On Saturday afternoon, Valentia Coast Guard requested Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat to launch to assist 10 people after their 40ft cruiser ran aground by the Scilly Islands on Lough Derg. Valentia Coast Guard informed the lifeboat that the Killaloe Coast Guard RIB had also launched to assist.

At 5.45pm, the lifeboat launched with helm Eleanor Hooker, Ger Egan, and Keith Brennan on board. Winds was south-westerly, Force 4, gusting 5. Visibility was good. Valentia Coast Guard informed the lifeboat that the Killaloe Coast Guard RIB had also launched to assist.

The lifeboat arrived on scene at 6pm, the casualty vessel was aground north of the Scilly Islands. The Killaloe Coast Guard commenced an anchor and veering down to the casualty vessel. All ten people were unharmed and wearing their lifejackets. As the vessel was high on a rocky shelf, it was decided to transfer all casualties to Mountshannon Harbour, five on board Lough Derg RNLI lifeboat and five on board the Killaloe Coast Guard RIB, and where the land mobile Coast Guard unit was waiting to receive the casualties.

Both the lifeboat and the Coast Guard RIB returned to the casualty vessel. Once satisfied that the cruiser was not holed, she was safely taken off the rock shelf and towed by the Killaloe Coast Guard boat to Mountshannon.

Peter Kennedy, Deputy Launching Authority at Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat, advises boat users to ‘bring charts with you and identify the areas close to shore and islands marked as not navigable, particularly as water levels are relatively low in the lake at the moment’.

The lifeboat returned to Station and was ready for service again at 7.53pm.

#LoughDerg - Independent.ie reports that a man in his 60s has died after falling into Lough Derg yesterday morning (Thursday 9 February).

Emergency services were called to respond around 9.30am after the man fell into the water while walking with his wife at Terryglass, on the lough’s north-eastern shore.

After he was recovered by a local boat crew, the man was airlifted to University Hospital Limerick by the Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 115 but later pronounced dead.

#LoughDerg - Two years after Lough Derg Marina sold for more than three times its guide price, another marina on the third-largest lake on the island of Ireland has come on the market.

As The Irish Times reports, more than €2.5 million is being sought for Cloondavaun Bay Marina near Portumna — a 50-berth property with almost a kilometre of lake frontage and a range of modern services for boat owners, as well a four-bed detached home.

Subject to planning, estate agents CBRE say the marina is most suited to aquatic tourism, from private berthing to angling and watersport on the lough.

There is also scope to expand its berthage to accommodate as many as 100 more vessels.

Canoe facilities and services blocks are being provided at various locations around Lough Derg as part of a new inland waters initiative aimed at promoting water-based activities on Ireland’s third largest lake.

Clare County Council has confirmed that the proposed Lough Derg Canoe Trail, which is scheduled for completion by January 2017, will see facilities installed in Killaloe, Ballycuggeran, and Scarriff, Mountshannon and Dromaan harbours.

The Trail project is an initiative of the Lough Derg Marketing Group and is being funded under the Lough Derg Stimulus Fund. Waterways Ireland is leading the design and development of the project in partnership with the Clare County Council, Galway County Council and Tipperary County Council.

Trail information signage is being provided at Canal Bank, Killaloe, where upgrade works to the existing slipway are also being undertaken. Works underway at the Mill Yard, Killaloe include the provision of trail information signage, a canoe storage rack and planting/screening of same. The works to Scarriff harbour include trail information signage, a canoe storage rack and screening and the installation of a new floating landing/launching step.

The works at Ballycuggeran include the provision of trail information signage, a canoe storage rack and screening, while Mountshannon will benefit from trail information signage, a canoe storage rack, and screening and the refurbishment of the existing service block. Dromaan harbour will see the provision of trail information signage, a canoe storage rack and screening and the construction of a new 3-unit service block and holding tank.

Squibs from all over Ireland converged on Lough Derg Yacht Club at Dromineer at the weekend. Three came from the Royal North of Ireland in Belfast Lough, two from Killyleagh Yacht Club on Strangford Lough, two from Royal St George Yacht Club, and one from Royal Irish Yacht Club and one from the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire, One from Howth Yacht Club, three from Kinsale Yacht Club, one from Galway Bay Sailing Club and plenty of Squibs from the home club. Only for a huge rugby funeral, there would have been many more boats from Kinsale. All in all, the entry of 20 Squibs equalled the Irish Championship in Kinsale a few weeks earlier.

Racing on Saturday was held on Lough Derg in the racing area North of the Corrikeen Islands, with windward-leeward courses. Initially there was almost no wind, so competitors paddled to the race area, and racing was postponed till a force two breeze from the south-south-east kicked in. In race one ‘The Worm’ sailed by Sam Lyness and Erk Heyes from RNIYC played the shifty wind and flat water to their advantage, to win the first race from Jack and Jill Roy’s ‘Kanaloa’ from NYC and ‘Fuggles’ sailed by Jeffs Condell and Cochrane who were using the new ‘Olimpic Sails.’ These prototype Squib sails depend on really bar tight rigging, unlike the normal set up for Squibs.

By race two the wind had swung to the south-east, again was light and shifty. This time the order was ‘The Worm’, ‘Fuggles’ and Gordon Patterson and Ross Nolan’s ‘Quickstep III.’
There was a quick break, for lunch afloat. By race three the wind was in the east, with the windward mark near the Tipperary shore. ‘Quickstep III’ skilfully handled the shifting winds, which were particularly trickey near the windward mark, and won from ‘The Worm’ and Simon Watson and Brian Kelly’s ‘Volante’ from Killyleagh.

‘The Worm’ nailed the start of the fourth race, with the same wind strength and direction, and held a decent lead from the fighting pack behind. It was Judy Hamilton and Vincent Delany’s ‘Greeb’ who stole second place from ‘Volante’ and ‘Quickstep’. This was the significant result which decided the championship.

On Saturday evening the Lough Derg club, and The Whiskey Still’s hospitality lived up to their reputations. ‘The Worm’ allegedly downed more gin and tonics than his overnight racing score.
On Sunday the forecast was for fourteen knots gusting to twenty-seven knots. Racing was held near Ryan’s Point, with the windward mark off Urra. This would test the skills of the sailors. In the first race the wind only got up to about 12 knots. ‘Quichstep III’ took the gun (in a race with winds shifting up to twenty degrees), from Des Clayton and Paul Henry in ‘Inismara’ in what was almost a photo finish. ‘The Worm’ took fifth place which was enough to give him the championship.

By the final race the wind, as forecast, was very gusty, which allowed the Squibs to plane on the running legs, and produced a few spectacular broaches. This time it was ‘Fuggles’ which won from ‘Quickstep’ and Colm Dunne and Emmet Ryans ‘Allegro’.

Thanks go to Commodore David Meredith and his team for organising a great regatta, and to Lt. Cdr. John Leech for acting as OOD in difficult conditions.

For full results see below.

#RNLI - Lough Derg RNLI was requested to launch by Valentia Coast Guard yesterday evening (Sunday 4 September) to assist a fisherman whose boat was wedged inside a rocky shoal.

At 5.50pm, the inshore lifeboat launched with helm Eleanor Hooker, Liam Knight and Keith Brennan on board. Winds were east-southeasterly Force 2 and visibility was good.

The lifeboat located the vessel in Youghal Bay, and the fisherman on board was found safe and wearing his lifejacket.

He was taken onto the lifeboat and an RNLI volunteer transferred across to the lakeboat before it was taken off the shoal and towed to safe harbour in Youghal Bay.

Peter Kennedy, deputy launching authority at Lough Derg RNLI, advises boat users "to bring charts with you and know the areas close to shore marked as unnavigable."

Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat launched at 5.20am, following reports to Gardaí of calls for help coming in off the lake.

At 05.06am this morning, Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat was requested to launch by Valentia Coast Guard, following a report to Nenagh Gardaí of calls for help heard coming in off the lake, that woke sailors camping at Lough Derg Yacht Club.

As volunteer crew assembled, they were informed by Gardaí, who were at the Lifeboat Station, that a cruiser was seen to leave the public harbour close to the time the calls for help were heard.

The lifeboat launched at 05.18am with helm Eleanor Hooker, Ger Egan and Owen Cavanagh on board. Winds were light, southeasterly. Visibility was poor with fog and just before dawn.

The Irish Coast Guard Search and Rescue Helicopter team based at Shannon, were on standby should they be required.

The lifeboat set a route south, in the direction from which the calls were heard, and using a search light quickly located a cruiser at anchor close to the navigation channel, south of the Corrakeen Islands, outside Dromineer Bay.

The lifeboat crew roused the passengers on board and made them check that everyone was accounted for on board. The passengers said they may have been making some noise as they left the harbour earlier, and would be continuing their passage south at daybreak.

The lifeboat reported their findings to Valentia Coast Guard and, advised that the cruiser’s companion boat was moored in Dromineer Harbour, would check that they had no difficulties.

Once it was established neither vessel was missing a passenger, the lifeboat returned to station.

Brian Hanley, Deputy Launching Authority at Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat, advises boat users to ‘respect the water, enjoy the lake, but ensure one person remains fully in command of your boat at all times’.

The lifeboat returned to Station and was ready for service again at 06.10am

At 3.30pm yesterday, Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat was requested to launch by Valentia Coast Guard, following a report from people on shore at Mountshannon, that people were seen waving a distress signal on a cruiser outside the bay. The lifeboat launched at 3.45pm with helm Eleanor Hooker, Peter Clarke and Owen Cavanagh on board. Winds was westerly, Force 5/6 gusting 7. Visibility was good.

Nine people were on board, three adults and six children.

The lifeboat located the vessel in Mountshannon Bay at 4pm. All nine people on board were safe and unharmed and wearing their lifejackets. They had dropped anchor to prevent being pushed onto nearby rocks. An RNLI volunteer lifeboat crew was transferred to the casualty vessel where he reassured everyone, and then set up a bridle and tow. The lifeboat took the tow and went ahead of the cruiser to assist the RNLI volunteer weigh anchor, which had dug in and was holding fast.

The lifeboat towed the cruiser to Mountshannon Harbour where she was tied safely alongside at 4.30pm. The Lifeboat returned to station and was ready for service again at 5pm.

Pat Lynch, Deputy Launching Authority at Lough Derg RNLI Lifeboat advises boat users to ‘to check weather forecast before going afloat, make sure your boat is serviced and to carry a means of communication’.

#Optimist - Results from Day 2 of the 2016 Optimist National and Open Championships on Lough Derg on Tuesday 16 August:

Senior Division, Gold Fleet
1st: Harry Twomey (RCYC and Crookhaven YC) – 21 pts; 2nd: Tom Higgins (RStGYC) – 23 pts; 3rd: Blake Wilson (AUS) – 28 pts

Senior Division, Silver Fleet
1st: Eoghan Turner (NYC) – 203 pts; 2nd: Kitty Flanagan (RStGYC) – 214 pts; 3rd: Kate Horgan (RCYC) – 278 pts

Junior Division, Gold Fleet
1st: Henry Heathcote (GBR) – 17 pts; 2nd: Freddie Lonsdale (GBR) – 29 pts; 3rd: Ella Lance (GBR) – 34 pts

Junior Division, Silver Fleet
1st: Johnny Flynn (HYC) – 72 pts; 2nd: Thomas O'Neill (HYC) – 192 pts; 3rd: Eimer McMorrow-Moriarty (Tralee Bay SC) – 217 pts.

(Main Fleet Sailed: 7, Discards: 1, To count: 6, Entries – Senior Fleet: 66, Junior Fleet: 91)

Regatta Fleet
1st: Russell Bolger (RStGYC) – 7 pts; 2nd: Jessica Riordan (RStGYC) – 13 pts; 3rd: Eibhe Lubliner (RStGYC) – 15 pts

(Sailed:6, Discards: 1, To count: 5, Entries: 53)

#Optimist - Results from Day 1 of the 2016 Optimist National and Open Championships on Lough Derg, comprising Races 1, 2 and 3 on Monday 15 August:

Senior Division, Gold Fleet
1st: Harry Twomey (Royal Cork Yacht Club and Crookhaven YC) – 6 pts; 2nd: Tom Higgins (Royal St George YC) – 16 pts; 3rd: Blake Wilson (Australia) – 21 pts

Senior Division, Silver Fleet
1st: Eoghan Turner (National YC) – 95 pts; 2nd: Kitty Flanagan (RStGYC) – 111 pts; 3rd: Kate Horgan (Royal Cork YC) – 144 pts

Junior Division, Gold Fleet
1st: Henry Means (Great Britain) – 13 pts; 2nd: Hector Bennett (Great Britain) – 18 pts; 3rd: Ella Lance (Great Britain) – 21 pts

Junior Division, Silver Fleet
1st: Johnny Flynn (Howth YC) – 28 pts; 2nd: Adam Walsh (Howth YC) – 124 pts; 3rd: Thomas O'Neill (Howth YC) – 131 pts.

Regatta Fleet
1st: Russell Bolger (Royal St George YC) – 5 pts; 2nd: Rocco Wright (Howth YC) – 11 pts; 3rd: Jessica Riordan (Royal St George YC) – 11 pts