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Water sports Carrickfergus

Carrickfergus Sailing Club

A friendly Belfast Lough sailing club with RYA courses and taster days to get you started.

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SeasonalSailing and courses run mainly spring to…
£44Per person
CarrickfergusWater sports
Get directions
£44Cost
Sailing and cou…Season
Junior membersh…Best for
Club slipway be…Launches
NearbyParking

Carrickfergus Sailing Club — A friendly Belfast Lough sailing club with RYA courses and taster days to get you started.

  • What you can do: Adult and junior sailing courses, taster days (e.g. Discover Sailing, Women on Water), powerboat, VHF and first-aid courses, racing and cruising for members.
  • Public access: Not drop-in hire; access via RYA courses, taster days or membership.
  • Booking: Essential.
  • Age / ability: Junior membership and youth training from age 8; basic swimming confidence sensible before going afloat.
  • Kit provided: Not confirmed - check with the club which courses include boat/buoyancy aid.
  • Season: Sailing and courses run mainly spring to autumn; weather-dependent.
Plan your visit

Learn to sail on Belfast Lough

This is a sailing club with an RYA recognised Training Centre attached, so the activity here is learning and sailing rather than casual board or kayak hire. Adults and children can take sailing courses through the season, and the club also runs Powerboat Level 2, Marine VHF radio, Day Skipper shorebased and First Aid courses. Newcomers have been able to dip in via taster sessions such as 'Discover Sailing' and 'Women on Water', though dates vary year to year. Children are catered for from age 8 through Junior Associate membership and youth training. It suits families who want to take up sailing properly on Belfast Lough rather than have a one-off splash.

Sailing club RYA courses Adults & juniors (8+) Taster days Book ahead Carrickfergus Marina
Good to know before you go:

Sailing clubs and centres run kids' summer sessions, taster and try-sail days, RYA courses and seasonal racing; sessions are weather- and tide-dependent, so check the club's own pages for current dates, bookings and prices.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 🩱Swimwear & a warm layerWear your togs under easy clothes; most places provide wetsuits.
  • 🧺A change of clothes & a towelYou WILL get wet — dry clothes for after are a must.
  • 💧Water and a snackYou will be hungry after all that paddling and splashing.
  • 🎫Your bookingLessons and hire usually need booking ahead — have it ready.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Type
Membership sailing club and RYA recognised Training Centre
What you can do
Adult and junior sailing courses, taster days (e.g. Discover Sailing, Women on Water), powerboat, VHF and first-aid courses, racing and cruising for members
Public access
Not drop-in hire; access via RYA courses, taster days or membership
Booking
Essential
Age / ability
Junior membership and youth training from age 8; basic swimming confidence sensible before going afloat
Kit provided
Not confirmed - check with the club which courses include boat/buoyancy aid
Season
Sailing and courses run mainly spring to autumn; weather-dependent
Cost
Membership and course fees rather than one-off hire; 2026 membership from about £44 (Junior Associate); check current course prices
Launches from
Club slipway beside Carrickfergus Marina, Belfast Lough
Parking
At Carrickfergus Marina / Rodgers Quay area
Address
Carrickfergus Sailing Club, Rodgers Quay, Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim (postcode not confirmed - check with the club)
Questions

Before you go

Do I need to book?
Essential
How much is it?
Membership and course fees rather than one-off hire; 2026 membership from about £44 (Junior Associate); check current course prices
When does it run?
Sailing and courses run mainly spring to autumn; weather-dependent
Getting there

Carrickfergus Sailing Club launches from Club slipway beside Carrickfergus Marina, Belfast Lough. At Carrickfergus Marina / Rodgers Quay area. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google Maps See it on our map
Nearby

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The story

About the operator

Carrickfergus Sailing Club traces its origins to 1866 and has long been part of the Belfast Lough sailing scene, moving to its current home beside Carrickfergus Marina in 1984. After a fire destroyed the clubhouse in 2012, a new clubhouse opened in 2014.

Today it runs racing and cruising for members across a range of classes on Belfast Lough and operates as an RYA recognised Training Centre, offering courses for adults and children under its 'Sailing for everyone' banner.