Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

The Nacra 17 World Championship along with the 49er and 49erFX European Championships are attracting 148 teams to La Grande Motte in the south of France for six days of racing from next Tuesday 7 to Sunday 12 May. Of…

Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said Friday’s publication of the designated maritime area plan (DMAP) for the south Irish coast represents “a landmark development in forward spatial planning”. “The South Coast DMAP will also initiate the State’s second offshore auction, which…

The Port of Cork Company says it welcomes the Government’s publication this week of the Future Framework for Offshore Renewable Energy. As already reported by Afloat, the framework sets out 29 actions to secure Ireland’s potential as a world leader in…

Minister for Environment Eamon Ryan has rejected claims that he is impeding development of floating offshore wind and criticised “false promises” made by politicians As The Irish Independent reports, Ryan was responding to comments by Fianna Fáil senator Lisa Chambers…

The 9,000 km northward land and sea journey made by the Irish cuckoo from the Congo Basin to Kerry has been highlighted with the return of a tagged cuckoo to Irish shores. The bird’s migration in making “big sea crossings”…

Dublin Bay Sailing Club's (DBSC) Thursday evening racing was cancelled tonight due to very light winds. Winds measuring just over one knot meant the second Thursday race of the 2024 AIB summer season was scrubbed in all classes at Dun…

An ultra-luxury modern expedition cruise ship, the Seabourn Venture, is to call to Killybegs Harbour, Co. Donegal, tomorrow (3 May) marking the start of this year’s season, writes Jehan Ashmore On hand to welcome tourists will be the team from…

The Dublin Bay Twenty-One class that was restored after a 35-year hiatus now has a new website. The fleet, designed by Alfred Mylne in 1902 for the Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC), was revived in 2021. The new website portal…

Ahead of the May holiday weekend, Water Safety Ireland, the Irish Coast Guard and the RNLI are jointly appealing to people to be safe and summer-ready when planning an activity on or near the water. The organisations are urging people…

Royal St. George's top Irish match racer, Tom Higgins, will confront March's Student Match Racing National Championships winner, Jamie McMahon of Howth Yacht Club, among others, when the National Yacht Club (NYC) hosts the Irish Match Racing National Championships (IMRA)…

Harland & Wolff has signed a contract with Fort Lauderdale, Florida, US-based cruise brand Villa Vie Residences to carry out at its historic Belfast Dry Dock a refurbishment of the 24,344 gross tonnage cruise ship Braemar, writes Jehan Ashmore. Commenting…

On Wednesday evening, 22 boats turned out for the second Water Wag race of the AIB DBSC 2024 season at Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Race Officer Tadgh Donnelly set a three round windward/leeward course in a six-knot ESE’ly breeze. The strong…

The Royal Cork YC’s Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo is always a busy boat, and usually successful too. But things are in over-drive for 2024 and 2025, as co-owner-skipper Annamarie Fegan - aka Mrs Denis Murphy - is also the RCYC’s…

Most offshore sailors would be well pleased to have notched their season’s start with a win in April, but Howth’s Simon Knowles goes into May with two bullets already in the bag for the J/109 Indian in the first races…

The nuclear fusion generated by the focus of elite 29er training in Dun Laoghaire – currently centred on the National YC with Thomas Chaix – meant that the class was one of those that elected to have a four-day series…

The Raven Kaster, an educational “miniboat”, has been relaunched off Mayo’s Achill island from the Marine Institute’s Celtic Explorer. The mini boat has been upgraded with solar-powered GPS tracking and new technology since its last voyage and has been set…

A photograph taken by an Irish marine biologist will feature in a new set of stamps from the US Post Office celebrating sea turtles. As the Irish Independent reports, Rowan Byrne snapped his picture some 18 years ago while working…

Irish offshore solo sailor Tom Dolan is currently sitting in 14th place (results downloadable below as a pdf) from 34 starters at the Solo Maître CoQ Figaro circuit event in France’s Vendée region. Dolan expressed his 'frustration' after the second…

The National Yacht Club, handsomely sited in the southeast corner of Dun Laoghaire Harbour, was certainly looking its part as the current MG Motor “Sailing Cub of the Year” last Saturday morning. The sun shone, and in the crisp onshore…

The Government has published its “Future Framework for Offshore Renewable Energy” (ORE), which includes 29 key actions to develop the State’s plan-led approach to offshore wind. A draft designated maritime area plan (DMAP) for the Irish south coast is due…