Ballyholme Yacht Club Receives Platinum Certification for Eco-Friendly ILCA 6 European Championship

6th October 2024

Betty Armstrong

The huge 2024 ILCA 6 European Championship at Ballyholme Yacht Club

In late July, Ballyholme Yacht Club on Belfast Lough hosted the huge ILCA 6 European Championship, with almost 370 youth sailors representing 27 European and 11 non-European countries participating.

The hard work of the Club Green Team led by Charlie Winton meant that the event received a Platinum Certificate as a Clean Regatta. Together, Charlie and her team put in place a string of green initiatives that included reducing single-use plastics, using compostable or reusable tableware and food packaging, sourcing awards made from sustainable materials, encouraging recycling as well as green boating practices reducing the use of fuel, and using wooden boat tags instead of plastic.

Ballyholme Yacht Club on Belfast Lough hosted the huge ILCA 6 European Championship

As well as receiving the highest level of certification, Emily Conklin, Programme Manager at Sailors for the Sea, praised the team's efforts, saying: '"I am so impressed with all you've done … thank you so much for your dedication to sustainability through the Clean Regattas programme. We look forward to working with you in the future and continuing your legacy of environmental stewardship".

Published in Laser, Northern Ireland Waters, Belfast Lough

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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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About the ILCA/Laser Dinghy

The ILCA, formerly known as the Laser, is the most produced boat in the world, with 220,000 units built since 1971.

It's easy to see why the single-handed dinghy has won the title of the most widely distributed boat of all time.

The Laser is a one-design dinghy, the hulls being identical but three rigs that can be used according to the size and weight of the sailor.

The class is international, with sailors from 120 countries. The boat has also been an Olympic class since 1996, being both the men's and women's singlehanded dinghy.

Three rigs are recognised by the International Laser Class Association (ILCA):