Ballyholme Yacht Club on Belfast Lough has taken a big step and will hold a two-day club regatta this weekend, (1st and 2nd August), for members only, but it will be an adapted ‘regatta’, run to the new normal within both government and RYA guidelines.
It won’t, therefore, be a regatta in the usual sense in that while there will be plenty of on the water activity, there will be no regatta tea or bar in the clubhouse – so no mass sandwich-making the night before!
Prizes will be awarded in the form of vouchers for the BYC Bar, or local chandlery prizes and to make up for the lack of the all-important regatta tea, it is suggested you bring deckchairs and sandwiches. The outside bar will be open.
On Saturday morning, there will be a Cadet Regatta and Saturday afternoon will see a similar format to the current Sunday racing, but with a Committee Boat windward start. On
Sunday morning there will be a Ladies Race using the Club Picos with a briefing at 0930 and start at 1030. This must be booked online.
And for those who have any energy left, there will be a Regatta swim at 1330 and at 1500 a Stand-Up Paddleboard race starting from the South Slipway. The course will be dependent on the weather conditions, again with prizes for the speedy (and perhaps even stylish) paddlers.
Details and online booking will be available from today (29th) on the club website. At present entry appears to be for dinghies only.