A deputy coroner says she is considering writing to the organisers of the Manx Grand Prix in a bid to help prevent similar deaths following the fatal crash of a rider at Kate’s Cottage.

Louis O'Regan, 43, died during the opening qualifying session of the Manx Grand Prix on August 18, 2024.

Mr O’Regan, from Didcot in Oxfordshire, crashed just before Kate’s Cottage on the A18 Mountain Road.

An inquest held at Douglas Courthouse heard that fellow competitor Jamie Williams had come off on the same stretch of road around two hours earlier.

On Friday, Deputy Coroner Rebecca Cubbon recorded a verdict of accidental death.

She concluded that, on the balance of probabilities, Mr O’Regan lost control after riding over a damp patch on the double white lines where water had seeped through.

But she also noted warnings had been issued by race organisers after Mr Williams’ earlier crash highlighting an issue at Kate’s Cottage.

Ms Cubbon said: ‘While I accept motorcycle racing is an inherently risky activity, I do not find riding over the damp patch was a wilful risk. I do not consider a verdict of misadventure.

‘I am satisfied something went wrong and Mr O’Regan lost control. In trying to regain control he collided with the hedge.’

She said she is now considering issuing a Rule 34 Prevention of Future Deaths report and would notify interested parties in due course.

The inquest heard Mr Williams suffered extensive injuries after losing control at the same bend but has since largely recovered.

He told the hearing: ‘There was no trying to prevent the crash. It happened so quickly.

‘In my opinion I did nothing wrong that day. The rear wheel slipped because of lack of adhesion on the road.

‘If there had been a warning about it that would have dramatically reduced the chance of an accident.’

Kate’s Cottage marshal Lisa Young confirmed marshals were aware of the damp patch and said she had ‘lost count’ of the number of riders who wobbled there that day.

Deputy Clerk of the Course John Barton said no concerns had been raised about the damp patch before the incident, although he said he would have issued a rain warning flag after Mr Williams’ crash if he had seen it.

Chief sector marshal Mark Johnstone told the inquest Kate’s Cottage had never previously caused problems during racing.

He said contractors later carried out overbanding work to seal cracks in the road at the location on August 21, 2024.

An examination of Mr O’Regan’s MV Agusta motorcycle found no mechanical defects, and a postmortem concluded he died from multiple injuries sustained in the crash.