Three day community and family festival promised for blue ribband sailing event
Excitement is building as Wicklow Sailing Club counts down the final days ahead of the next edition of the SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race and Festival 2022, which opens this Friday 17 June and runs all weekend until Sunday 19 June.
The hotly-anticipated 705-nautical mile premier yacht race in Ireland, will set sail from Wicklow Harbour in the official race start at 1pm on Saturday 18 June, and for the first time, the organisers are promising a packed and vibrant Family Festival which will span the entire weekend offering a feast of fun, food and entertainment for all the family.
This year, Artisan Events in partnership with Wicklow Sailing Club will deliver the biggest ever Round Ireland festival event, and all sponsored by SSE Renewables.
The highlight of the weekend is the spectacle of the 50-plus boats and their crews that will gather in Wicklow for the classic biennial offshore event. Hosted once again by Wicklow Sailing Club, the SSE Renewables Round Ireland will feature boats ranging in size from 30 feet to over 70. For this year’s event, there will be a fleet of at least 52 boats, including Pen Duick VI, the largest boat in the race at 73-feet.
The 2022 SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race is Ireland’s premier offshore yacht race. First staged by Wicklow Sailing Club in 1980 and held biennially since, the Round Ireland is the second longest race in the Royal Ocean Racing Club calendar. The SSE Renewables Round Ireland course follows the traditional route first contested in 1980 that states “leave Ireland and its islands to starboard” while starting and finishing at the scenic port of Wicklow on the east coast of Ireland. The race will conclude with a sprint to the finishing-line along the east coast to Wicklow and Wicklow Sailing Club's legendary hospitality at the end.
However, the Round Ireland is more than just a race – it is an incredible opportunity for Wicklow Sailing Club and for County Wicklow as a whole, providing significant economic opportunities for the area.
This year’s event is the first to be sponsored by SSE Renewables, Ireland’s leading developer and operator of renewable energy, including offshore wind energy. The association with the Round Ireland is an ideal one as the company is an active member of the community in County Wicklow as it continues to progress its plans for the development of the next stage of its offshore wind energy project, Arklow Bank Wind Park.
To celebrate this landmark yacht race, Wicklow Sailing Club is hosting a series of festival events that will take place from 16 to 19 June at Wicklow Sailing Club and on Black Castle Hill.
Proceedings kick off with a ‘Meet the Sailors’ party on Thursday 16 June at 8pm, followed by the ‘Rock-a-Round Ireland Party’ with a BBQ and live music on Friday 17 June, all at Wicklow Sailing Club.
Up at Black Castle Hill, a three-day Family Festival will open from 5pm on Friday 17 June, continuing from 12pm-9pm daily on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 June. This fun family festival promises live music and entertainment, a funfair with children’s Bounceworld, and food stands from local businesses.
For the first time, the Round Ireland weekend will rock to the sound of three days of live music at the Black Castle. Brought to you by SSE Renewables and supported by Wicklow County Council, Wicklow County Arts Office and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media, the line-up at the free, open-air live music stage includes the best of local artists and bands. There will be plenty of local Wicklow talent taking to the stage during the weekend including Wicklow Ukulele Players, Spotlight Studios and John and Tommy Breen. Headline performances include popular band Big Love on Saturday night and renowned sign-songwriter Leslie Dowdall on Sunday night.
"The anticipation is building at Wicklow Sailing Club with the 2022 SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race almost upon us. We cannot wait to welcome all contestants from across the world to this year’s competition. We already have a blue riband offshore sailing event and this year, the Family Festival will run for the entire weekend offering increased footfall to the town and economic benefit to traders."
Kyran O'Grady Commodore of Wicklow Sailing Club
"We’re particularly pleased that the offshore spectacle of the SSE Renewables Round Ireland will be complemented by an extended three-day Family Festival for the entire community of Wicklow and beyond to enjoy. The Round Ireland is a blue riband sporting and tourism event, not just locally but nationally, so it’s great to see its return this year marked by the staging of its biggest-ever family festival including a packed line-up of local music and arts performers.
Barry Kilcline Director of Offshore, SSE Renewables
On behalf of SSE Renewables, I would like to extend our thanks and congratulations to all the organisers of this year’s event, especially Wicklow Sailing Club and Wicklow Municipal District for their tireless efforts in preparation for this year’s event both offshore and onshore. I would also like to Artisan Events, Wicklow County Arts Office and the Department of Tourism, Culture, and Sports for their support in making this year’s event bigger than ever before. It’s going to be a fantastic spectacle and I urge everyone in County Wicklow and beyond to arrive early to enjoy this magnificent sporting occasion."
The SSE Renewables Round Ireland 2022 will officially conclude on Friday 24 June with a Sailors’ Prize Giving Ceremony, BBQ and live music at Wicklow Sailing Club.