GRADUATES of the Sail Training Ireland Asgard Armada Voyage 2022, from left Charlie Wogan, Roisin Joyce (Galway), Callum Enright, Libby O Gorman and David Ekundayo with Minister for Sport Jack Chambers. (See below for more.) Photo: Fennell Photography 2022

Boats to take to water for Lambs Week

Sailing festival begins today

GALWAY Bay Sailing Club will host ‘Lambs Week’ from today (Thursday) until Monday August 1.

Now in its third year, ‘Lambs Week’ is a sailing festival on Galway Bay. Boats of all sizes and inclinations sail in the company along the shores of the bay, around the Aran Islands, and finally into the Port of Galway.

Held over five days, it is a mixture of casual racing, cruising, and fun with one night in Ros á Mhil, two nights in Cill Rónáin on Inís Mór, and the final night in Galway Marina for the Commodore’s Ball at the Bill King Clubhouse.

The highlight of the weekend is a pursuit rally, where the boats sail a challenging circuit around Inis Oirr and Inis Mean and return to Cill Rónáin for food, music and plenty of craic.

Last year, over 40 boats participated, and organisers at Galway Bay Sailing Club are hopeful for similar numbers this year.

Event sponsors include Corio Generation, a leader in the development of offshore wind farms, Gaeltacht na hÉireann and the Port of Galway, who are instrumental in making the event possible.

The organisers at Galway Bay Sailing Club are keen to promote the excellent cruising grounds of the west coast while highlighting the need and opportunity for better facilities for the many visiting boats at the Aran Islands and other anchorages. For more information see www.gbsc.ie/lambsweek2022.

Meanwhile, 50 exceptional young Irish trainees, who took part in an intensive week-long voyage as crew members of three different sailing vessels, have received their certificates of completion from Minister of State for Sport Jack Chambers at a special awards ceremony in Dublin’s Docklands.

The 50 young people from 13 counties had just completed an intensive week-long training course with Sail Training Ireland off the coasts of Ireland and the UK, on board three participating vessels – ‘The Brian Ború’, ‘Ilen’ and tall ship ‘Pelican of London’.

Among the 50 participants was Roisin Joyce from Galway.