Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

149 days ago, on Sept 4th 2022, 15 men and one woman set out from Les Sables d’Olonne. Their dreams and aspirations were to circumnavigate solo in the extreme Golden Globe Race. In 1968, nine set out on the first…

The Portaferry and Strangford Trust (PAST) is a charity, based in Portaferry at the mouth of Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland, which aims to promote an awareness of the rich maritime heritage and natural environment of the Lough and the…

The Women’s World Match Racing Tour has announced four events for its 2023 season, including San Francisco, Annapolis, Le Havre, and Copenhagen. The Tour is the world’s only professional sailing series for women designed to promote and grow female participation…

The RNLI will always remain an independent voluntary service. That is according to Anna Classon, RNLI Head of Region, Ireland, who is the first woman to lead the lifeboat organisation in Ireland. It is important that the RNLI should always…

Hot on the heels of several stories in Afloat about women appointed as Club Commodores, East Antrim Boat Club has joined the ranks again for 2023 as Lucy Whitford has been given that position for the third time. When she…

Monkstown Bay Sailing Club members elected Jacqui O’Brien as Commodore at their annual meeting on Sunday. Richie Harrington was appointed Vice Commodore and Alan Fehily Rear Commodore. Sandy O’Brien is Hon. Secretary and Kieran O’Leary Hon.Treasurer. Committee members are: Ewen…

In honour of her victory as the first woman and first American to win the world’s largest sailing race, the Barcolana 54, philanthropist Wendy Schmidt announced today she will support the educational outreach and conservation activities of the Marine Biodiversity…

Pauline Courtois and her Match in Pink match racing team from France have successfully defended their world title, winning the 2022 Barfoot & Thompson World Women’s Match Racing Championships in Auckland, New Zealand. The team were also crowned champions of…

Anyone with a basic knowledge of the development of sailing in Ireland – particularly from 1890 onwards – will be aware that women sailors played an active role afloat in this country’s sailing boat sport for a long time. For…

Approaching her first Route du Rhum Pip Hare is taking a necessarily cautious approach, especially for the first 24-36 hours. The British skipper lit up the last Vendée Globe with her effervescent joie-de-vie during her first adventures in the Southern…

Irish ocean rower Dr Karen Weekes is appealing to young women who are planning an adventure in the next year to seek support from her campaign. Weekes, who is the first Irish woman to row solo across any ocean, is…

Pauline Courtois and her ‘Match in Pink’ Normandie team from France have won the 2022 EUROSAF Women’s European Match Racing Championship in Corfu, Greece. The event is stage 3 of the 2022 Women’s World Match Racing Tour. Courtois and team…

A storm front over the Mediterranean island of Corfu presented challenging conditions today for the 12 teams competing in the 2022 EUROSAF Women’s European Championship, stage 3 of the Women’s World Match Racing Tour. Fickle winds between 2-12knots and a…

American entrepreneur and philanthropist Wendy Schmidt and her Deep Blue have won the 54th edition of the Barcolana which was held in Trieste, Italy at the weekend on a perfect sunny day, with the Bora and gusts of wind up…

Multi-talented offshore sailor Pamela Lee of Greystones has been at the heart of it in the annual late season Classics racing on the French Riviera, crewing on Richard Matthews’ 1898-vintage 48ft William Fife-designed-and-built cutter Kismet in a notably successful programme…

There is no greater community to understand the changes in the oceans and what needs to be done to protect them than sailors. From those like myself, a leisure sailor, to fishermen, to marine scientists, to the professional seafarers, greater…