The annual Cong – Galway Sailing Race, Europe’s oldest and longest inland water sailing race, will take place this year on Saturday August 27 2022.
There are five local sailing clubs involved; Galway Hooker Sailing Club, Galway City Sailing Club, Corrib Rowing & Yachting Club, Galway Bay Sailing Club and Spiddal Sailing Club.
The course follows the old steamer route from Lisloughrey pier near Cong to Galway city, which is about 30 nautical miles in total. The race start is very close to Ashford Castle at the northern end of the lake.
It is raced as two legs. The first leg finishes at Kilbeg, where competitors take a break for lunch and refreshments. The second leg is via a narrower channel in the lower lake and on to the river where it finishes at Corrib Village.
You are invited as a spectator to watch this race and along the shores there are many viewing points. Some of the best are along the river by Dangan and the Quincentennial Bridge where you will see many of the sailing dinghies having to capsize to fit under the bridge and the Hookers have to be ready to drop their masts and hoist them again once they are under the bridge.
