2020Logo

The 2022 IRC Welsh National Championships have once again been held at  Plas Heli, the Welsh National Sailing Academy and event Centre, with race management by Clwb Hwylio Pwllheli Sailing Club and the Royal Dee Yacht Club, and enjoyed excellent sailing conditions over the three days.

IRC1

IRC Class - Windward mark - photo by Stuart Trunkfield

The three day championship consisted of an  IRC class competing for the Welsh National Champion title, and a cruiser class racing under the progressive NHC rating system.

The event got underway with a Commodores reception on the deck at Plas Heli on Thursday,  and a great BBQ party with the Jac Dobson a’r band on Friday evening

The IRC class enjoyed three days of racing a variety of courses, managed by the RDYC from the Royal Dee committee boat Bacardee, in mainly light north westerly windsIRC2

In form Mojito, fresh from an IRC Coastal class win at Cork, started the regatta with a win in race one, and continued to win 5 more races out of the 9 races sailed. Second place was last years winner Imposter (Richard Fildes), with Darling XX (Stephen Williams) 3rd

The NHC class enjoyed 6 races, managed by the PSC race management team from the PSC bridge,  around the clubs fixed marks and St Tudwals Islands. This class had very close racing with the progressive handicap system working well. Quattro (Avril banks) and Crud y Awel (Pete Driver) tied the class going into the last day, with Quattro (Avril Banks)  winning the NHC cruiser class after a fine win  in the last race

The final day and overall prizegiving was conducted on the deck at Plas Heli in glorious sunshine, with prizes and trophies presented by PSC Commodore Gerallt Williams, and RDYC Commodore Charlie Jones. 

We thank our sponsors Firmhelm, Plas Heli, Tudor and Co, CHPSC and RDYC for their generous support, and thanks also to the volunteers who made the event such a success.


 

IRC Welsh National Championships 2022

Official Notice Board

IRC Classes

Amendment 1 

NOR 8.2

The validity date of IRC rating is amended to “no later than 4th August”

Amendment 2

IRC rule 22.4 is deleted and replaced by :

“The maximum number of crew that may sail aboard a boat shall  be equal to the crew number shown on the certificate plus 1. There is no weight limit.

Additionally, one extra young sailor, under 16 may be carried”

Amendment 3

NOR /SI

IRC class 1 and 2

All references to IRC class 1 and 2 are replaced with IRC Class  Due to entry numbers and rating bands, one class will race for the title of IRC Welsh National Champion.

Mark H Thompson

Vice Commodore CHPSC for the IRC Welsh National Championship OA

Tuesday 2nd August 2022    13:00 BST

IRC Welsh National Championships 2022

Official Notice Board

 

IRC Classes

Amendment 4

SI 4.2 Maximum number of races amended to 4/4/4

Amendment 5

SI 12.2 Time limit for boats failing to finish amended to 1hour (2 hours coastal races)

 

Mark H Thompson

Vice Commodore CHPSC for the IRC Welsh National Championship OA

Thursday 4th August 2022    13:00 BST 

 

IRC Welsh National Championships 2022

Official Notice Board

 

NHC Classes

Amendment 6

SI  5.2 Total Races increased to six

Robin Evans

Race Officer
5th August 2022

IRC Welsh National Championships 2022

Official Notice Board


NOR 9.4 - clarification

There is no requirement to physically attend the skippers briefing in Plas Heli - any points that require clarification can be raised on this WhatsApp group.

The organising committee is aware that boats may be constrained by draft leaving the harbour to make the first scheduled start - the race officers will ensure all boats are present before the first start sequence.

Mark H Thompson
Vice Commodore CHPSC
For the OA

Thursday 4th August 2022    13:00 BST 

 

GBRIRC championship logo s

The Dates for the 2022 edition of the 'IRC Welsh National Championship' has benen set:

5th to 7th August 2022

 

 


 

GBRIRC championship logo sx100The IRC Welsh National Championships 2021, is scheduled to take place from Friday August 13th to Sunday August 15th. 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 seven 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“

Planned Classes

We will be running both the IRC 1 and 2 Classes inshore from a Committee Boat and  NHC and IRC Cruiser Classes from the Bridge. This year the IRC 1 and 2 classes will race a mixture of windward/leeward and fixed marks races.

This programme of racing is the new suggested format by the IRC congress and matches the style used for the IRC European and World Championship events

Should Government restrictions and guidance restrict our activities, 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, like last year and it’s not until 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.
Notice of Race (NOR)

The Notice of Race is published here and online at the championship website www.ircwelshchamps.com and the Sailing Instructions(SIs) are 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 newsletter or contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and one of the event team would be delighted to help in anyway.

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 and to welcoming you all to our sailing club and event centre.


Hwyl - Good Sailing

Mark Thompson
Vice Commodore
Clwb Hwylio Pwllheli Sailing Club


 

Bora Da Pawb

On behalf of the event management team, many thanks to all the competitors showing great patience and understanding with regards to the necessary steps we were required to take to hold our event, whilst interpreting Welsh Government regulations and showing consideration to the local community, to make the event both possible and meaningful.

It’s fortunate we have space at Plas Heli both ashore and in the bay, plus our shore side start/finish facility that helped us achieve this.

Thanks to the three race officers- Mike Butterfield (RDYC + PSC) Robin Evans (PSC) and Peter Dunlop (ISORA, PSC RDYC) assisted by Eilir Evans and Henry Wright at the PSC bridge, John Close on the PSC protector laying marks and providing on course management, Charlie Jones - Commodore RDYC and Gerwyn Owen (CEO RYA CW) for their guidance and advice that I sought leading up to the event, and finally to the flag officers of CHPSC (Jane Butterworth, Gerallt Williams, Stephen and Richard Tudor) who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes supported by their families, and to Jo for her support to.

Planning starts today for 2021 - we hope to get the live bands back on the deck (the event is not the same without seeing Neil Thomas busting his moves!) and a busy social programme to compliment the racing.
provisional dates 13-15th August 2021 with a proposed IRC format that mirrors the IRC World Championship

Hwyl - Good Sailing
Mark

The 2020 Event Results are all listed on the web site here

Amendment 1

Substitution of crew is allowed during the event without seeking consent from the Committee. This changes SIs 16.5

Amendment 2

8.2 (NoR) is herby amended to allow a later date of the IRC Certificate at the discretion of the Committee

Amendment 3

The list of Marks in the Sailing Instructions is amended to include the following:

  • SCYC NE - 52 50.00N 004 27.00W (with kind consent of SCYC)
  • Tom Buoy -  description changed from 'Yellow Can' - to 'Large Yellow / Orange Inflatable Mark'

 Dated 13th August 2020 11.15hrs

Subcategories

Championship Information

Quick Links to the most Popular Pages

Notice of Race

The Notice of Race for the 2023 IRC Welsh National Championship is published here

Notice of Race - Here

Entry Form

Easy on-line entry process - hassel free method of entering the Championships

Entry Form - Here

Competitor List

The List of 2023 Competitors is now available - this list will be populated with the entry

2023 Competitors - here

Sailing Instructions

The 2023 Championship Sailing Instructions (SIs) will be published here

Sailing Instructions - here