March 2009 NUI Galway Students Set Sail Ahead of Volvo Ocean Race

NUI Galway will host the Irish University Sailing Association intervarsity competition in Oranmore's Galway Bay Sailing Club this weekend. The four-day event, starting on Thursday, 5 March, will bring together over 200 students, from 13 third-level institutions, to compete in the team racing event. The weekend will provide NUI Galway's Sailing Club with a chance to take to the water ahead of May's Volvo Ocean Race in which the Club will be playing a supporting role. The round the world yacht race stops off in Galway toward the end of May, and NUI Galway's Sailing Club has volunteered to help in ensuring a safe and enjoyable racing fortnight. According to Kathy Hynes, Development Officer for Clubs and Participation at NUI Galway: "The intervarsity is a great event for NUI Galway. It gives our Sailing Club a chance to illustrate their skills in what will be a hotly contested event. The growth and success of Irish sailing is assured if the tenacity and dedication of the Galway students involved in this club is as prevalent in all the other university clubs. We are also really looking forward to the arrival of the Volvo Ocean Race, which is such a prestigious round-the-world competition". NUI Galway's Sailing Club has around 30 active members and takes advantage of the many local sailing facilities, including those on Lough Corrib. Student Charlie Carlisle is a member of NUI Galway's Sailing Club: "Anybody with an interest in sailing, whether as a beginner or regular ocean-goer, is advised to pay a trip to Galway Bay Sailing Club this weekend. We are inviting people to meet the teams and find out about the best ways to get involved in this summer's highlight sport in Galway". The intervarsity will feature fancy dress nights out and a black tie dinner reception. For more information email sailing@clubs.nuigalway.ie. -ends-