
The Royal Dee Yacht Club and Clwb Hwylio Pwllheli Sailing Club will again host the 2020 Spinlock IRC Welsh National Championships which is scheduled between Friday 14th August to Sunday 16th August 2020.
The open event will use the facilities of the Welsh National Sailing Academy and Event
Centre and will draw on the skill and experience of the Academy’s event team who have a long and excellent record of hosting World, European and UK National Championships. This year again the race management is organised by The Royal Dee Yacht Club team.
The racing will take place on the world renowned sailing waters of Cardigan Bay with the dramatic scenery provided by the mountains of Snowdonia and the Llyn Peninsula and is only a short sail from the Marina. Minimal tidal influences and being open to the prevailing winds will provide superb championship quality racing conditions.
The Sailing Club and marina berths forms part of the excellent Hafan Pwllheli Marina complex with chandleries, boat yards, sail makers, parking and spaces for motorhomes - all you will need for a fabulous championship.
There is plenty to do ashore before or after the event (or for shore crew during the event). Please visit the great selection of boutique, shops and facilities in the market town and taste and experience the offerings of the new and refurbished bars, cafes and restaurants. A train ride to the Castle in Criccieth - or onwards to Porthmadog where you can catch the steam train to Caernarfon with the majestic castle or to the quarries in Blaenau Festiniog in the Snowdonia National park - all delightful experiences.
Whilst here with the boat why not explore the coastline and anchorages of Abersoch and an exploration sail up the river to Porthmadog.
The £9M Academy facilities will be used for the Championships. This new facility will enhance and extend the events capacity in Pwllheli and improves the access to the Bay.
The iconic Academy building incorporates a café/restaurant and club house all of which have views of the beach and the mountains of Snowdonia and mid Wales which provide a spectacular backdrop for all events.
I know you will have a memorable IRC championship in Pwllheli – both on and off the water – and I look forward to greeting you all.
Stephen Tudor
Hon. Secretary Pwllheli Sailing Club
Clwb Hwylio Pwllheli Sailing Club and the Royal Dee Yacht Club, will again host the 2023 IRC Welsh National Championships which are scheduled between Friday 12th May to Sunday 14th May 2023.

This is a change to our traditional dates, which we hope will spread out the Cardigan Bay sailing regattas out more evenly through the year.
This open event will use the facilities of Plas Heli - The Welsh National Sailing Academy and Event
Centre, and will draw on the skill and experience of the Plas Heli, Royal Dee Yacht Club and Pwllheli Sailing Clubs race management and event teams, who have a long and excellent record of hosting World, European and UK National Championships.
The racing will take place on the world renowned sailing waters of Cardigan Bay with the dramatic scenery provided by the mountains of Snowdonia and the Llyn Peninsula and is only a short sail from the Marina. Minimal tidal influences and being open to the prevailing winds will provide superb championship quality racing conditions.
The Plas Heli pontoons, and the Hafan Marina berths forms part of the excellent Pwllheli Harbour, with chandleries, boat yards, sail makers.
Plas Heli has ample free parking and spaces for camping and motorhomes/caravans in our two secure sites - the compound or quayside. All our plots have hook up electricity.
There is plenty to do ashore before or after the event (or for shore crew during the event). Please visit the great selection of boutique, shops and facilities in the market town and taste and experience the offerings of the new and refurbished bars, cafes and restaurants. A train ride to the Castle in Criccieth - or onwards to Porthmadog where you can catch the steam train to Caernarfon with the majestic castle or to the quarries in Blaenau Festiniog in the Snowdonia National park - all delightful experiences.
Whilst here with the boat why not explore the coastline and anchorages of Abersoch and an exploration sail up the river to Porthmadog.
The Academy facilities will be used for the Championships including the pontoon berths.
The Academy building incorporates a café/restaurant and bar, serving freshly cooked meals using locally sourced ingredients, with superb views of the beach and the mountains of Snowdonia and mid Wales which provide a spectacular backdrop for all events.
We know you will have a memorable IRC championship in Pwllheli – both on and off the water – and we look forward to greeting you all.
Mark Thompson - Commodore Pwllheli Sailing Club
Vicky Cox - Rear Commodore and Racing Captain Pwllheli Sailing Club
Stephen Tudor - Chairman Plas Heli Cyf
The entry fee for the Spinlock IRC Welsh National Championships 2018 are as follows:
Enter before 31st December to be entered in the Prize Draw
The entry form is now published and available here
The Dates for the 2018 - Spinlock IRC Welsh National Championship have been confirmed as follows:
- 17th, 18th and 19th August 2018 -
The Spinlock IRC Welsh Championship was brought to a conclusion on Sunday 13th August with racing followed by the Prize Giving in The Welsh National Sailing Academy and Events Centre (Plas Heli).
Pwllheli Sailing Club Secretary and Plas Heli Chairman, Stephen Tudor, thanked PRO Mike Butterfield for the excellent racing on the IRC 1 & 2 Courses set from the wonderful Committee Boat 'Pleione of Dee' with assistance form the Royal Dee Yacht Club.
Robin Evans the Race Officer for IRC 3 and 4 was congratulated on setting excellent cpourses for the Sportsboat and Cruiser Classes.
Huw Pearce and Jack Thompson were thanked and presented with momentos for race scoring and publishing work on the web site
Crews and skippers were invited to the ISORA Night race and also to the ever popular Pwllheli Challenge in September.
The Provisional Dates for the Spinlock IRC Welsh National Championship have been announced 17th to 19th August -
The Full results are available here but in Summary the Series winners were as follows:
| Place | IRC 1 | IRC 2 | IRC 3 | IRC4 |
| 1st | Fools Gold | Legless Again | Luvly Jubbly | Ella Trout III |
| 2nd | Dark Angel | Eazi Tiger | Jac Y Do | Paraiba |
| 3rd | Impostor | Ingenious | HRT | To Me To You |
Photographs by our event Official Photographer here and photos of the Prize-Giving here
With lumpy conditions for he committee boat, PRO Mike Butterfield set a short coastal course for IRC 1 and 2, with a beat to St Tudwal's Islands, round the back and then a run back to the Plas Heli finish line.
IRC 1 was won by Rob McConnels A35 "Fools Gold" and IRC 2 by the local M Crompton/G Hallsworth J97 "Injenious"
Robin Evans, PSC Race Officer set a windaward / leeward course around the club racing marks for the sportsboats in IRC 3 which was a great challenge in the gusty conditions. This race was won by M and J Thompson in J80 Jac y do. The IRC 4 cruiser class were set a course to Eurwyn buoy and back via the West end mark and this race was won in great style by Roger Fitzgerald in his Delher 29 Ella Trout III
A demanding day on the water, and tomorrow looks like a great sailing day in cardigan bay with 11-15 kts NE wind forecast for Day 2 where the IRC 1 and 2 classes will be racing windward/Leeward, IRC3 round the cans, and IRC4 a coastal course. Results are available here
The 2018 Sailing Instructions for the 2018 Spinlock IRC Welsh Championships is now published and is available below or as a pdf here
The Sailing Instructions for the 2018 Spinlock IRC Welsh Championships SI's - available here


{pdfembed file="images/2022/Documents/SailingInstructions2022.pdf" height="850px"}