Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

#VOR - Is the Volvo Ocean Race up for sale? Yachting World reports that sources close to the event say a potential bid from at least two prospective buyers is apparently in the offing. The speculation comes as the race…

#Ports&Shipping - The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) welcomed the agreement reached at global level within the IMO to peak CO2 emissions from shipping as soon as possible and reduce them by at least 50% by 2050, compared to 2008…

There must be very few people in sailing who don’t know something of the America writes W M Nixon. She was the “low black schooner” which came across the Atlantic from New York in 1851, and won a race around…

Already we’re at the end of April and there’s a busy summer season ahead. The year got off to a great start in February with the Volvo Irish Sailing Awards, celebrating all types of sailing achievement. As well as the…

Tom Dolan and Tanguy Bouroullec’s intro to two-handed Figaro sailing with Smurfit Kappa-CerFrance was always going to be a very steep learning curve writes W M Nixon. They had very limited time to prepare their boat and hone their skills,…

#RNLI - Saturday 30 June has been confirmed as the date for the seventh annual WLRfm Waterford Viking Marathon to raise funds for the RNLI. The most exciting running event in Waterford, the Viking Marathon following a spectacular route that…

The National Yacht Club's Olympic sailor Finn Lynch is in the top quarter of his Laser fleet after the first two races of Sailing’s World Cup Series in Hyères, France yesterday.  In what amounts to a good start for the…

Fireball Race 1: Blind Squirrel (F Miller), 2. Incubus (C Power/M Barry) Fireball Race 2: Blind Squirrel (F Miller), 2. Incubus (C Power/M Barry) IDRA 14 Race 1: Dunmoanin (F Hamilton), 2. Doody (J.Fitzgerald/J.Byrne) IDRA 14 Race 2: Dunmoanin (F…

#VOR - Dongfeng Race Team snuck into the lead on Tuesday (24 April) as the Volvo Ocean Race fleet continued to skirt Leg 8’s first major obstacle – the St Helena High. The famed anticyclone is renowned for dominating the…

#FerryNews - Stena RoRo's charter of a vessel to P&O Ferries Dublin-Liverpool route ended at the weekend following the return of European Endeavour fresh from annual refit, writes Jehan Ashmore. The charter of Stena Carrier to rivals, P&O was expected…

The North Sails Ireland team of Nigel Young, Maurice 'Prof' O'Connell and Shane Hughes (scroll down for sailmaker details below) were busy at three sailing events last weekend, each winning races with clients on the Irish Sea, Howth and Kinsale.…

#FerryNews -A North Sea ferry operator, DFDS has axed its freight service between Rosyth, Scotland and Zeebrugge in Belgium following a fire on one of its ships. The vessel reports BBC News, is out of action following the blaze in…

Afloat.ie reader, Chris, is trying to find out what the rules and limitations are for jet boating on Irish rivers. In particular, he was curious to know if there are any regulations governing speed limits.  A jetboat is a boat…

Could The Heritage Bill destroy the Navigations it should be protecting? That's the view of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland (IWAI). In a long running campaign, the IWAI has received strong political support for its view that this proposed legislation…

#RNLI - Dunmore East  RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat launched on Saturday (21 April) to assist an injured crewman onboard a fishing trawler. The crewman sustained an injury while fishing 70 miles offshore, and the trawler was intercepted by Dunmore East lifeboat…

#Ports&Shipping - The Irish Maritime Transport Economist, a report produced by the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) on Ireland’s maritime freight industry, was launched recently in Dublin. The report now in its 15th year, shows that in 2017, total port traffic…

The sailing season in Cork Harbour is getting underway - slowly it has to be said - the effects of the long Winter weren’t encouraging owners to get their boats ready…… That is happening and launching is underway, but owners…

Irish Sailor of the Year Conor Fogerty has launched a Vendee Globe 2020 campaign, bringing to four the number of Irish sailors now working towards the non–stop solo round–the–world race in two year's time. 'Boat selection, physical training and preparation…

#FerryNews - Isle of Man Today writes of tensions rising between tourism chiefs and the Cabinet Office, after a passenger survey reported a drop in visitor numbers, boiled over into Tynwald this week. While Policy and Reform Minister Chris Thomas…

#VOR - Following a big send-off from Itajai yesterday (Sunday 22 April), the seven-strong Volvo Ocean Race fleet – back up to full complement with the welcome return of Vestas 11th Hour Racing and Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag – faced a…