The 420 fleet will gather in Lough Ree Yacht Club this bank holiday weekend for the annual late autumn three-day intensive training camp under the watchful eye of Graeme Grant and supported by Cara McDowell and a team of experienced 420 coaches who are all ex 420 sailors themselves.
Lough Ree Yacht Club is a popular choice for this event, with teams travelling from Malahide, Waterford, Royal Cork, Kinsale, and three Galway clubs (Cumann Seoltóireachta an Spidéil, Galway City, and Galway Bay Sailing Clubs) joining local Lough Ree sailors. The club offers great facilities and even camping options for those feeling adventurous at this time of year.
The sheltered lake setting will provide plenty of opportunities for sailors to stretch their skills, and the coaching team has designed a comprehensive training schedule to support sailors at all levels in developing their skills.
The coaches will be working with each team to help them implement a winter training plan to be match-ready for the Training week and Munster Championship in Kinsale in February 2024 and Youth Nationals later in the Spring.
Although intense, beyond the training, there's time for sailors and their parents to connect with those from other clubs and enjoy some off-water activities. There's even talk of watching the Rugby World Cup final, with friendly competition among New Zealand and South African sailors amongst the fleet adding to the banter.
The 420 Class Association organises the LRYC training weekend, and it is open training for all 420 sailors regardless of their level of experience in the boat. The main goal is to provide quality training to the sailors and support the 420 Class Coaches to learn new techniques to take back to their clubs.
'Ulster' Championship
After the training weekend, the 420 "Ulster" Championship takes place on the following weekend (November 4th and 5th), also at Lough Ree Yacht Club, reducing the environmental impact of moving boats around the country.
The 420 Class Association and the team at Lough Ree Yacht Club is excited to welcome as many sailors as possible to these two weekends of 420 action.
