Dubarry renew sponsorship of Women's Open Keelboat Championship 2016 – entries now open

Published 10:28 on 31 Mar 2016

Dubarry of Ireland will be returning for the 5^th year as title sponsor of the Women's Open Keelboat Championships.

The Dubarry Women's Open Keelboat Championships is an all-female keelboat regatta taking place in the Solent on 4-5 June 2016 and the organisers believe it is the only event of its kind in the UK.

Dubarry take inspiration from the rugged Wild Atlantic Coast and Galway's great sailing heritage to create the highest quality leather footwear, deck shoes and sailing boots as well as a range of clothing, leather goods and accessories. Participants in the Dubarry Women's Open Keelboat Championships will have the opportunity to win much admired Dubarry items, which will be available as prizes for class winners and in the overall Championship.

"The Dubarry Women's Open Keelboat Championships is an event that we thoroughly enjoy being involved with, both on and off the water. The superb location and excellent organisation is complemented by eager participants with a great sense of camaraderie, making this such a great event for us to be associated with" said Marketing Director, Michael Walsh.

WOKC aims to provide high quality racing amongst female sailors whilst also offering an environment that is encouraging to female sailors newly entering the competitive side of the sport.

Jen Smyth from the WOKC organising team adds, "We are extremely grateful to Dubarry for their continued support, which enables this regatta to continue. The event is great fun, and although we compete passionately on the water the atmosphere is friendly and welcoming. We actively encourage newcomers to join us, so if you are a female skipper or boat owner, please get in touch to find out more."

Hosted at Hamble River Sailing Club (HRSC), the regatta format focuses on IRC racing with a recommended rating of 0.88 to 1.101, split into suitable classes. One Design Classes will also be catered for if there are sufficient entries. For those with an available boat, but no current IRC certificate, the RORC Rating Office will issue a Limited Validity certificate for single event rating.

The popular Frocks & Flip-flops party takes place after racing on the evening of Saturday 4 June. Lady racers, their supporters and friends can let down their hair and raise some valuable funds for charities.

Entries are now open and early entry is advised to take advantage of the earlybird booking fee of £70, available until 17:00 on Friday 27 May. After that date, entry fee will increase to £90. Both evening party tickets and boat entry is available from HRSC either online or via the admin team on 02380 452070.

If you would like further details, please contact the WOKC organising team on wokc@hotmail.co.uk, check out www.womensopenkeelboatchampionships.co.uk. Alternatively you can register your interest for entry or as a crew member on Eventbrite here.

Notes to Editors

The Women's Open Keelboat Championship was founded in 2008 by a group of passionate female sailors who wanted to compete in challenging racing against other women. Over the years the team behind the regatta has evolved but the vision has remained the same.

The organisers are all volunteers and donations of support, time and charity raffle prizes are all gratefully received. The event is non-profit making with all proceeds going to a nominated charity or group of charities including Breast Cancer Care and the Hamble Lifeboat Trust.

www.womensopenkeelboatchampionships.co.uk

Pictures by B.Malas

Last updated 13:16 on 16 April 2024