Bring international regatta to Coleraine, urges UUP's Robinson

Matthew Robinson, the Ulster Unionist Party Assembly candidate for East Londonderry, has said, if elected, he will be campaigning for an international sailing regatta to be established in Coleraine harbour under new plans to transform the town’s port. 

   It was recently unveiled that hundreds of jobs could be created under new plans to transform Coleraine harbour, according to Harbour Commissioners. 

   Mr Robinson said: “Among the proposals recently revealed to Stormont’s Infrastructure Committee was a plan for an international rowing centre at the harbour. These developments represent an excellent economic building block to provide an international sailing regatta which would be the envy of ports across the United Kingdom.

   “As a constituency, we have already gained a tremendous sporting reputation through the hosting of the Open Golf Championship at Royal Portrush in 2019 and 2025, which saw hundreds of thousands of people visit East Londonderry. Furthermore, our very own North West 200 motorcycle race is the largest annual sporting event in Northern Ireland. These are both a massive boost for the local economy on the North Coast.

   “We in the Ulster Unionist Party want to see a similar push for the sailing fraternity in terms of the economic and tourist potentials which an international regatta could provide for Coleraine as a town and the wider East Londonderry constituency. 

   “I wholeheartedly welcome the proposals from the Harbour Commissioners for Coleraine harbour and if elected to the Assembly for the Ulster Unionist Party, I will be making it one of my priorities to seek inward investment for an international regatta which will hopefully replicate the same economic benefits for our East Londonderry constituents as the footfall from the Open and the North West 200.” said Mr Robinson.