Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
World Sailing Signs Three-Year Partnership With FarEast to Support Global Development
12th August 2026 World Sailing
World Sailing has signed a three-year global partnership with marine manufacturer Shanghai FarEast Co. Ltd, with boats and equipment to be supplied for international events and development programmes around the world. The agreement, announced on Wednesday (12 August), makes FarEast a…
Irish offshore sailor Tom Dolan is preparing to return to racing later this month aboard the repaired Figaro Kingspan, teaming up with longtime friend and mentor Gildas Mahé for the season-ending L’Adventura. The double-handed race starts from Port Bourgenay on…
Unlicensed Boat Captain Charged After Mother and Baby Killed in New York Capsizing
12th August 2026 News Update
A boat captain is facing federal charges after a vessel carrying 14 people capsized near the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbour, resulting in the deaths of a 27-year-old woman and her five-month-old daughter. The incident occurred at approximately…
Ballycotton and Youghal RNLI Join Rescue After Suspected Shark Bite Off Ardmore
12th August 2026 RNLI Lifeboats
A person was airlifted to hospital following a suspected shark bite off the Waterford coast on Tuesday afternoon, in a multi-agency rescue involving Ballycotton and Youghal RNLI and the Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 117. Ballycotton RNLI was requested to…
Belfast's 'Samson & Goliath' Return to Service as Navantia UK's (H&W) Re-Enters Naval Market
12th August 2026 Shipyards
Belfast Harbour’s iconic yellow gantry shipyard cranes, Samson and Goliath, are returning to regular service for the first time in over two decades at the Queen's Island site, according to a report from Yahoo Finance. As IndexBox writes, the cranes,…
Irish Sailing is inviting southern cruising skippers to help identify the obstacles facing coastal cruising in Ireland at a meeting in Crosshaven later this month. The Irish Sailing Cruising and Representation Policy Group (IS CRPG) will hold the meeting at…
Four Irish boats will line up at Cowes for the 2026 Dragon Edinburgh Cup and UK Grand Prix, where a 49-strong international fleet will contest the largest edition of the regatta in 30 years. Ireland’s challenge includes former Edinburgh Cup…
Saving Lives at Sea Returns for 11th Series as RNLI Programme Marks 10 Years on BBC
12th August 2026 RNLI Lifeboats
The RNLI’s Saving Lives at Sea will return to television screens for an eleventh series this month, marking ten years since the lifesaving series first aired on the BBC. The new 10-part series, featuring RNLI lifeboat crews and lifeguards from…
Ireland's eight-strong squad for the World Sailing Team Racing World Championship brings together sailors with backgrounds ranging from Olympic classes and team racing to match racing, keelboats and offshore competition. The championship begins in Stockholm on Wednesday (12 August), with…
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) and its statutory partners are investigating another “significant” fish kill, this time near Kells in Co Meath where more than 500 brown trout have died. The incident occurred at a tributary of the Moynalty River north of Kells,…
Marine Notice: Hydrographic and Geophysical Surveys in South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan
12th August 2026 ESB Renewable Energy
The Department of Transport has been notified by the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment (DCEE) that they will undertake hydrographic and geophysical surveys in the South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP) to inform future offshore renewable energy…
Ger Owens and Mel Morris have strengthened their grip on the 2026 GP14 World Championship at Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club, holding a two-point advantage after five races as a difficult, shifting breeze tested the 90-boat fleet. Owens and…
Howth Yacht Club’s annual double-handed race attracted a record entry across three classes on Sunday, 9 August, as crews tested their shorthanded boat-handling skills in 10-14 knots and August sunshine. The fleet was divided between Spinnaker, Non-Spinnaker and Puppeteer classes, bringing…
One of the largest cruise ships visiting Cork Harbour this year, the 143,700-tonne Majestic Princess, made another call to Cobh Cruise Terminal on Tuesday (11 August). The 330-metre Princess Cruises vessel, which can accommodate around 3,560 passengers, arrived at Cobh…
Pat Lawless Among Golden Globe Race Skippers Set for Les Sables Press Conference
11th August 2026 Golden Globe Race
The 17 provisional skippers preparing for the 2026 McIntyre Golden Globe Race will meet the media in Les Sables-d’Olonne on Thursday, 13 August, less than a month before the solo round-the-world race starts. The press conference will take place at the…
Carrybridge RNLI volunteers were called into action on Monday afternoon after a 13-metre Dutch barge carrying two people and two dogs ran aground on Lough Erne. The station's inshore lifeboat, Douglas Euan & Kay Richards, launched at 3.49 pm on…
RNLI's Atlantic 85 MK4 Upgrade Will Enable More Cohesive and Efficient Searches
11th August 2026 RNLI Lifeboats
The RNLI has published details about the upgrading of the Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat to the Atlantic 85 MK4. “The Atlantic 85 is the third generation of B-class lifeboat. Its predecessors were the Atlantic 21 and Atlantic 75. With over…
Healthy Oceans Healthy Minds Returns Across Northern Ireland
11th August 2026 Northern Ireland Waters
Live Here Love Here's Healthy Oceans Healthy Minds campaign has returned for a sixth year, with a month-long programme of events encouraging people across Northern Ireland to connect with the region's coastline, rivers and waterways. Sponsored by Belfast Harbour and…
Ireland has set its sights on a semi-final place at the Team Racing World Championship in Stockholm, where racing gets underway this week. Team captain Jamie McMahon says the eight-strong Irish squad is "quietly confident" after a summer of J/80…
Navantia UK Launch New Barge to Transport Modular Blocks for RFA (FSS) Programme
11th August 2026 Shipyards
A new transport barge, built by Navanita UK's one of two facilities in Scotland, will carry shipyard-built blocks between Appledore, England, and Belfast, supporting the delivery of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary's Fleet Solid Support (FSS) ships, writes Jehan Ashmore. The…
