Portaferry Sailing Club

⛵ GIVE AN OLD OPTIMIST SAIL A NEW LIFE 🌊

Portaferry Sailing Club is appealing to sailing clubs, sailing schools and sailors across Northern Ireland and beyond for used or unwanted Optimist sails that are still in usable condition.

The sails will support a special community project in Carriacou and Petit Martinique in the Lower Grenadines, where local people are rebuilding after the devastation of Hurricane Beryl in 2024.

This summer, local shipwrights worked alongside children on the islands to build seven wooden Optimist dinghies by hand as part of efforts to revive their traditional boat-building heritage and introduce a new generation to sailing.

The boats are built now they need sails. ⛵

This project has a strong connection to Portaferry Sailing Club through our Sailing Secretary, Karen Brown, who has previously worked with the islands and community through her university research.

If your club or members have an Optimist sail gathering dust in a sail loft, garage or store, it could now help a young sailor take to the water for the first time.

📞 Karen Brown: 07762 783119
📧 [email protected]

Please share this appeal with sailing clubs, junior sections and Optimist sailors.

One old sail here could give a young sailor a whole new beginning there. 💙



some images from Carriacou & Petit Martinique

The "High Tide Friday" gang had another glorious evening sailing dinghies, where else, but on the Narrows in front of Portaferry Sailing Club
How much the kids have improved and grown in confidence over the past year is very rewarding. Thanks go to instructors at SSC but more especially volunteers at PSC who have been giving the kids this opportunity every Friday.
Finges crossed we get a few more good ones before end of season.

"High Tide Friday" on a falling tide and very little breeze just off Portaferry Sailing Club !!!
But wow, 11 kids and 7 dinghies all had a fun time!
Thank you as always to our kids, parents, volunteers and supporters for making this happen.
RYA Northern Ireland

We are delighted to open this fantastic camp up to all primary school aged children as more spaces have become available!!

‼️‼️DON’T miss out and get booked in now!!

Port an Phéire - Club and Community Development Plan Open Day

We are delighted to welcome our members, supporters, friends and the wider community to the club THIS Sunday (16th August) to discuss our Club and Community Development Plan!

🎉Club & Communiity Development Day start time 1:30pm

🎼Live music in the snug with Joe & Ben Dynes from 5pm–7pm

🫔Food will be available, including sandwiches and buns etc.

Great company, good craic and a chance to see how the club is developing!
Everyone welcome — bring the family, bring your friends and come along to support the club!

We’d love to see you there! 💙💛

High Tide Friday.
Too much wind for all the dinghies but the RS Vision and PSC dory provided plenty of fun afloat while our new recruits learnt the basics ashore.
Also surprise birthday cake for " Bad Cop"!
RYA Northern Ireland Portaferry Sailing Club

Don't forget Solar eclipse Weds evening, 🤞the sky will be cloud free!

The UK will experience a partial solar eclipse on Wednesday 12 August.

The extent of the Sun’s coverage and the timing of maximum obscuration will differ across the country. Local weather conditions may impact viewing opportunities, so it’s worth checking the forecast in advance 🌦️

Northeast Scotland will have around 88% covered just before 7pm, whilst in the far southwest of England there will be around 96% coverage just after 7:15pm.

Never look directly at the sun; use a pinhole projector or certified eclipse glasses to view it.

Are you looking forward to this spectacle? ☀️🌕

Portaferry RNLI launch lifeboat to assist lone sailor during station open day

Portaferry RNLI crew pagers sounded at 11.53am this morning (Saturday 1st August) at the request of Belfast Coastguard after an international distress signal (Pan-Pan) was received from a lone sailor onboard a 6m yacht off the coast of Portavogie, in the Irish Sea.

The Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Blue Peter V was launched with helm Scott Blackwood, and crew Chris Adair, Rosslyn Watret and Becca Nightingale onboard.

Conditions at the time of launching were a force 3 gentle northerly breeze, partially cloudy with good visibility and a slight sea state.

When the casualty vessel was found, it was located east of the South Rock Buoy in the Irish Sea, 4 miles of the Ards Peninsula coast. Once on scene a lifeboat crew member was transferred to the yacht to assess the condition of the sailor.

With no means of safely continuing his journey and due to the location of the vessel, the decision was made to assist the sailor by towing the vessel to the safety of the nearby Portavogie Harbour.

Speaking after the call out, Portaferry RNLI helm, Scott Blackwood said: 'This sailor was alone on his vessel and sent out a Pan-Pan message as soon as he became aware of a problem. We commend him for doing this quickly.

'When the radio is used to send a Pan-Pan it informs the emergency services and other vessels in the area, that an urgent problem exists.

'We would urge anyone heading out onto the water to check the weather and tide times for their location, before leaving the shore and to wear a lifejacket or suitable personal flotation device for your activity and always carry a means of calling for help.

'We would like to thank the people who were in our boathouse enjoying our open day when the alarm was raised. Your cooperation and willingness to move outside, very much aided us with our response to the pagers.

'We thank everyone who came along to our station open day today, and look forward to welcoming you back in the future.'