From EuroSail News:

Ari and Mikey Celebrates First Finnish IMOCA 

Ari Huusela became the first Finn and Scandinavian in an IMOCA to finish the Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre on Friday as he and Irish co-skipper, Michael Ferguson, forced Ariel IIacross the finish line in the Bay of All Saints. There was no mistaking that it was them, because you could see Salvador through their mainsail.

RUYC member Lori McAleer follows on the Club tradition of long distance sailing. she has just completed Leg 2 of the Clipper Round the World Race. Click on her photo for more details.

Photo: Clipper Race web site

Our hard-working Battery and Safety Boat crews had a get together over dinner at the Club this week and used the occasion to present their awards.  We couldn't run our racing without these hard working members so a Big Thank You from all of us who race on Thursdays and other events throughout the year.

Wendy McKelvey won the Cannon for Battery Crew and Rory Flannigan won the new Safety Boat Crew award which was presented by Grandpa Roy who was celebrating his 19th year on battery crew.

Click on the pic for more winners!

Congratulations to the crew of Upfront the 2019 RS Elite Irish Champions. Jeff Ralston, John Patterson and Robin Flannigan (RUYC & RNIYC).  Pictured with Ruth Kimberley of Charles Hurst Jaguar Land Rover sponsors of the event.  Full results under Results Central section of this web site.

Club member Mikey Ferguson is heading for another adventure on the high seas.  He will be co-skippering the IMOCA 60 Ariel 2 with Ari Huusela.

Follow the project here: Ari Huusela

Transat Jacques Vabre link

Fantastic achievement by Club member and former Honorary Secretary Tony Weston in partnership with fellow "Donaghadee Chunky Dunker" Martin Strain.

Bangor Town Regatta

Bangor Town Regatta is Northern Ireland’s premier keel boat regatta, set on the shores of Belfast Lough the event offers excellent yacht racing for numerous classes of yacht. Following on from the successful event in 2018, the Bangor Town Regatta events team has begun the process of building upon the previous event.

Click on the photo for more info

Congratulations to Carol Graham who was awarded an OBE in the New Year's Honours

Congratulations to RUYC & BYC member Aidan Pounder for the award of Volunteer of the Year

Sport NI recently presented Aidan Pounder with the Sport Northern Ireland #SportMaker Award for Volunteer of the Year 2018. 
Aidan commits a huge amount of time voluntarily within sailing in many roles at both Ballyholme Yacht Club and Royal Ulster Yacht Club. Congratulations Aidan! ⛵⛵⛵#SportMaker RYA Northern Ireland

Well done to Barbara and Jim for another full on fun series of quizes.  So good we had to commandeer the Dining Room as the numbers had out grown the Gloucestere Room.  The overall honours came down to a close fight between the Gigglers and The So Wrong We Are Rights with The Almost Young Ones not far behind.  Thanks Jim and Barbara - we are looking forward to the Spring Series.

Click Here for Results

Congratulations to RUYC member Hal Sisk on wining the Concours d'Authenticite - condition and originality with Peggy Bawn his 1896 G.L. Watson designed Gaff Cutter.  The honour was awarded at The third Hamble Classics Regatta hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club, over the weekend of 15-16 September.  The Regatta, another stunning success with 75 classic and spirit of tradition yachts entered for two days of racing in sunshine and breeze. Building on the success of the two previous regattas, there were entries from as far afield as Falmouth and Ipswich, with some boats returning for the intense but well-spirited racing and others simply to enjoy the fun. (Source: Scuttlebutt Europe)

At the end of the fifties and at the beginning of the sixties my brother Colin was a member of the RUYC. He got an opportunity to acquire a good racing yacht - the West Solent Class, 'Suvretta' This is the story of her acquisition and repair.

The offshore scene was thriving in those days - just before the glassfibre revolution, and many of the boats were converted inshore racers, and others the epitome of offshore racers - boats like Ceara, Maid of York, Capella of Kent etc.

Full article by Ivan and Collin Nelson - click here (pdf file)

We are very pleased to announce that this season's Guinness PRO14 Rugby will be shown in the Back Bar from Friday 31st August onwards. Please see attached a copy of the fixtures list for dates. times and teams.

All 152 Matches televised will be available to view along with some other sports; International Champions Cup (Football) Europe League (Football) NASCAR, GAA & Ice Hockey etc.

Bangor Town Regatta – a note from the Rear Commodore

The big event of my tenure as RC has come and gone in what seems like a flash. The months of planning by the BTR Committee under the chairmanship of Jim Coffey resulted in a highly successful Regatta with an excellent turnout of keel boats and also of RS 200s and RS 400s for their Irish Nationals, held as part of the BTR. Seen from my vantage point on Witchcraft in NHC Restricted, the four days of racing were keenly contested in all classes. The Waverley World Championships also took place during the Regatta.

Click Here for full article

Andrew Gallagher of AquaVentus photography was out on the water all over Bangor Town Regatta taking some great shots of the racing on both Cruiser and RS Championship courses.  You can purchase your favourite photo of you and the crew on the course at www.aquaventus.co.uk

Congratulations to John Gunning, David Kelso and Stephen Polly the RUYC boys on Storm who won the RS Elite Irish Nationals at Carrickfergus last weekend.  This has put out a warning to the other competitors before the GB & Irish Nationals at RNIYC at the end of this month.

Push the Boat Out

Royal Ulster Yacht Club has held a successful ‘Push the Boat Out’ event. Thirty-Five non-sailors were shown the ropes over the course of two Wednesday evening taster sessions on the 16^th and 23^rd May.

Results are now posted to Results Central for the Todd Navigation Glenarm Race

Click Here

The Annual Committee Dinner was held last Saturday; it is an opportunity for the Flag Officers and fellow committee and sub-committee members to celebrate 50 years of membership of some members and also to acknowledge the hard work of those retiring from Officer posts and General Committee

Notices to Mariners may be posted here if they relate to Belfast Lough and surroundig area.

Click Here for recent postings

The Cruising Association of Ireland is visitng Belfast Lough in July and will be welcomed to RUYC as part of their trip.

Congratulations to the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron on retaining the Sir Thomas Lipton Memorial Cup in Bermuda.  Good luck and great racing for the final challenge from all at RUYC.

Results for the Round the Lough Series are now on Results Central

Club racing on Thursday was a light weather damp affair but two rounds of a fairly short course were sailed.

Good luck everyone and enjoy your racing at RUYC this year.