‘Thundercats are Go’ in Youghal

Youghal is set to be the most exciting location in the country this coming June when the Thundercat European Beach Challenge takes place from the 20th to the 22nd. On water,on land and in the air, the thousands that attend are promised world-class entertainment for the entire family.

For the first time ever in Ireland top international Thundercat teams will race right on the shoreline, giving spectators a powerboating experience they can almost reach out and touch. Unusually, for an Irish outdoor event, weather conditions are not an issue - if the weather is great then everyone will enjoy a balmy, yet exciting weekend at the beach in Youghal, but if the weather is in any way inclement then the Thundercat spectacle gets even more exciting. In short, whatever the weather - Youghal is going to be the place to be.

Continuing the family-friendly theme of the weekend the organisers have packed a huge supporting festival into the three days of the event. The largest firework display ever seen in these parts will kick off proceedings on the Friday night, preceded by a free outdoor concert by ‘Abbaesque’ and a parade by the Thundercats - all right in the centre of Youghal town.

Daytime on Saturday and Sunday the action moves to Claycastle Beach (1 mile from the town) where an exciting programme of land, sea and air displays will keep all ages entertained from 10am each morning until 7pm each evening.

And if that’s not enough, then there’s also a great boatshow, plus a food and craft market.

In the evening the action moves back into the centre of Youghal with even more great free concerts and street
entertainment. To make life easy for the thousands expected to attend, there will be a full park and ride service in place with shuttle buses transferring visitors from designated parking locations to the main event site and Youghal town centre.

This year’s event is completely free to the public and huge thanks are extended to Cork County Council, Youghal Town Council, Youghal Socio-Economic Development Group and the business community in Youghal for providing the funding required to make an event of this enormous scale possible.

Thundercats began life as surf-rescue boats in South Africa where they were the only boats that could go out into the wild Southern Ocean waves to rescue surfers. Following a eureka moment from some of the rescue crews, these small inflatable craft started racing in the surf just off the beach.

They are now raced all over the World, from South Africa to Australia, New Zealand, all over Europe and both sides of America. Pulling well over 2g on corners these amazing craft have a better power-to-weight ratio than a Ferarri. Racing at speeds over 60 mph they race a tight circuit right on the shoreline and race finishes often see them driving right up on to the beach at full speed.

This is the first powerboat race to be held in Ireland under the guidance of the Irish Sailing Association’s (ISA) new Motorboat Division, and it is fitting that Thundercats will kick-off what promises to be an exciting new era for Irish watersports.

Exciting, challenging and great fun, Thundercats look set to become a regular sight in Irish waters, with many new Irish teams expected to be tempted into the series due to their relatively low cost of purchase.

While this year will be one of the largest free public events in the country, the potential for Youghal is even greater. The town is currently in the running to become the location for the Northern European leg of the Powerboat P1 World Championship.

This is one of the biggest sporting events in the world with a global television reach of 2.2 billion and an expected attendance of 150,000 spectators a day. If Youghal is successful then it would play host to the event for five years, starting in 2009. The potential benefits, not just to Youghal but the entire South-East coastline from Waterford City right down into Cork Harbour, are staggering - global media focus, direct economic impact of more than €260 million, job creation and a massive tourism influx.

P1 is the water-based equivalent to Formula 1 Racing with all of the associated glitz and glamour - pits, tented villages, VIP’s, concerts, international fashion shows and parties, etc.

This is truly an exciting time for Youghal, and the people of the region are invited to come along this June 20th to 22nd to witness an amazing spectacle - and to be able to say that they were there right at the start!