Lough Ree Yacht Club members are developing a class of SB20s sportsboats on the lake for 'informal' club racing and to compete in the June Bank Holiday Weekend racing and the annual regatta. Three boats have been confirmed for this season with the possibility of a fourth boat involved too.
The fledgeling fleet is also in contact with the five or six boats on Lough Derg (mainly sailing out of Garykennedy) and hope to host the Derg fleet during the season and also join them for some Derg events.
Gortmore Bell Race on Lough Derg
In an interesting departure from windward/leeward racing, the Lough Ree sailors are also looking at having a class start in the annual Gortmore Bell Race on Lough Derg from Mountshannon to Terryglass and back in September.
The sailors intend to run a Demo Day in the club in June. "We would like to encourage existing cruiser sailors as well as sailors moving up from Mirrors and other dinghy classes. All are very welcome to come along and have a go!, say the LRYC promoters.
The SB20, previously known as the Laser SB3, is a 3-4 person keelboat with main, jib and asymmetric spinnaker.
The SB20 is campaigned on an Irish National circuit with a regional event once a month during the summer and is actively raced twice weekly in Dun Laoghaire. There are also pockets of boats racing in Northern Ireland, Cork and Lough Derg.
Lough Ree Yacht Club has been involved in the class since it hosted a number of regional events around 2006 to 2012 and LRYC hosted the All Ireland Sailing Championships last September in SB20s.
