Hope springs eternal. Amid a general atmosphere of despair, chinks of bright light are emerging around the edge of our coastline Irish coasts. A renewed faith in what might be is becoming palpable. Helped in no small part by the fact that the country’s biggest jamboree was a sailing event in 2009, things are pushing forward along our shores.  Starting on…

Ireland's Annalise Murphy finished 4th in the Women's Olympic Laser Radial class at Sail Melbourne, the first event of the 2009-2010 Sailing World Cup series. Click 'read more' for her account of Sail Melbourne race by race: Having already competed in Sail Brisbane and Sail Sydney Regattas I was looking forward to Competing in Sail Melbourne the first ISAF World…

  The axing of the state sail training programme, has been met with dismay by marine bodies who this week pledged a united voice to push for its reinstatement. This is in spite of the fact the state's only sail training vessel still lies wrecked on the sea-bed off France, a year since its sinking. Coiste an Asgard, the body…

It's rare, given the times that are in it, when a way to make two groups of people financially happy pops up. Rarer indeed, when it involves buying a boat. So how about this: Ireland's Department of Defence could save €1million, and the Dublin Docklands Development Authority could generate some much-needed cash by agreeing a deal on the Jeanie Johnson.…

Known for its 'no nonsense' approach, the Irish Cruiser Racer Association (ICRA) returns to where it all started, for the seventh ICRA conference in the Newpark Hotel, Kilkenny this Saturday. For an entirely voluntary organisation, it has achieved a lot for cruiser-racers here since it first set sail in November 2002. More than anything else, it has become an essential…

  After a series of near misses in the Commodore’s Cup, there were many reasons why 2008 would have been wholly appropriate timing for an Irish win on the Solent. It wasn't to be but the scene in Cork Harbour last Saturday during Royal Cork's October league – where two more teams are in gestation – is proof that Ireland…