Lough Erne Yacht Club is an RYA Champion Club offering top class training to young sailors, a few of whom may become champions.

A real example of this was apparent at the weekend as John Patrick McCaldin added an Irish Western J/24 Champion to his record, taking Jamais Encore to victory in a big championship on the Shannon Estuary. This coming Sunday, LEYC invites all, youth or adult, female or male, to experience Fermanagh’s ancient sport – sailing. Some may be future champions. For sure, many new sailors will enjoy superb sport and recreation on Europe’s most scenic inland waters.

The weekend’s six-race Irish Western J/24 Championship, hosted by Foynes YC, had 80 sailors in 16 boats road-trailed from 10 clubs around Ireland - six from LEYC and Sligo YC.

In tight racing, shifty winds and tides, least mistakes won. Jamais Encore’s winning score counted three firsts, a second and a third: margin five ahead of second overall. Half the fleet had at least one race finish in the top four (top quarter). For this quality sport, other J/24s went to Foynes from Dublin, Cork and Carrickfergus. First arrival was LEYC’s Diarmuid O’Donovan towing Yachtzee. Ninth overall, best result a fifth, was a creditable achievement on his first J/24 outing for years. Sixth overall, best a third in final race, Finbar Ryan’s success in Jelignite, Lough Ree YC owed much to crew that included June Clarke LEYC.

On Erne waters, May’s seven Tuesday soft wind sunset races involved five J/24s – two others re-fitting ashore. Tim & Bridget Rippey in Jigalo won all seven races over three evenings, with John Buckley’s Jota, second (results 3, 2, 3, 2, 3, 2 & 2) third Michael Clarke’s Jeriatrix (4, 3, 2, 5, 2, 3 & 3) and fourth John Mulholland’s Jasper (2,4,5,3,4,4 & 4). John Carton sailed Jet in two races, both fourth. The usual J/24s crew is a busy five: women and men, often including a couple of novices. In May’s races, most had only 3 on board, some 2. Five and another two J/24s to launch, need 30 or more crew. Full crew compliments need twenty more recruits now, expert or novice, women or men, to join in this superb sailing team sport. Come along this Sunday, or Tuesday, or to Thursday evening crew training.

Sunday also saw the Yeoman fleet’s first outing, six sailors in three boats for two races in a moderate then stronger south wind. All three emerged equal 4 points overall. Bertie & Ian Forsyth made a first and third in Crista, four total score. Richard Smith and Warren Cooper in Growler, two seconds, and Donald McCarthy and Jen Bailey in 183, first and third. With more (novice) crew another three or more boats could have raced. This Sunday’s opportunities include try-sailing in a Yeoman. About a dozen of these classic open-cockpit keelboats, first designed for the Norfolk Broads, migrated to the Erne these past dozen years, and are well suited to sailing sport sheltered among the islands.

LEYC dinghy fleet’s first 2017 outing on Wednesday evening was thwarted by calms. However, Sunday morning’s moderate winds suited four wee Topper training dinghies, with child helms, escorted by Mark Valentine in an LEYC safety boat. Try-sailing in these nifty wee boats will feature this Sunday. Champion, John Patrick, and many others entered sailing via various LEYC training schemes back to the 1950s - as did a septuagenarian Yeoman keelboat champion. This Sunday, active adults are sought as novice J/24 or Yeoman racing crew, or in club dinghies, after training, or for help handling their own sailing boat.