RYA Scotland is pleased to announce the Malin Waters Clipper Cruise in Company.

Entries are now open so please email us at clippercruise@ryascotland.org.ukto request more information, register your interest and receive an application pack.

This is a great event for those who own their own boats, but don’t feel confident enough to travel far from their home waters or for those who enjoy cruising but don’t own their own yachts. The cruise will be led, with RYA qualified Yachtmaster Instructors, who will also have the capacity to move between boats to help out with coaching and instruction, to help develop your skills whilst you take part.

The cruise will start on Saturday 30th June and will be departing from Scotland and Ireland. The Scottish boats will be leaving from Largs with their first stopover in Campbeltown. The Northern Irish boats will be leaving from Belfast Lough and will have their first stopover in Ballycastle.

The Malin Waters Clipper Cruise in Company is for both sail and motor cruisers and has a cruise plan that will accommodate people with varying levels of boat skills as well as being flexible for those who want to leave venues at different times. We will help those without their own boat to find someone to cruise with.

The cruise plan is designed as a series of short hops to ensure that we keep the difficulty levels low and the social levels high. A number of activities will be taking place both on and off the water during the cruise to keep everyone entertained and to ensure that everyone gets a chance to socialise with all the boats.

The full cruise plan included in your application pack will provide details on all the facilities available on shore, the shore based activities plus any other relevant information. All this is supplied in advance to help ensure that your cruise is as stress-free as possible.

Training sessions are available on various pre-cruise topics to help you to prepare, such as first aid for cruisers, passage planning, boat preparation and crew preparation. Those who don’t own a boat are also encouraged to come to the training sessions so that you can meet with boat owners who may have a spare berth. If you would like to register as a potential crew member then drop us an email at clippercruise@ryascotland.org.uk.

Training sessions for the Scotland boats will be taking place at Largs Sailing Club on the following dates:

• Saturday 28^th April 2012
• Saturday 19^th May 2012
• Saturday 16^th June 2012

Training sessions taking place in Northern Ireland are to be confirmed shortly.

Scottish departures

Scottish boats depart from Largs on Saturday 30^th June and will their first stopover in Campbeltown. On the 1^st July they then head down to Ballycastle for the night. They will then move onto Greencastle on the 2^nd July for a stopover before heading to Derry for a two night stay. Coming back to Scotland will require the boats to leave Derry on Thursday 5th July, staying in Ballycastle on 5th July, and Campbeltown on 6th July, on the way back to Largs.

Northern Irish departures

Irish boats will depart from Belfast Lough on Saturday 30^th June and will travel to Ballycastle for an overnight stop. They then head on to Greencastle on the 1st July for a short stop over. They will then head to Londonderry/Derry for a few nights.

The Scottish and Northern Irish boats will meet up in Derry to enjoy all the Clipper celebrations and festivities. The Malin Waters Cruise in Company is a great opportunity to enjoy the hospitalities of Scotland and Ireland as well seeing the Clipper boats!

It promises to be a fantastic event so please email us and register your interest before Monday 15^th May 2012.