Kinsale Yacht Club

Primary Activity

The club operates as a sailing club and marina, offering competitive and recreational sailing with one-design keelboats, cruisers, and dinghies. It also provides junior and adult training, cruising, and full-service marina operations. More information can be found on their website here.

History

Established in 1953, the club began in Scilly cottages opposite the slip and moved to its current clubhouse in the early 1960s. The marina was built in 1978 and extended in 2003. The club has a longstanding tradition of hosting regional, national, and international championships, including the Dragon Gold Cup and the Sovereign’s Cup. For a detailed history, visit this page.

Accommodation

There is no on-site overnight accommodation listed; however, the club and marina are within a few minutes' walk of hotels, restaurants, and shops in Kinsale. Local town accommodation is typically used by visiting crews. More details can be found here.

Boatyard Facilities

The club offers local marine services and boatyard facilities, including the Kinsale Boatyard, which provides lifting, repairs, storage, and has a haul capacity. Additional services include pump-out (by appointment), chandlery, sailmaker, rigging services, marine surveyors, and nearby fuel and diesel facilities. More information is available at this link.

Moorings and Anchorage

The club features a full-service marina with visitor and member berths, ensuring a secure environment with a self-locking gate and CCTV. Visitor berths have a minimum depth of 8 meters at low water springs, and there is provision for deep-water berths suitable for superyachts, accommodating vessels up to 65 meters. Details can be found at this page.

Clubhouse Features

The clubhouse includes a fully licensed bar, a seasonal restaurant, a large sun terrace overlooking the harbour, changing rooms, male and female showers, laundry facilities, free Wi-Fi, a fitness room, customs forms for non-EU craft, and full wheelchair access. The clubhouse operates daily from 08:30 to 23:30. For more information, visit here.

Training Programs

The club offers structured training programs, including a junior sailing program featuring Optimists, Toppers, Lasers, and 420s. Adult Introduction to Sailing courses and periodic VHF SRC courses are also provided, along with RYA and Irish Sailing Day Skipper courses and other navigation and safety instruction. More details can be found at this link.

Racing Activities

The club has an active racing program that includes weekly one-design and cruiser/white-sail fleets, as well as inshore and offshore racing. It regularly hosts major events such as the Sovereign’s Cup and the Dragon Gold Cup, alongside numerous national and international championships and regattas. For further information, visit this page.

Cruising Events

The cruising section is active and organizes various cruising events. The club runs offshore races and local cruises, such as the Inishtearaght and Skelligs races. The marina serves visiting cruisers and is equipped to provide provisioning and marina services for visitors. More information can be found at this link.

Social Activities

The club hosts a year-round social program that includes clubhouse social nights, themed evenings, talks, and seminars. There are also watch parties and event social programs tied to major regattas, such as the Sovereign’s Cup social program and regatta festival activities. The bar and dining facilities are used for regular social events and AGMs. More details can be found at this page.

Seasonal Operations

The club's facilities operate throughout the year, with an active events calendar in all seasons. The bar is open seven days a week during peak summer months, and standard daily opening hours are from 08:30 to 23:30. Some services, such as seasonal dining and event programs, peak in summer. For more information, visit here.