Club History
The club began in 1963 as Mullaghmore Yacht Club (MYC) and ran mainly as a dinghy and cruiser club under the guidance of a founder member, the late Paddy Malone. Initially MYC was composed largely of members from outside the area. However, in the seventies and eighties, there had been a subtle change in the sport of sailing which encouraged the sport to embrace all.
This was reflected in a change of the club's name to Mullaghmore Sailing Club. The new Clubhouse was opened in 2000 and an emphasis was placed on Junior Sailing and Special Needs Sailing with a view to building up a strong youth base to enable the future development of MSC. Membership numbers have increased significantly since then with a broad base of support from the local region and further afield. In 2018 the club dinghy fleet received a significant boost with the purchase of 10 RS FEVA dinghies and this fleet has subsequently been expanded with Topaz and Pico dinghies.
MSC also has three keelboats for member use - a Sun 2000, Viva 800 and a J24 which is primarily used by MSC’s Under 25 sailors.
Achievements
In partnership with the local triathlon club, MSC Tri which was founded by sailing club members with an interest in triathlon, the club hosts the Mullaghmore Triathlon. This event has been running annually since 2001 and is now firmly established on the triathlon circuit drawing hundreds of competitors and spectators each year.
Regattas
It wouldn't be a club without regattas and MSC is no exception. The annual cruiser regatta takes place in July each year and brings in visiting boats from neighbouring clubs as well as the local fleet. With up to 30 boats competing for the silverware over there's a festival atmosphere in the village for the duration. MSC is also one of the host clubs for the annual Northwest Offshore Racing Association (NORA) Championship which is run in conjunction with Killybegs and Sligo Yacht Clubs. The annual MSC Junior Regatta is also one of the highlights of the year and the club has also successfully hosted regional championships for optimist, Topaz, Mirror and Topper dinghies.
Sailing courses
All income for the club's activities is re-invested in training and water sport events, a commitment that is specified in the articles of association of the club. MSC runs up to six weeks of junior sail training courses over the summer months for 30 to 40 young people each day.
The club also provides sail training courses for adults which are run at evenings and over weekends from May to September.
Special Needs Sailing
The club is committed to including people with special needs on sailing courses. Each year we endeavour to offer special needs children to join in our mainstream junior courses. Over the years the club has organised special sailing weekends for disabled adults and children.
What else is the clubhouse used for?
In recent times the clubhouse has been used for art exhibitions, yoga classes, making wedding vows, table quizzes, instructor training courses, powerboat courses, diesel engine courses, navigation courses and our very popular social evenings where all members are welcome.