Lough Ree Yacht Club fleets
Shannon One Designs, Keelboats, SB20s, Optimists, Mirrors, 420's Some of the original fleet still continues to race.
Lough Ree Yacht Club is a sailing club based in Ballyglass, Coosan, near Athlone, Ireland. The record of pleasure sailing on the waters around Athlone goes back to 1731 but organized club sailing did not start until 1770 when the club was founded, albeit under a different original name. Lough Ree Yacht Club claims to be the second oldest yacht clubs in the world, although The Royal Cork Yacht Club
has proven to be the world's first and oldest yacht club. In any event it is probably the oldest club based on an inland lake.The tradition of organized pleasure boating in Athlone goes back to at least 1731, with a regatta on the River Shannon amongst the 'diversions' promised for a festival week in the town. Athlone is founded on the River Shannon, just south of Lough Ree, the second largest of Ireland's big lakes.Early activities appear to have involved a rendezvous at some agreed place and a cruise in company in the manner of a naval flotilla but racing eventually developed. From these incidental activities an organization in the form of a club was established. Originally it was known as Athlone Yacht Club and was renamed Lough Ree Yacht Club in 1895, probably because by this time most its members sailed out of a small, sheltered bay at Ballyglass, on Lough Ree itself; Ballyglass is recorded as the venue of the Annual Regatta as early as 1836.The Club Members have since, the early twentieth century, owned their own premises. Recently, on July 25th 2006, new, larger premises were officially opened, as the second substantial expansion of the clubhouse premises. Yet the original building built in the early twentieth century is now a "building-within-a-building", in that it now functions as the office housed entirely within the clubhouse proper.The Club is closely, but not exclusively, associated with the Shannon-One-Design (SOD), a single-sail class of open clinker built boat. The SOD was designed by Morgan Giles of Teignmouth and it was introduced to the Club in 1922 in response to a growing demand for a one-design competitive and less expensive dinghy. Over a hundred and forty have now been built for the Shannon Lakes, almost all by the master craftsmen such as Walter Levinge, Peter Quigley, and Jimmy Furey of Lough Ree. Other than SOD's, the Club is made up of a few barge owners, as well as a mixed cruiser class and a junior section, both of which are very active. Junior sailing was introduced in 1968, and today instructs beginners with a fleet of Optimist, Laser, Mirror and Laser Pico dinghies. The largest and most significant event run by the club annually is the Annual Regatta commencing on the August Bank Holiday.
11/05/2026
Adult Sailing Courses 2025....
Don't miss out and book onto our popular Adult Sailing Courses this summer. We are running 3 separate courses, one at the end of May and two more in July.
More information and booking is via our website - www.lryc.ie/adult-sailing-course/.
All are welcome and no sailing experience is necessary.
You get provisional membership to the club for the rest of the season and our members are always looking for crew.
If you have any questions you can email us on [email protected] or message us.
Please spread the word!
02/12/2025
Well done Dom
Thank you to outgoing President Dominic Byrne who did an incredible job this year and welcome to new IODAI President Jim Hughes of voted in at this evenings committee.
13/10/2025
What an amazing year it’s been for Cillian & the boys from Headcase! What a great way of finishing the season.
Looking forward to welcoming the J24 Fleet to Lough Ree!!
5 days to go to the Irish National Championships at Lough Ree Yacht Club. With 9 of the worlds top 50 boats including World Champions Headcase taking part it’s going to be one competitive fleet.
Irish Sailing
Lough Ree Yacht Club
Afloat Magazine
11/05/2026
02/12/2025
13/10/2025
29/09/2025
22/09/2025
18/09/2025
13/09/2025
17/08/2025
16/08/2025