Galway Bay Sailing Club 420 Duo First Dinghy Home in Cong-Galway Race

30th June 2025

Afloat.ie Team

Cong-Galway race winners (from left to right): Patsy Casserly, president of Corrib Rowing and Yachting Club, with dinghy fleet winners Killian Mathieu and Sean Lemonnier, and Peter Fergus of the Lodge at Ashford, sponsor of the Cong-Galway Race.

Galway Bay Sailing Club’s Sean Lemonnier and Killian Mathieu were first dinghy home in this year’s Cong-Galway race across the Corrib system.

Over 80 sailors participated in this year’s 30 nautical mile contest, which is said to be Europe’s long inland waterway sailing race.

Galway Hookers and mixed dinghies competing in the 2025 Cong-Galway Race

In south-easterly winds, the fleet of cruisers, Galway hookers and dinghies set sail from Cong at the top of Lough Corrib early on Saturday, breaking for lunch at the “narrows” at Kilbeg pier.

In the Cong-Galway sailing race, boats may need to capsize to pass under the Quincentennial Bridge. The race also involves traditional Galway Hookers dropping their masts to pass under the bridge

Lemonnier and Mathieu competed in a 420, finishing in just over three hours, and second place in the dinghy class was taken by David Dickson, Anna Leech and Orla Martin of Lough Ree Yacht Club in a Shannon One Design.

The Cong Galway fleet 2025 breaking for lunch at the “narrows” at Kilbeg pier

Third in the dinghy class were Laurik Mathieu and Cliona Pierse of Galway Bay Sailing Club in a Dart 16.

Colm Tuohy and Conor O’Byrne of the Irish Cruising Club took first place in the keelboat fleet, sailing a Flying 15.

Galway Hooker Sailing Club entered two hookers, Loveen and Lon Dubh, with Loveen, crewed by Marty Concannon, Damien McCoy, Orla Curran and Eileen Cameron, taking first place in that class.

A coalition of Galway clubs are involved in the organisation of the event – Galway Bay Sailing Club (SC), Corrib Rowing and Yachting Club, Galway City SC, Galway Hooker SC and Cumann Seoltóireachta an Spidéal.

Full results below

Race Results

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Published in Cong-Galway Race, 420

Published in Cong-Galway Race

Tagged under

cong galway race

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The Cong-Galway: Ireland’s oldest inland sailing race

The annual Cong – Galway Sailing Race is Europe’s oldest and longest inland water sailing race.

The original Cong-Galway Race started at the Royal Galway Yachting Club in Galway City and travelled to Ashford Castle in Cong before returning to Galway City, a race distance of 61.5 nautical miles.

The 2020 race is the 137th such race.

The Cong-Galway Race was a huge social event in Galway until 1914. It never recovered after the First World War and was last held in its old format in 1931. The race was later revived in 1972. Now half the original length, the race starts at Lisloughrey pier, near Ashford Castle, and ends just past the Quincentennial Bridge in Galway City.

Cong Galway Race Course

The Cong to Galway Race start is from Lisloughrey Pier in Cong, Co. Mayo and is typically scheduled for 10.30 a.m. on a course through Upper and Lower Lough Corrib to the finish line at Corrib Village on the River Corrib in Galway. The race makes a stop for lunch at Kilbeg Pier, approximately half way, where timings will be taken for the restart.