Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Carrybridge RNLI volunteer Matthew Nelson has qualified as a helm, allowing him to take command of the station’s inshore lifeboat during training exercises and emergency call-outs on Lough Erne. Nelson completed his five-hour assessment on Wednesday, both ashore at Carrybridge…
Kinsale Yacht Club’s Caoimhe Corkery and Ríona McMorrow-Moriarty of Tralee Bay Sailing Club have been crowned 2026 Irish 420 National Champions after finishing second overall in the 29-boat championship at Lough Derg Yacht Club. The Irish 420 pair finished behind…
Twenty-seven years after Ger Owens and Melanie Morris first began sailing together, the Irish pair have reached the top of the GP14 class, winning the 2026 World Championship on Belfast Lough — a victory Owens admits has made him feel…
The three leading boats in the Viking Marine ISORA Irish Coastal Series will go head-to-head off Dublin and Wicklow tonight (Friday, August 21st) in a higher-scoring night race that will decide the 2026 series. As Afloat reported earlier, Royal St George…
Owen Laverty’s Red Cloud scored a double victory in Dublin Bay Sailing Club’s Thursday racing on August 20, winning both the J/80 class and the Sportsboat handicap division. The evening also produced wins for John Treanor’s Valentina in Cruiser Zero…
Ireland’s Denis Bergin strengthened his lead in the Corinthian division of the 2026 Edinburgh Cup and UK Dragon Grand Prix on Thursday (20 August), winning the amateur section for the second successive race as gusts of up to 30 knots…
The 2026 Star European Championship will bring 76 teams from more than 20 nations to Medemblik, Netherlands, next week, but no Irish boats will be in the international fleet. The absence comes despite a significant Irish presence in the Star…
ISORA’s Pata Negra Takes IRC One in Round Britain and Ireland Race
20th August 2026 Rd Britain & Ireland
ISORA champion Pata Negra has provisionally won IRC One in the RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race after completing the 1,805-nautical-mile course early on Thursday morning (20 August). Sam Hall’s Lombard 46 crossed the Cowes finish after 10 days, 11…
The 73-metre superyacht Lunasea has become the largest yacht to berth at the UK's Ocean Village Marina in Southampton, following a cruise in Scotland and a passage from Norway. The visit sets a new size record for the MDL Marinas…
Bundoran RNLI rescued a swimmer who got into difficulty in challenging sea conditions off Main Beach on Wednesday evening, 19 August. The Irish Coast Guard requested the volunteer lifeboat crew to launch at 4.42 pm after a member of the…
Sligo Bay RNLI’s volunteer crew launched three times in four days after a pair of incidents off Aughris on Sunday, 16 August, followed by another callout near Sligo Port on Wednesday. The first alert came at 4.17 pm on Sunday…
A scoring update to the ISORA Viking Marine Irish Coastal Series has tightened the battle at the top of the 2026 standings, with the best three races now counting towards the overall result. Royal St George Yacht Club's J/122 Aurelia,…
Scottish Shipyard Ferguson Marine to Axe Nearly Quarter of Its Clydeside Workforce
20th August 2026 Shipyards
The Scottish Government-owned shipyard, Ferguson Marine, located on the Clyde at Port Glasgow, has announced plans to cut nearly a quarter of its workforce. Workers at the nationalised shipyard in late 2019 have been invited to apply for voluntary redundancies,…
Howth Yacht Club sailor Sienna Wright has won silver at the ILCA 6 Youth World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark, after an impressive campaign that included four race victories. Wright established herself among the championship leaders early in the series and…
Ballyholme Bay’s Emma West-Hurst has been crowned British National Female Champion while her younger brother Leo secured third overall after an outstanding showing at the Topper British Nationals in Weymouth. The Ballyholme junior sailors were among more than 100 young…
Bergin Takes Corinthian Lead as Irish Dragons Battle Through Windy Cowes Day
19th August 2026 Dragon
Ireland’s Denis Bergin has taken the lead in the Corinthian division of the 2026 Edinburgh Cup and UK Dragon Grand Prix after a strong second day off Cowes, while Martin Byrne remains firmly in contention in third. Bergin’s IRL161 Sir…
Twenty-seven Water Wags turned out for Wednesday evening’s AIB Dublin Bay Sailing Club race, which doubled as the Captain’s Prize for all three divisions of the historic one-design class. A westerly breeze of 10 to 14 knots greeted the fleet…
Irish Duo McWilliam and Carroll Celebrate Overall Victory with Pace in Round Britain and Ireland Race
19th August 2026 Rd Britain & Ireland
The Royal Ocean Racing Club confirmed on Wednesday, August 19, that no remaining competitor could better Pace’s IRC corrected time, securing the top prize for Vincent and his crew. The victory has a strong Irish connection, with Tom McWilliam and…
Irish Ferries Owner ICG Brings Forward Results to Give Shareholders More Time on MBO
19th August 2026 Irish Ferries
Maritime transport operator Irish Continental Group (ICG) is bringing forward the release of its financial results for the first half of this year, as shareholders consider a €1.2bn management buyout bid (MBO) for the company. ICG, which owns the ferry division, Irish…
The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) and Women’s World Match Racing Tour (WWMRT) Finals will be staged together for the first time at AMAALA Yacht Club in Saudi Arabia this November, with equal $200,000 prize purses announced for the two…
