Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Melting Sea Ice Off East Greenland Attracting Some of World's Biggest Whales
28th August 2026 Marine Wildlife
Melting sea ice off East Greenland has attracted giant whales to feed in previously inaccessible areas. As BBC News reports, a decades-long study reached this conclusion after recording and filming the movements of hundreds of some of the world's biggest…
Amnesty International Calls For Investigation Into Missing Ecuadorian Fishing Vessel
28th August 2026 News Update
Amnesty International has renewed its call for an investigation into the alleged involvement of the United States in attacks on Ecuadorian vessels, including the Fiorella fishing vessel. Eight crew members have remained missing since January, and Ana Piquer, Americas Director…
Howth Yacht Club will launch its annual Autumn League on Saturday, September 12th, beginning six consecutive weeks of racing off the north Dublin coast. The series runs every Saturday until October 17th, with eight classes competing and more than 20…
The Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association (ISORA) has amended the course for Saturday morning's Dún Laoghaire–Pwllheli offshore race following the introduction of a temporary maritime exclusion zone off the Wicklow coast. Revised Supplemental Sailing Instructions issued for the penultimate race…
Ireland’s Finn Lynch remains firmly in contention for the ILCA 7 Men’s World Championship after a testing opening day of Gold Fleet racing on Dublin Bay saw him slip from first to second overall, just two points off the new…
Lifting Bridge Restrictions on Shannon Navigation and Royal Canal for Longford Marathon This Sunday
27th August 2026 Inland Waterways
Waterways Ireland advises all masters on and users of the Shannon Navigation and Royal Canal that to facilitate the annual Abbott Longford Marathon road race this Sunday 30 August, lifting bridge operations will be restricted as follows: Royal Canal –…
While the ILCA 7 Men's World Championship is commanding attention on Dublin Bay, ILCA Ireland is preparing for a busy conclusion to its domestic 2026 season, beginning with a new Transition Training Clinic in Dunmore East. The first-of-its-kind clinic will…
Achill Island and Clifden Lifeboats Launch in Multi-Agency Search After Flare Sighting
27th August 2026 RNLI Lifeboats
The volunteer crews of Clifden and Achill Island RNLI joined with the Cleggan Coast Guard and Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 118 in a wide-scale search operation late on Monday night (24 August). The call-out came at 10.30pm when members…
Dublin Bay Sailing Club lost the final Thursday evening of its 2026 AIB racing season on August 27 when light winds were deemed insufficient for racing on Dublin Bay. The cancellation brought the curtain down on DBSC’s Thursday programme without…
Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on the Shannon Navigation at Lough Ree to exercise caution if entering the Lecarrow Canal, specifically: Low water levels are present in the vicinity of the pump-out facility. This area should be avoided. The…
Thomas Chaix and his 11-year-old son Ben emerged as RS200 Irish National Champions as Killaloe Sailing Club staged its largest event to date, bringing more than 120 sailors to Lough Derg for the combined RS200, RS400 and RS Feva Nationals.…
Wicklow RNLI volunteers launched their inshore lifeboat on Tuesday (25 August) to assist an injured swimmer at Wicklow Harbour. The young man had been injured on a floating pontoon used by swimmers to access the water and was initially tended…
Local sailors Niall O’Brien and Dermot Flaherty claimed the Flying Fifteen Western Championship after a five-race series hosted by Flying Fifteens Connemara at Rossaveel and Carraroe. The pair, sailing 4092, scored back-to-back wins on Saturday to establish their championship challenge…
Defending ISORA champion and current series leader Pata Negra will sit out Saturday's penultimate offshore race from Dún Laoghaire to Pwllheli, giving her closest championship rivals an opportunity to strengthen their challenge with just two races remaining. The Andrew and…
Ireland’s Finn Lynch will carry the overall lead into the Gold Fleet stage of the ILCA 7 Men’s World Championship on Dublin Bay, after completing Wednesday’s final qualifying races with a three-point advantage at the top of the 141-boat fleet.…
Earlier rain cleared to warm sunshine for the AIB DBSC Water Wag race on Wednesday August 25th. The 27-strong fleet turned out to compete for the Commemoration Trophy, a rerun of the race that was cancelled in May due to…
Defending ILCA 7 Champion Wiersema Retires From Race 5 After Second Rule 42 Penalty
26th August 2026 ILCA Worlds 2026
Defending ILCA 7 World Champion Willem Wiersema was forced to retire from Race 5 on Dublin Bay after receiving his second Rule 42 penalty of the championship, as on-the-water judges recorded 29 Rule 42 actions across the opening five races.…
Britain's Michael Beckett produced the standout performance on the second day of the ILCA 7 Men's World Championship on Dublin Bay, jumping ten places to fifth overall as the qualifying series concluded in Dun Laoghaire. Beckett scored a first and…
Four members have been appointed to the board of the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) by Minister for Environment Darragh O’Brien. The four appointees have been named as: Ciara Reynolds, representing the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment. Eugene…
American pair George Szabo and George Iverson have taken the early lead at the 2026 Star European Championship in Medemblik after two contrasting opening-day races on the IJsselmeer. An eighth followed by a second gave the US crew the most…
