Sailing Round the Emerald Isle is an Incredible Experience by David A Robinson

Sailing in Ireland is something that comes naturally to a nation that is surrounded by water. Ireland has the legacy of the Vikings, once the world's greatest seafaring people, as part of their colourful historic past.

Today, however, sailing around Ireland no longer involves pillaging. It's a pastime steadily growing in popularity, and no little wonder, for the seas around the Emerald Isle have a full range of variety and offer a sailing experience to suit everyone.

The coastline of Ireland is dotted with a numerous little towns and villages, each one with its little fishing harbour. Increasingly, these little harbours are now also catering for the recreational water sports market, mainly inshore sailing. This can be as simple as a small dinghy, or as sophisticated as a large yacht.

Dinghies are ideal for inshore sailing. They are light and easily transported. A specially designed trailer can be towed behind a car allowing anyone to move between sailing centres. Launching a dinghy is also easy and quick, especially if the sailing centre at a harbour has been adapted to make this easy.

It's not just the coastline where you can find sailing in Ireland. The inland waterways offer a unique sailing experience and many centres and clubs exist to cater for the growing demand. The river Shannon offers many sailing opportunities, as does the Loughs of Derg, Ree and Erne. Sailing inland is probably best for anyone who is inexperienced as there is less likelihood of strong winds and high waves to make the experience difficult.

If windier conditions with rougher water is more your kind of thing, then the dedicated sailing centres and clubs in the more sheltered harbours can accommodate that for you. Crosshaven harbour to the southeast of Cork, for example, is host to the Royal Cork Yacht Club, the world's oldest yacht club.

Other examples of bigger sailing centres and clubs include Dun Laoghaire and Howth on Dublin Bay, Wexford harbour in the southeast of the country, Waterford close by to the west, and Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland.

Off-shore cruising is also popular in Ireland. Some of the sailing harbours along the coast offer larger cruising yachts for the more experienced sailor. These can be hired on a weekly basis and allow you to travel much longer distances than the hire of the smaller inshore sailing boats can allow.

Competition sailing in a variety of classes is also very popular in Ireland. There are sailing clubs dotted all over the country, both on the coasts and inland, making full use of the extensive waterways that criss-cross the land.

One important point to remember if you are planning a holiday of sailing in Ireland is to always respect the weather conditions. It can look very easy on a day when the water is calm like a mill pond, but conditions can change rapidly at times and it's always best to be prepared. Always plan ahead and access a reliable weather forecast and never take on more than you can manage. Then all you have to do is simply enjoy yourself.

David A Robinson
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