Carrickfergus Sailing Club
Carrickfergus Sailing Club is located in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland on the north shore of Belfast Lough. The club was founded in 1866. The clubhouse moved from the building on stilts beside Carrickfergus Harbour to its current location beside Carrickfergus Marina in 1984.
The club is one of the clubs on the lough that form part of the Belfast Lough Yachting Conference
The clubhouse was destroyed by a fire which started around 2330 BST on 22 June 2012, thought to have been caused by an electrical fault.[1]
Racing
The club runs various racing series throughout the year starting with the Spring Series at the end of March through to the Frosty Series ending mid December. Primarily the racing is for IRC, PY, White Sail, Flying Fifteen, Squib and Ruffian 23 classes.
- Spring Series – late March to late April
- Tuesday Series – early May to early July
- Thursday Series - early May to early July
- Late Series - late July to late August
- Autumn Series - early September to late October
- Frosty Series - late October to mid December - discontinued 2016 due to low interest numbers
There are several other one- and two-day events for cruisers throughout the season
- Mid Lough Open (in association with Royal Ulster and Ballyholme Yacht Clubs
- Castle Cup
- Menagerie Race
The club also hosts open regional and national level events for various classes. In recent years this has included Flying Fifteen, Squib, Topper, Mirror, J/24, Ruffian 23
Cruising
Many of the members take off for annual cruises during the summer months. Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man are easily accessible for short cruises. Several members have ventured much further afield. Several members are currently on extended cruises that have reached Spain/Portugal. Some have ventured even further afield including trips to the Caribbean and round the world.
Social
The club has licensed bar and restaurant facilities. The bar is open every evening and the restaurant is open Thursday evening, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The highlight of the year is the Annual Prize Giving Dinner held in November at which all the prizes for the year are presented.
References
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-18562605 , Carrickfergus Sailing club is destroyed in fire. Retrieved 23 June 2012