Clifden Boat Club Newsletter July 2026
A Message from the Commodore
Dear Members,
As another busy sailing season is underway, I’d like to take a moment to thank you for your continued support of Clifden Boat Club. There is lots of activity at the club, with more members, more young sailors and evening sailing.
That growth brings exciting opportunities, but it also means we need to continue investing in our facilities. To help us achieve this, we are launching what is undoubtedly our biggest fundraiser to date.
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our former Commodore, Paul Ryan of SeaScape Sailing, we are offering the chance to win an unforgettable one-week skippered yacht charter aboard Artemis in the beautiful Dodecanese Islands of Greece and Turkey. This fantastic prize, valued at over €8,000, is for up to six people, with only limited tickets available. Ticket link here👉Raffle Ticket
Every ticket purchased will help Clifden Boat Club continue to grow. Funds raised will go towards improving our sailing school facilities, creating better training spaces, increasing equipment storage and making the club an even better place for current and future generations to enjoy sailing and water sports. We have started this initiative by removing the old portacabin.
As always, we’re proud that a portion of the proceeds will also be donated to the RNLI, supporting the volunteers who help keep us safe on the water.
If every member purchased just one ticket and shared the raffle with family, friends and colleagues, together we could make a huge difference to the future of our club.
I encourage you to support this exciting fundraiser and, who knows, next summer you could be setting sail in the crystal-clear waters of the Greek Islands.
Save the date, Regatta will be on the 1st & 2nd of August! All details below. Should you wish to register your dinghy or yacht to participate, please fill in this form here Regatta registration.
Thank you once again for your continued support, and best of luck in the draw.
Fair winds,
Captain Morvan Le Dorven
Commodore
Clifden Boat Club
Summer Sailing
Summer Sailing Camps are up and running. We have had a great start.
Enrol now if your loved ones are up for some fantastic fun
To Sign Up For A Summer Sailing Camp Click Here
Club Sailing Days
Adult sailing – Evening sailing from 6pm on Mondays or Wednesday.
Give it a try!
Thursday Cruising
Every Thursday evening from 7pm. Come on down.
Friday evening Sailing
From 5pm for children and young adults who know how to sail.
Clifden Boat Club Newsletter July 2026
Pontoon Rebuilt and Ready for the Season
We’re delighted to share that our club pontoon has been fully rebuilt and is back in service for the season.
The original pontoon was carefully deconstructed at the beginning of the year before being expertly rebuilt by Bernard Whelan. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Bernard for the time, skill and dedication he invested in this important project. His hard work has ensured that the pontoon will continue to serve the club and the wider community for years to come.
The pontoon provides a vital facility for emergency services, Clifden Boat Club members, and visiting boats, offering safe and convenient access to the water.
As always, we ask everyone using the pontoon to do so responsibly and help keep it in good condition for all users.
Thank you, Bernard, for your outstanding work and continued support of Clifden Boat Club
Funding News
Women on the Water – New Programme Launching
Clifden Boat Club is delighted to announce that we have been successful in securing the Women on the Water Grant, helping us to introduce even more women and girls to sailing and water-based activities. A huge thank you goes to Ellie Bradley, our Senior Instructor, who spearheaded the grant application and has worked hard to bring this exciting initiative to the club.
The programme gets underway next week and will run every Wednesday evening, providing a welcoming, relaxed and enjoyable environment for females of all ages and abilities to get out on the water, learn new skills, build confidence and enjoy the social side of sailing.
Whether you’re completely new to sailing or looking to get back on the water, everyone is welcome.
We look forward to seeing this programme grow and hope it encourages even more women
and girls to become involved in Clifden Boat Club.
Community Bursary Scheme Off to a Fantastic Start
Clifden Boat Club is delighted to announce that, thanks to the generous support of Connemara Credit Union, we were awarded €2,000 to launch our Community Bursary Scheme. The bursary is designed to make sailing more accessible to children and young adults from across the Connemara region, ensuring that financial circumstances are not a barrier to getting out on the water.
The response has been incredible, with the entire bursary fund allocated within just 12 hours of applications opening. This overwhelming demand highlights the need for initiatives like this and the positive impact they can have within our community.
To help the scheme continue, we are introducing a “Donate to our Bursary” option on our website. Every contribution, no matter the size, will go directly towards helping more young people experience the benefits of sailing, learn new skills, build confidence and become part of our boating community.
If you would like to support the Community Bursary Scheme, please visit: Clifden Boat Club Bursary
A Special Thank You to Lynn!
A huge thank you goes to Lynn Ruddle, who has kindly volunteered her time in the clubhouse kitchen to provide delicious lunches for the children attending our sailing courses. For just €8 per day, the young sailors enjoy a freshly prepared lunch, with favourites including spaghetti Bolognese, homemade pizza, soup and sandwiches, followed each afternoon by a delicious hot chocolate with marshmallows.
Thank you, Lynn, for your generosity, hard work and continued support of Clifden Boat Club. Your contribution has made a real difference to our summer programme.
A Sincere Thank You to the Men’s Shed
Clifden Boat Club would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Clifden Men’s Shed for their generosity and craftsmanship in making and installing our beautiful new gates.Projects like this make a real difference to our club, and we’re incredibly grateful for the time, skill and community spirit that went into creating them. The new gates are a wonderful addition to the club and are a lasting reminder of what can be achieved when local organisations work together.
We are proud to have such fantastic support within our community and sincerely appreciate the Men’s Shed for their contribution to Clifden Boat Club.
Thank you to everyone involved—we truly appreciate your generosity and support.
Farewell to Our Portacabin
After 20 years of loyal service, it’s time to say goodbye to a familiar feature of Clifden Boat Club.
Our portacabin has served the club incredibly well over the years, providing a base for our sailing school, storing equipment and supporting countless courses, regattas and club activities. It has played an important role in the growth of Clifden Boat Club and holds many fond memories for members past and present.
As the club continues to grow, the time has come for the portacabin to be removed. Its demolition will create valuable additional space within the boatyard, improving access and providing greater flexibility for storing boats and equipment.
More importantly, this marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter. Removing the portacabin will give the club the opportunity to plan for a purpose-built facility that will better meet the needs of our sailing school and members for years to come. While we’ll be sad to see it go, we’re excited about what the future holds.
Here’s to the next chapter for Clifden Boat Club
Before: The portacabin during its years in service.
- After: The cleared boatyard, showing the additional space now available.
Thank you, James Kane!
Clifden Boat Club would like to extend our sincere thanks to James for his generous donation of a refurbished boiler to the club.
We are absolutely thrilled with this fantastic addition. It is already making a real difference, ensuring to keep the clubhouse warm and welcoming for members and our sailing school.
Thank you, James, it is very much appreciated.
Thank you, Giles Fraser!
A huge thank you to Giles for his hard work in designing and developing our fantastic new Clifden Boat Club website.
The new site features an easy-to-use online sailing school booking platform, making course registration simpler than ever. It also includes an up-to-date News & Events section, Calendar of Events and a Blog section helping members and visitors stay informed about everything happening at the club.Thank you, Giles, for your time, expertise and continued support of the Clifden Boat Club – we are delighted with the result!
Clifden Boat Club Newsletter July 2026
Club Events – A Busy Start to 2026
It’s been a fantastic first half of the year at Clifden Boat Club, with an exciting programme of talks, workshops and social events bringing members together both on and off the water.
February
Golden Globe Race Talk – We were delighted to welcome Pat Lawless, who gave a fascinating insight into the legendary Golden Globe Race, sharing stories of adventure, endurance and solo ocean sailing.
March
Fastnet Race Talk – Eddie Stocker captivated members with his experiences of one of the world’s most iconic offshore yacht races.
Engine Maintenance Workshop – A practical and informative evening led by Eddie and Jackie, helping members gain confidence in maintaining and troubleshooting marine engines.
St Patrick’s Day Parade – Clifden Boat Club proudly took part in the local celebrations, showcasing the club within our community.
Trivia Night – A fun-filled social evening that brought members together for plenty of laughs and a little friendly competition.
April
Members’ Evening – A very successful evening where members came together to discuss the season ahead, share ideas and enjoy each other’s company. It was wonderful to see such great support and enthusiasm for the club.
June
Safety at Sea Evening – In partnership with the RNLI, members enjoyed an informative and practical session covering essential water safety, including lifejacket checks and advice to help everyone stay safe on the water this season.
A huge thank you to all our guest speakers, volunteers and members who have helped make these events such a success. We look forward to seeing everyone at the many exciting activities still to come this season!
Upcoming Events
CBC Regatta
Dinghy Racing – 10am – 1pm, on both days
- 9 am Check-in
- 9.15 am Rigging Check
- 9.45 am Skippers Briefing
- 10.15 am 1st Race
Entry Fee €15 pp
Register Here
Swim Race Sunday 11am – €10pp all proceeds to RNLI
1st & 2nd August
Yacht Racing – 12pm – 4.30pm on both days
- 12 pm Check-in
- 12.20 pm Skippers Briefing
- 2 pm 1st Race
Entry Fee €25 per yacht
Register Here
Sunday BBQ 5 pm – €10 pp
🎨 Clifden Arts Week will once again feature an event at Clifden Boat Club this September. What exactly is happening? Well… it’s a secret—even we don’t know yet! Keep an eye on our announcements… watch this space!
🎤 Winter Talks & Social Evenings are already being planned. Following the success of this year’s speaker series, we’ll be announcing another exciting programme of talks and events to keep everyone connected throughout the winter months.
📅 Keep up to date with everything happening at Clifden Boat Club by visiting our Calendar of Events: 👉 https://clifdenboatclub.com/events
Or join our WhatsApp Community Announcements to receive the latest club news and event updates straight to your phone.
Join here: 👉 WhatsApp CBC Announcements
