Ballyholme Yacht Club is located on Ballyholme Bay within the town of Bangor, and at the entrance to Belfast Lough.
The location is superb with a sheltered bay allowing safe sailing and racing for the numerous dinghies and “big boats” within the club.
As well as regular Sunday racing for dinghies all year and Tuesday evening racing during the summer season, we regularly host many other sailing events including Ballyholme Regatta, Sea Bangor, and Regional, National and International events for Optimist, Topper, Laser, RS200/400, Multi-hull dinghies and others.
In 2013 we hosted the World Police and Fire Games to great acclaim. In 2014 we hosted the Fireball Northerns, RS Sprint Series, F18 Catamaran World Championships, Irish Laser National Championships and the RYANI Youth Championships ( for a third year in a row) amongst others. We also host the Lisglass Builders Icebreaker from October to April with over 100 boats registered each of the last 5 years. Each year is very busy with over 110 days of organised racing and training for club members which relies on the generosity of the many volunteers within the membership e.g. the 2014 F18 World Championships had over 160 volunteers helping out during the week.
Our racing pedigree has provided sailors and officials to the last 5 Olympic Regattas as well as the Principal Race Officer for this year’s Volvo Round the World Race and many other international events.
Ballyholme YC is very proud to boast 3 members who have competed at the London 2012 Olympics – Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern in the 49er, and James Espey in the Laser dinghy. All three have already qualified Ireland and are training for the 2016 Rio Olympics. We are also proud to have a world champion amongst us – Liam Glynn was crowned Topper World Champion 2013. In 2014 Liam won Irish Youth Sailor of the year (joint award). We also have many members on RYANI and ISA youth squads looking forward to 2016 and beyond.
Ballyholme is an RYA recognised training centre and offers courses throughout the year to adults and cadets (age 3 and upwards) with sailing and power boat courses, including Race Officer, mark laying and many others. We also have a very buoyant cadet membership which last year had Wednesday evening “try sailing” sessions under “Dolphins and Sharks” during May and June, as well as numerous other family events such as the Corinthian Cup and Pirates Raid throughout the summer. BYC is also home to the North Down BSAC, our very active diving section, who provide training and diving throughout the year with facilities that are “second to none”.
Ballyholme Yacht Club (BYC) is the home of champions and new sailors alike. It is run by its members, for its members, encouraging sailing, racing, diving, training, water based activities and social events.
There is Club racing every Tuesday evening and Sunday afternoon from April to September and on Sunday afternoon Icebreaker Series through the winter for dinghies. Members are also welcome to race with our sister club Royal Ulster on Thursday evenings.
Members also potter about sailing at any time – particularly when rescue boats are on the water for racing.
Regattas are held most Saturdays through the sailing season in Belfast Lough and a number of Open series are held further afield such as West Highland Week & Cork Week.
Ballyholme hosts, and members participate in, numerous national and international championships throughout the year.
Many varieties of dinghy, day boat and yachts are sailed, including Toppers, Lasers, Picos, Bays, Waverleys, Squibs, Multihulls, Sports boats and Cruisers. Individual boats can be handicapped for racing so any boat can be included! There is a family class so the more people you have in your boat, the more points are awarded.
Facilities include: