RS Elite 2016 National Championships JOIN US IN 2016! 21 st 24 th July 2016 Double your money and take part in the Irish Championships at Carrickfergus Sailing Club. Nationals Venue Strangford Lough Yacht Club, Whiterock, Killinchy, Co Down, BT23 6QR. Event Chairman: Mark Fletcher E: mark.a.fletcher@hotmail.co.uk Irish Nationals 16 th & 17 th July 2016 Carrickfergus Sailing Club (Belfast Lough) Event Chairman: Steve Atkinson E: steve.atkinson@windswept.org.uk Strangford Lough Yacht Club is delighted to be hosting the 2016 RS Elite National Championships. With a young and growing fleet of RS Elites, SLYC sailors have been enjoying the fantastic sailing achievable with these phenomenal boats. SLYC has an extensive sailing area that is sheltered from the Irish Sea. The race area, reached in under 5 minutes from the moorings, offers fair racing with minimal tide and has proved a great location to host many high profile sailing events. There are currently 20 Elites in Ireland so we are looking forward to a large turnout. As with any championship held in Ireland the craic will be mighty and we can guarantee a great social agenda! With special ferry discounts, free craning & moorings and only 45 minutes from Belfast it will not cost you a packet either.
The Venue Introduction to the Race Area by Peter Kennedy former Irish Olympic Sailor The Lough is a large inlet with access to the Irish Sea via a narrow channel called the Narrows several miles to the south east of the club. The rise and fall in the lough is in the order of 3 metres, and whilst the tides in the Narrows can reach 6-7 knots at high springs, the tides are a lot weaker than that further up the lough and in our race area they peak at around 1-1.5 knots in springs. There is some differential in tide across the course as the depth varies, with the deeper water to the east. There is however nothing particularly unusual about the tide in the race area; the tide turns earliest towards the shore and will change direction last in the deeper channel. There is a minor local effect with water coming out of the Dorns in the ebb (that is the channels around the smaller islands between Mahee Island and Rainey Island at the north east of the race area), however that is only significant within 200-300 metres of the Dorns and is unlikely to affect the race area. The race area itself is enclosed and in that respect is more like sailing on a very large lake. The surrounding land is quite low and so irritatingly large and unpredictable shifts are uncommon, however you can expect many smaller irregularly oscillating shifts caused by the land. So it usually makes for a great race area with a combination of shifts and relatively minor tidal differential across the course making it tactically challenging and varied.
Getting Here There are four ferry routes you can use: 1. Liverpool Belfast 2. Holyhead Dublin 3. Cairnryan Belfast 4. Fishguard Rosslare Belfast is served by two airports; the George Best City Airport and the International. The city airport is approximately 30 mins from SLYC and the International is about an hour. We recommend either one of the first two options. The overnight ferry from Liverpool with a 4 berth cabin is particularly good and the timings usually work out well. Whilst a little more expensive the driving time and petrol/diesel is a lot less. Journey time from Belfast Port to SLYC is about 45 minutes when towing. From Dublin Port the driving time would be 2 2 1/2 hours. Ferry Discount We have negotiated a 15% discount on all Stena Line routes. Please see website for booking instructions to avail of the discount. Boat Collection Service Stena Line will load and unload your boat onto the ferry if you arrange for it to be delivered to their terminal. At our end we will collect it and then return it at the end of the Championship for you. Accommodation is available locally through guest houses, B&B s and private lets. See back page for further details.
SCHEDULE The Aperitif Irish Nationals @ Carrickfergus Sailing Club The Main Course RS Elite National Championships at SLYC Friday 15 th July Arrival and boat launch at Carrickfergus Marina. Saturday 16 & Sunday 17 July Three races a day in Belfast Lough Windward Leeward Sunday Eve and Monday 18 th July Boats taken out and taken to SLYC at Whiterock. Monday 18 th and Tuesday 19 th July Boats able to be launched at SLYC Monday 18 th Wednesday 20 th July Downtime! Go explore Northern Ireland and further afield or stay local and enjoy the hospitality. Wednesday 20 th July Boat launching and scrutineering 1900 hours evening club race with separate Elite start. Welcome supper buffet. Thursday 21 st July Daft Eddy s Restaurant Away dinner Friday 22 nd July BBQ and Golf with a twist Saturday 23 rd July Gala Dinner and Ceilidh Sunday 24 th July Lift out PM and delivery of boats to ferry.
Entry & Accommodation Accommodation Due to the World Skiff Rowing Championships taking place the week following we took the precaution of booking all the local accommodation. We also have a number of members willing to host a crew or two. The vast majority are within walking distance of the club and the small number that aren t are a 3-5 minute drive. Booking Please state your preferences when entering the National Championships and we will match up your requirements with the accommodation available. All crews will be staying together and you have the option of B&B, self-catering or local host. Our aim is to allocate accommodation as early as possible so please enter by the end of Jan. Enter Online NOW! Entry for the 2016 RS Elite National Championships is available online now. http://www.slyc.co.uk Please Enter Early Please help by entering before 31 st January so that we can ensure all travelling crews are catered for as later entries may need to stay a little further away. Traveler Priority Those coming from across the pond will be given first priority and thereafter local boats. Club Breakfasts The Club will be providing a full catering service throughout the event.