Freshwater keelboat regatta in dromineer this weekend

Synonymous with competitive sailing since 1835, Lough Derg Yacht Club has in the last 10 years staged World and European Mirror Championships.
The club's annual Freshwater Keelboat Regatta, which this year takes place on Friday-Sunday, October 17-19th, could yield another big spinoff for local business with some 400 visitors expected to attend.
The regatta is the biggest one-design keelboat competition in the country and one of the few opportunities for sailors to take part part in a freshwater keelboat event. Growing in popularity with each passing year, this year's regatta will see up to 80 boats involved and competitors arriving from all over the country. There will be two racecourses and five classes of boat, including Dragons, SB 20s, Squibs, J24s and Flying 15s.
A highly competitive series of races, the entrants range in age from teens to 70s. Lough Derg Yacht Club, which currently has around 1,000 members (including family membership), sees events like this as a great means of encouraging young sailors to better their skills. The regatta will be run responsibly, with a strong emphasis on safety, fair play, and protecting the environment.
The club also hopes that its end-of-season regatta wil promote Dromineer, Nenagh and the surrounding locality as a visitor attraction, and that it will generate additional income for local business involved in hosterly, transport, tourism and associated trade.
Racing commences at 12.30pm on Friday and at 10am on Saturday and Sunday. Visit the Lough Derg Yacht Club website for further information.