Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Four of Cork Harbour's sailing clubs will join forces again this September for the second running of the Cork Harbour Triple Crown, bringing three established harbour races together in an inter-club series that attracted more than 50 boats in its…
The 78-year-old heritage tall ship Le Français has been relaunched after an extensive restoration programme ahead of a new season of charter voyages, sail training and educational work. The 47-metre, three-masted barque, which carries 19 sails, returned to the water at…
Kinsale Sailors Shine at Irish Optimist Nationals in Cork Kinsale Yacht Club sailors returned with podium finishes and a national team racing title from the 2026 Irish Optimist National Championships, staged at the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven from…
Sea Lock Gate Replacement Works at Grand Canal Dock Extended to End of 2026
26th August 2026 Inland Waterways
Public access to the walkways over the sea lock gates at Grand Canal Dock between Hanover Quay and City Block 19, and to a section of South Dock Road which runs parallel to the River Dodder, is now expected to…
Three Foyle Sailability sailors took to the podium at this year’s Foyle Sailability Regatta on Lough Foyle earlier this month. The regatta brought together disabled sailors from across Northern Ireland for a day of inclusive racing on Lough Foyle, with…
Nine races produced nine different winners as the international depth of the 141-boat ILCA 7 Men’s World Championship was laid bare on the opening day of qualifying on Dublin Bay. Ireland’s Finn Lynch emerged at the head of the standings…
Arklow RNLI was launched on Saturday evening (22 August) to reports of a sighting of an upturned vessel south of Arklow Harbour. A call had been made to the coastguard by a member of the public, who spotted the vessel…
Three regional championships have produced three different winners as the Irish J/24 fleet prepares for its biggest domestic prize of the season at Foynes Yacht Club from 4–6 September. Headcase, Stouche and Snoopy’s J have each taken championship honours during a…
Rush Sailing Club will host the RS Aero Irish National Championships for the first time this weekend, bringing another major dinghy fleet to north Dublin while the ILCA 7 Men’s World Championship continues on Dublin Bay. The RS Aero championship…
Ireland's Finn Lynch Leads ILCA 7 Worlds After Flying Dublin Bay Start
25th August 2026 ILCA Worlds 2026
Ireland’s Finn Lynch leads the 2026 ILCA 7 Men’s World Championship after an almost perfect opening day on Dublin Bay, where a light and shifty 8-10 knot south-easterly put a premium on local knowledge and clean decision-making. One race was…
Drogheda Port Company has launched its 2026 Annual Art Commission, inviting local artists to create a new maritime artwork inspired by the maritime heritage of Drogheda and the River Boyne. The annual initiative, which has been running for more than…
Shanghai will host the ICOMIA World Marinas Conference from 30 March to 2 April 2027, marking the first time in the event's 34-year history that it will be staged in Mainland China. The decision comes as China places increased emphasis on…
Promoted
As the summer sailing season comes to an end, there is no need for young sailors to stay ashore. The INSS Saturday Junior Club returns this September, giving children and teenagers the opportunity to keep sailing, develop their skills and…
Seven-Boat Irish Mirror Armada Takes on Abersoch as Fleet Revival Gathers Pace
25th August 2026 Mirror
Seven Irish Mirrors joined a 73-boat fleet at Abersoch Mirror Week 2026 in North Wales, underlining the continuing revival of the double-handed class in Ireland. Four boats travelled from Blessington Sailing Club, two represented Sligo Yacht Club, while two-time Mirror World…
A temporary maritime exclusion zone off the Co Wicklow coast is to come into force from Friday (28 August) as part of what authorities describe as a “major security operation”. The Department of Transport has issued Marine Notice No. 42…
Ruffage Takes Leinster Title Before East Wins All-Ireland Ruffian Team Racing
25th August 2026 Ruffian 23
The Ruffian Leinster Championships took place in conjunction with the Shipman National Championships on Friday, August 21st, and Saturday, August 22nd, hosted by the Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club. Race Officer Cormac Bradley, aboard the DMYC committee vessel Hawaiian Goose,…
French skipper Damien Guillou has won the Golden Globe Race's final offshore prologue as the 16-boat fleet moves into its last round of inspections ahead of the 6 September start from Les Sables-d’Olonne. Guillou brought his Rustler 36 Solarem home…
Sea Bass, Dogfish and Whiting Named as Top 3 Species Caught by Sea Anglers in 2025
25th August 2026 Angling
Sea bass, dogfish and whiting were the top three species that sea anglers reported catching in 2025, according to new data from Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI). The data is taken from IFI’s interactive Irish Marine Recreational Angling Survey (IMREC) website,…
The championship flag has been raised in Dún Laoghaire as sailors from 45 nations prepare for the opening races of the 2026 ILCA 7 Men’s World Championship on Dublin Bay. The championship flag has been raised in Dún Laoghaire, signalling…
Marine Notice: Hydrographic and Metocean Survey Operations Off Cork Coast
24th August 2026 Coastal Notes
The Department of Transport has been notified by Hydro Survey on behalf of Uisce Éireann that hydrographic and metocean survey operations will be undertaken in support of the South Cork Strategic Modelling Study. These surveys will take place along the…
