West Lancashire Yacht Club 24 Hour Race Confirmed for 21st & 22nd September 2024

50th West Lancs 24 Hour Race © Kit Robinson

West Lancs YC 24 Hour Race © Paul Craven

Yes! We announced at the RYA Dinghy Show that we're reviving the 24 Hour Race in 2024... and we need you to be with us in Southport on 21st and 22nd September 2024. Enter the WLYC 24 Hour Race here.

Thanks to all the clubs who have already expressed interest in supporting the first 24 Hour Race of the new series. The race is on! If your club also wants to be part of the new history of the 24 Hour Race, the UK's premier dinghy sailing endurance event, entry is now open.

We're adopting an innovative, collaborative model to stage this monster of an event for the first time in 5 years. The RYA are advising on race management. Our thanks go to the GP14 Association who will manage online entry for teams sailing both Enterprises and GP14s. We're asking teams to provide some trained resources to help us make the event safe and enjoyable and Budworth Sailing Club have stepped up to organise the duty rota. It's going be teamwork and all the more fun because of it. We'll retain all the spirit and excitement of the traditional WLYC 24 Hour Race on the water, whilst streamlining some onshore facilities.

The West Lancashire Yacht Club 24 Hour Race is one of the three great dinghy sailing endurance events staged in the UK, hosted by the hardy sailors of the North West of England. Leigh and Lowton SC are welcoming club teams to Pennington Flash in Greater Manchester for the Sunrise to Sunset Race on 8th June - it will be a chance to warm up ahead of the WLYC 24 Hour Race in September, and for junior sailors Southport SC are hosting their National Junior 12 Hour Race on 29th June, also on the safe waters of the town's Marine Lake.

The 2024 West Lancashire Yacht Club 24 Hour Race will be the 53rd edition of an iconic event and the first in the new series after a five-year break. It's clear that many clubs want to be part of creating the new history of the UK's premier dinghy sailing endurance race. Seven clubs will be competing for the 53rd time, and 32 clubs have competed more than 30 times. The participation and performance of GP14s in the event has been outstanding in recent years. Whether you are new to the race or a third or fourth generation of sailors, you all share the same appetite for adventure and want to pit your skills against the ultimate challenge. We'll see you in Southport. It'll be quite an experience.

Busy scenes during the 52nd West Lancs Yacht Club 24 Hour Race - photo © Paul Hargreaves