Dromineer to host European Powerboat Racing
Dromineer, on the shores of Lough Derg, will welcome powerboat racing teams from across Europe this weekend as it hosts the UIM European Pleasure Navigation Championship Final and the PBANI/OCRDA Celtic Cup from 18–20 September.
Organised by Powerboat NI and the Offshore Circuit Racing Drivers Association (OCRDA), in association with the British Powerboat Association and held under the authority of the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), the event has already attracted 39 entries, with teams travelling from across Ireland and Europe to compete.
Boats and crews will arrive from Thursday with Friday given over to scrutineering, as officials check that every boat meets safety standards and that drivers hold the required licences. Racing gets underway on Saturday, following a morning practice session for all classes. The European Championship fleet will contest a 40-mile race over three-mile laps on Saturday and a 42-mile race over the same course on Sunday, while the Celtic Cup's Procats and Jet Ski/Aquabike classes will race a series of timed heats across the weekend. Prize-giving will take place on Sunday afternoon, bringing the championship to a close.
Safety planning for the event includes a minimum of two rescue boats, one rescue jet ski and seven patrol boats on the water throughout.
Denis Dillon, event organiser with Powerboat NI/OCRDA, said: "To bring a UIM European Championship to Lough Derg is a huge moment for powerboat racing in Ireland, and for Dromineer itself. We've had a fantastic response from teams right across Europe, and we're grateful to everyone helping to put this on safely — not least Cloondavaun Marina, whose support as event sponsor has been a real help in getting the logistics of the weekend right. We'd encourage anyone with an interest in the sport to come down to Lough Derg and see it for themselves."
The event is being run with the support of Cloondavaun Marina, based on Lough Derg near Portumna, which is financing elements of the event's on-water operations for the weekend. Marina owners Brendan & Wendy McGrath will also play active roles as patrol boat and social media capture. Cloondavaun Marina is a family-run, full-service marina offering secure, private berthing, professional boat lifting, indoor and hard-standing storage, boatyard, and boat sales services.
Spectators are very welcome, and as Dromineer is a residential village, attendees are asked to be mindful of noise in the area.
The UIM European Pleasure Navigation Championship is organised under the authority of the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), the world governing body for powerboat racing, and brings together competitors from across Europe in Group A and Group B pleasure navigation classes, alongside Aquabike/Jet Ski and P750 Procat competition.