O’NEILL WAVESAILING TOUR, WAVE 5, BELMULLET
Belmullet has landed on the map big time now, writes Oisin Van Gelderen. Unlike Brandon Bay, for years it was hard to find anyone to sail with in Belmullet, unless they came with you.
I have been there every windy day in the last month, and there’s plenty of tourists who have found their way down the bumpy Mayo roads. Damn! The secret is out! 🙂
This weekend just gone was packed by Belmullet standards – around 30 on the water. I spotted German vans, Dutch, French, Polish, Norwegians, Brits over from Rhosneigor.. and even a few Irish in the car park !
Anyway, to the point…
The final event of our IWA O’Neill Wave and Freestyle Championships is this coming Bank Holiday Weekend, and the forecast is looking pretty good for some wind on at least 1 of the days so far. We have had a few wave events this year so far, but it’s still close at the top, so everything is to play for.
There has been no freestyle completed at all this year yet..so if we get the conditions for that (if there’s no waves), then that Championship is up for grabs too.
The entire event is run out of the UISCE Irish college/adventure centre right on the waters edge in Elly Bay, and there’s a whole load of coaching activities going on too around the weekend.
That’s the beauty of Belmullet – world class wavesailing and surfing on the Atlantic side of the peninsula, and miles and miles of flatwater bays and inlets on the inside for intermediates / freestylers and speed freaks. This place caters for everyone.
The full event info as follows from IWA: http://www.sailing.ie/windsurf/news/newsDetails.asp?id=293
