A celebration of the wide range of watersports available in Northern Ireland took place on Saturday 29th July with an impressive Flotilla of 66 people sailing, paddling and rowing Upper Lough Erne. An array of boats including kayaks, canoes, skiffs, rowing boats, a Curragh and giant Stand Up Paddle Board travelled from Ballenaleck to Enniskillen as part of a wider initiative taking place over the weekend across Europe to promote sport and physical activity.
Part of the Get Wet NI initiative funded by SportNI and Waterways Ireland to encourage more people to enjoy our waterways and find their watersports passion! A range of watersports clubs from across the country formed the spectacle.
Reflecting on the Flotilla and the importance of the initiative, Mike McClure, Outdoor Recreation Development Officer for SportNI, commented, “It was fantastic to see so many people using their newly found skills to take part in this celebration of watersports. With access to experienced instructors and equipment as well as a great social scene, joining a club is a fantastic way to get into watersports without the barriers.”
Waterways Ireland, another funder of the campaign was delighted to witness so many users enjoying Lough Erne. Sharon Lavin from the organisation explained, “Lough Erne is one of our great natural resources and it’s not hard to see why this peaceful waterway with spectacular scenery is best enjoyed from the water. The lough provided the perfect setting for the Flotilla which we hope will inspire more people to get out and enjoy the fantastic waterways we have on our doorstep”.
The 2017 GetWet campaign has now ended however make sure to follow GetWetNI on Facebook to keep up to date with any future initiatives.
Trevor Foster of Erne Paddlers has provided a lookback at the weekend and the Flotilla. Read it here.
