Northern Ireland Yachts Gear Up for Busy Racing Season on Irish Sea

7th January 2025

Betty Armstrong

The Sigma 33 Squawk, co-skippered by Paul and Emma Prentice from Ballyholme and Royal Ulster Yacht Club, is the Northern Ireland entry into July's Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta on Dublin Bay Credit: Afloat

Northern Ireland yachts travelling up and down the Irish Sea this season to Howth, Dun Laoghaire, Tarbert and Oban in a crowded racing calendar

As arrangements for the 2025 Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta from 10th till 13 July hot up, the first Northern entry is Squawk in the One Design Sigma 33 class. Squawk is the very competitive racer of Paul and Emma Prentice from Ballyholme and Royal Ulster on Belfast Lough. As well as finishing in the top four in both the 2023 VDLR and last year's Scottish event, Paul says the best result was second in the UK Nationals last year at the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club in Falmouth.

This year, Squawk will also be among the 15 already entered for the Howth Yacht Club hosted four-day Irish Sigma 33 Championship, which has reportedly been moved back a week to start on 26th June so that yachts interested in staying on for the Dun Laoghaire Regatta have a shorter window between Howth and Dun Laoghaire. Joining Squawk at Howth will be Victoria and Martin Dews' Elandra from Royal Ulster and Mark Mackey's Mithril (Royal Ulster, Ballyholme and Quoile YC).

2025 Sigma 33 class championships

Both Elandra and Squawk will have a busy season travelling up and down the Irish Sea as both plan to race in the inaugural IRC Northern Ireland Championship set to take place at the Royal Ulster in Bangor in mid-July. Squawk plans to compete also in the Scottish Series at Tarbert and in May and Elandra will enter West Highland Week in early August. As yet Mark Mackey hasn't made up his mind about the IRC event in Belfast Lough. Emma Prentice, co-owner of Squawk, is looking forward to the one-design racing; "Sigmas are fantastic low-cost boats to race in at several venues this summer!

You can see how packed the schedule is

Scottish Series at Tarbert 23rd – 26th May
Sigma Nationals at Howth 26th – 29th June
Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 10th – 13th July
NI IRC Nationals at Royal Ulster YC 19th – 20th July
West Highland Week 2nd – 8th August

Published in Northern Ireland Waters, Sigma, Howth YC, Volvo Regatta, Belfast Lough

Published in Northern Ireland Waters

Tagged under

Northern Ireland

About The Author

Betty Armstrong

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Betty Armstrong is Afloat and Yachting Life's Northern Ireland Correspondent. Betty grew up racing dinghies but now sails a more sedate Dehler 36 around County Down

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