weekend of racing! The weather couldn't have been better so early in the year with possibly the first of the sun screen for many.
After an AP the wind filled in to 14kts and the fleet headed over to Abersoch for two windward-leeward legs separated by a trip around the Tudwalls and finishing amongst the toppers at the Fairway. Two super days of sailing in the April series.
Next racing is Easter Saturday, Sunday and Monday with a 10am start.
Come and join in the fun..
The date has now been set for the 2017 Spinlock IRC Welsh National Championship - 11th, 12th and 13th August 2017. Please put it in your diary now!
The Notice of Race will be published shortly and there are already indications of participation from all corners of the Irish Sea catchment area.
We are getting ready for the 2017 racing season and the CHPSC Race Pack has been updated- take a look here.
The Racing Chart has also been updated and you can download your copy from the Race Pack (or just click on this image). The new Chart incorporates the new racing mark - No. 10 (located 1.7NM east of the harbour entrance).
Remember - everything that you need for racing in Pwllheli can be found in the Race Pack.
Pwllheli Sailing Club has again won the ISORA Team Championship with 1st (Sgrech), 2nd (Mojito) and 5th (Jackknife) overall places for the 12 race series.
Sgrech won the last race from Pwllheli to Dun Laoghaire on Saturday 10th September which gave her the overall win for the season for the Woolf's Head which will be presented at the annual AGM and Dinner on 12th November.
The CHPSC team will also collect the Overall team trophy and team Aquaplane will collect the Silver Class Overall win
A great offshore season for all Pwllheli boats and the full report can be read here
Congratulations Mojito - winners of the ISORA Race from Dun Laoghaire to Pwllheli - results available on the ISORA web site here
The results of the 8th 2016 AveryCrest ISORA race is available here
This was the night race from Abersoch to Pwllheli starting at 19.30hrs from the bridge of SCYC providing a spectacle for the hundreds gathered there for the start of Abersoch Dinghy Week.
The committee had decided on a course for the forecasted light winds which was a factor in the smaller than expected fleet size.
The first leg form the start provided a close fetch to the St Tudwal's Islands and Mojito was the only competitor to try their code Zero. On rounding St Tudwal's Island West the fleet turned east on a run, in the mist, to Madog Fairway Buoy.
The next leg west was a 14 mile close fetch to the flashing lights of the Pwllheli mark 'O'. Sgrech managed to fly her Code Zero for most of this leg recording great speeds.
The last leg was a run to the finish - a line from the Plas Heli bridge, the National Sailing Academy to the Pwllheli Fairway Buoy. ISORA vice Chairman and former CHPSC Commodore Gerry Williams with assistance from Gwen recorded the competitors finishing times.
Andrew Hall's Jackknife took line honours followed by J109 Sgrech and then Mojito. Sgrech was the Class One winner and overall winner.
Silver fleet was won by the Aquaplane team, Mark, Jo and Jack Thompson, who are now strong contenders to become the Silver Class Champions.
The crews were all invited to the top deck at Plas Heli to a reception where local beer, Cwrw Llyn, was provided by our race sponsor, Tudor Estate Agents. The beer was gratefully consumed whilst comparing notes and discussing racing options and tactics. Ella Trout's Roger Fitzgerald, a regular on the Jester Challenge said he would be back for more ISORA racing.
Calling all interested Sailors, Yachtsmen and Sailing Event Volunteers!
Racing Rules for Safety Crew and Mark Layers
Join us at Clwb Hwylio Pwllheli Sailing Club for another one of our winter seminars.
Speaker: David Battye - National Judge and National Umpire
Topics Covered:
Fair sailing and gross misconduct
Outside help to redress
Sailing the course
Touching a mark
When: Iau , Gorffenaf 7 July Thursday 19:00
Where: Plas Heli
JUNE SERIES RACING WEEKEND incorporating the Pwllheli Shuffle 25/26th June 2016
Racing marks for "Pwllheli Shuffle" 25th June 2016
Start 7 2 3 4 10 Finish
Marks can be passed in any order ... Marks to be "rounded" as per normal racing rules! (No short cuts! )
Start any time before 2pm
Email elapsed time and boat name/model when completed to:
Take a note of time past each Mark in case of disputes!
THE RESULTS ARE AVAILABLE HERE
Mojito 1st Overall at 0645hrs Sunday 19th June - well done!
We all wish Mojito a safe and fast race in the 2016 Round Ireland Race.
6 Boats came to the line for a 6.45 mile triangular course, around the west end mark (2), to number 8, and to the new number 10 mark, just off Aberech beach (also known as Sam Buoy thanks to the effort of Sammo Jones who renovated and laid this mark earlier in the year).
A clean start was called by Robin Evans, and all 6 boats enjoyed a beat down towards the first mark, followed by a run to number 8, the decision then was whether to put a spinnaker up for the long leg to number 10, “To me to you” was the first boat to attempt this, but had some issues! “Jac y do” rounded number 8 first, and elected to broad reach down to number 10, under white sails, as the wind was veering..
The whole fleet was making good progress, with fast boat speeds in the smooth water and glorious views of Snowdonia. For those able to look up! Sighting number 10 was tricky, blending into the beach! A tight beat towards the finish with “To me to you” taking line honours and all boats got round in a very close timescale.
Racing Sunday 29th at Pwllheli ….Midday start, spinnaker and white sails course.
Planning a triangle with two laps.
PSC bridge start. Meet Plas Heli 1030 to decide course or call on channel 17 at 1145
Race Co-ordinator Mark Thompson - 07966490414 or by
PSC2 – Ynysoedd Gwylan - Causeway Buoy - PSC2
A view from Aquaplane!
The day dawned brightly, and the wind built as forecast, giving all 6 boats a decent start with a reach to PSC 2 West End mark. We like reaching legs on Aquaplane….we can keep up! Round the mark it was spinnakers up for a nice ride down to St Tuds..
Darllen mwy: P2P Race - Long Coastal Bay Race - Results & Report
(see new definition of Finish)
A Matrix giving distance and course from one CHPSC mark to another. This is provided to assist competitors
A Chartlet of the bay showing the position of the Racing marks. A must have item in the cockpit whilst racing!
A library of all CHPSC courses
The full list of racing marks and buoys with coordinates - is available in pdf format. Available by following the link