Displaying items by tag: glenarm marina

25th May 2023

New Glenarm Nursery Set to Release 800 Million Oysters To Clean Up Local Waters

Native oysters are set to flourish once more along the Glenarm coast with the creation of a new native oyster nursery at Glenarm Marina.

The restoration initiative, led by Ulster Wildlife, could see up to 800 million oyster larvae released into surrounding waters every year, allowing these ocean superheroes to bounce back from extinction – boosting biodiversity and reducing water pollution levels.

As regular Afloat readers know, Belfast Lough has also seen a nursery set up, with oysters growing under the pontoons in Bangor Marina.

Ulster Wildlife is creating these native oyster nurseries to help restore the endangered species, which is very different to an oyster farm. The shellfish are not for consumption.

Native oysters (Ostrea edulis) were once abundant along the Glenarm coast up until the mid-1800s when overfishing, disease, invasive species, and pollution decimated the local population. Evidence of their shells can still be seen today along the shoreline.

Now over 800 mature native oysters, sourced under licence from Loch Ryan in Scotland, are being suspended in 30 purpose-built cages over the edges of the marina’s pontoons to help revive the species.

The oysters were screened for disease and cleaned on arrival before being installed.

Dr David Smyth, Senior Conservation Officer with Ulster Wildlife, said: “Despite their small size and insignificant appearance, oysters can bring huge benefits to our marine environment. Already, they have started to filter and clean 162,000 litres of seawater at Glenarm per day, equivalent to 810 bathtubs. And, this summer, they will reproduce, releasing the next generation of oysters onto the seabed to form oyster reefs, providing nursery grounds for fish and shelter for marine creatures. This is a win-win for nature: restoring oysters creates healthier and more resilient seas and their reefs store carbon – crucial if we are to tackle the nature and climate crisis.”

Mid-East Antrim Borough Council, which manages the marina, welcomes the nursery.

Mayor, Alderman Noel Williams said: “We are thrilled to be playing our part in restoring this endangered native species. Nestled at the bottom of the Glens of Antrim, Glenarm Marina is the perfect spot to help revive native oysters. As well as increasing water clarity and quality, the project will also deliver enhanced biodiversity and provide rich cultural value to the area. I look forward to seeing this initiative grow and thrive over the next few years.”

Ulster Wildlife is appealing for volunteers in the local area to help monitor the oysters as they settle into their new home. This involves conducting regular health checks to assess growth rates and surveying wildlife around the cages – email [email protected] to find out more.

This is the charity’s second native oyster nursery. Northern Ireland’s first native oyster nursery was opened in 2022 at Bangor Marina.

The Glenarm oyster nursery is funded by the DAERA Blue Carbon Fund and supported by Wilson Resources.

Published in Northern Ireland Waters

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New Pontoon at Antrim's Glenarm Marina Increases Berths to 50 Boats

Glenarm Marina now has a new fully serviced pontoon increasing the berthing capacity of this Blue Flag popular spot to 50 within the picturesque village's historical limestone harbour on the east coast of County Antrim.

Glenarm lies at the foot of one of the nine glens of Antrim of the same name and has long been a port of call for sailors travelling north and south and across the North Channel, being at most a day sail from both sides of the ancient Gaelic kingdom of Dal Riata or Dalriada.

It encompassed the western seaboard of Scotland and the north-eastern corner of Ireland on each side of the Channel and at its height in the 6th and 7th centuries, it covered what is now Argyll in Scotland and part of County Antrim.

The new 120m pontoon can accommodate 10-12 vessels and is connected to the existing pontoon network allowing access to the shore by a bridge.

The £250k project, led by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has been part-funded through Tourism Northern Ireland's Tourist Industry Scheme to encourage tourism growth here.

Glenarm Marina can be a base for visitors to explore both the Glens of Antrim and the Causeway Coastal Route

Former Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Cllr Peter Johnston said: "The marina provides facilities for both berth holders and visiting vessels including, toilets, showers and laundry facilities, Wi-Fi, a mobile pump-out station and a disability hoist. Glenarm is a great base for visitors to explore both the Glens of Antrim and the globally renowned Causeway Coastal Route that twists and turns along the County Antrim coastline, and is quite simply a journey unlike any other".

Glenarm Pontoon refurbishment: Mayor Peter Johnston, Mid and East Antrim BC, and representatives of Tourism NI, Civco and Gavin & Doherty Geosolutions

Rosemarie McHugh, Director of Product Development at Tourism NI, commented: "We are delighted to support this latest addition to the tourism product here in Northern Ireland. The fully serviced pontoon, situated at the Marina in Glenarm, is a fantastic base for visitors to explore the Glens of Antrim and the stunning Causeway Coastal Route. It also plays an important role in helping us rebuild and recover our tourism sector."

Published in Irish Marinas

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Glenarm Marina. Yachts and Boating Berths in Northern Ireland

Glenarm has long been a port of call for sailors and yachtsmen travelling to and from Scotland's island-studded western coast and has proved a welcoming haven to visitors from all over the world.
Glenarm Harbour offers 40 fully serviced pontoon berths within the village's historical limestone harbour, which is ideally situated within a day's sail of the Western Isles and Clyde. Visiting vessels welcome.

Glenarm Harbour
Glenarm, Co.Antrim, BT44 0EA

Telephone: 028 2884 1285

Published in Irish Marinas

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Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta

From the Baily lighthouse to Dalkey island, the bay accommodates six separate courses for 21 different classes racing every two years for the Dun Laoghaire Regatta.

In assembling its record-breaking armada, Volvo Dun Laoghaire regatta (VDLR) became, at its second staging, not only the country's biggest sailing event, with 3,500 sailors competing, but also one of Ireland's largest participant sporting events.

One of the reasons for this, ironically, is that competitors across Europe have become jaded by well-worn venue claims attempting to replicate Cowes and Cork Week.'Never mind the quality, feel the width' has been a criticism of modern-day regattas where organisers mistakenly focus on being the biggest to be the best. Dun Laoghaire, with its local fleet of 300 boats, never set out to be the biggest. Its priority focussed instead on quality racing even after it got off to a spectacularly wrong start when the event was becalmed for four days at its first attempt.

The idea to rekindle a combined Dublin bay event resurfaced after an absence of almost 40 years, mostly because of the persistence of a passionate race officer Brian Craig who believed that Dun Laoghaire could become the Cowes of the Irish Sea if the town and the local clubs worked together. Although fickle winds conspired against him in 2005, the support of all four Dun Laoghaire waterfront yacht clubs since then (made up of Dun Laoghaire Motor YC, National YC, Royal Irish YC and Royal St GYC), in association with the two racing clubs of Dublin Bay SC and Royal Alfred YC, gave him the momentum to carry on.

There is no doubt that sailors have also responded with their support from all four coasts. Running for four days, the regatta is (after the large mini-marathons) the single most significant participant sports event in the country, requiring the services of 280 volunteers on and off the water, as well as top international race officers and an international jury, to resolve racing disputes representing five countries. A flotilla of 25 boats regularly races from the Royal Dee near Liverpool to Dublin for the Lyver Trophy to coincide with the event. The race also doubles as a RORC qualifying race for the Fastnet.

Sailors from the Ribble, Mersey, the Menai Straits, Anglesey, Cardigan Bay and the Isle of Man have to travel three times the distance to the Solent as they do to Dublin Bay. This, claims Craig, is one of the major selling points of the Irish event and explains the range of entries from marinas as far away as Yorkshire's Whitby YC and the Isle of Wight.

No other regatta in the Irish Sea area can claim to have such a reach. Dublin Bay Weeks such as this petered out in the 1960s, and it has taken almost four decades for the waterfront clubs to come together to produce a spectacle on and off the water to rival Cowes."The fact that we are getting such numbers means it is inevitable that it is compared with Cowes," said Craig. However, there the comparison ends."We're doing our own thing here. Dun Laoghaire is unique, and we are making an extraordinary effort to welcome visitors from abroad," he added. The busiest shipping lane in the country – across the bay to Dublin port – closes temporarily to facilitate the regatta and the placing of six separate courses each day.

A fleet total of this size represents something of an unknown quantity on the bay as it is more than double the size of any other regatta ever held there.

Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta FAQs

What is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Ireland's biggest sailing event. It is held every second Summer at Dun Laoghaire Harbour on Dublin Bay.

When is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is held every two years, typically in the first weekend of July.

Where is Dun Laoghaire Regatta held?

As its name suggests, the event is based at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Racing is held on Dublin Bay over as many as six different courses with a coastal route that extends out into the Irish Sea. Ashore, the festivities are held across the town but mostly in the four organising yacht clubs.

How big is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is the largest sailing regatta in Ireland and on the Irish Sea and the second largest in the British Isles. It has a fleet of 500 competing boats and up to 3,000 sailors. Scotland's biggest regatta on the Clyde is less than half the size of the Dun Laoghaire event. After the Dublin city marathon, the regatta is one of the most significant single participant sporting events in the country in terms of Irish sporting events.

How old is Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The modern Dublin Bay Regatta began in 2005, but it owes its roots to earlier combined Dublin Bay Regattas of the 1960s.

How many boats compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 500 boats regularly compete.

How many yacht clubs are represented at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Up to 70 different yacht clubs are represented.

Where do the yachts come from to compete at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Channel Islands, Isle of Man, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland countrywide, and Dublin clubs.

How many boats are visiting boats at Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Nearly half the sailors, over 1,000, travel to participate from outside of Dun Laoghaire and from overseas to race and socialise in Dun Laoghaire.

What type of yachts race in Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

21 different classes are competing at Dun Laoghaire Regatta. As well as four IRC Divisions from 50-footers down to 20-foot day boats and White Sails, there are also extensive one-design keelboat and dinghy fleets to include all the fleets that regularly race on the Bay such as Beneteau 31.7s, Ruffian 23s, Sigma 33s as well as Flying Fifteens, Laser SB20s plus some visiting fleets such as the RS Elites from Belfast Lough to name by one.

What famous sailors race in Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Some sailing household names are regular competitors at the biennial Dun Laoghaire event including Dun Laoghaire Olympic silver medalist, Annalise Murphy. International sailing stars are competing too such as Mike McIntyre, a British Olympic Gold medalist and a raft of World and European class champions.

How much does it cost to enter Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

There are different entry fees for different size boats. A 40-foot yacht will pay up to €550, but a 14-foot dinghy such as Laser will pay €95. Full entry fee details are contained in the Regatta Notice of Race document.

Where can spectators view Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

Spectators can see the boats racing on six courses from any vantage point on the southern shore of Dublin Bay. As well as from the Harbour walls itself, it is also possible to see the boats from Sandycove, Dalkey and Killiney, especially when the boats compete over inshore coastal courses or have in-harbour finishes.

How does Dun Laoghaire regatta compare to international regattas?

Very favourably. It is often compared to Cowes, Britain's biggest regatta on the Isle of Wight that has 1,000 entries. However, sailors based in the north of England have to travel three times the distance to get to Cowes as they do to Dun Laoghaire.

Why is Dun Laoghaire Regatta so unique?

Dun Laoghaire Regatta is unique because of its compact site offering four different yacht clubs within the harbour and the race tracks' proximity, just a five-minute sail from shore. International sailors also speak of its international travel connections and being so close to Dublin city. The regatta also prides itself on balancing excellent competition with good fun ashore.

Who organises Dun Laoghaire Regatta?

The Organising Authority (OA) of Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta is Dublin Bay Regattas Ltd, a not-for-profit company, beneficially owned by Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club (DMYC), National Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Irish Yacht Club (RIYC) and Royal St George Yacht Club (RSGYC).

What does Dun Laoghaire Regatta contribute to the local economy?

The Irish Marine Federation launched a case study on the 2009 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta's socio-economic significance. Over four days, the study (carried out by Irish Sea Marine Leisure Knowledge Network) found the event was worth nearly €3million to the local economy over the four days of the event. Typically the Royal Marine Hotel and Haddington Hotel and other local providers are fully booked for the event.