Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
An Irish-flagged yacht was forced to abandon a passage to Portugal's Algarve after its rudder was damaged during an encounter with orcas off the coast of Galicia in north-west Spain. The 11-metre yacht Minerva, with four crew aboard, had departed…
Iceland’s narrow vote against reopening talks on joining the EU has been interpreted by experts as being more to do with the impact on its marine resources than on a “Brexit factor”. The referendum result was 52.8% to 47.2% against…
Passengers of P&O Ferries Hit by Data Breach During Strait of Dover Sailing
3rd September 2026 Ferry
Ferry passengers on a P&O sailing have been hit by a data breach, as it transpires personal information of customers was shared during a crossing of the Strait of Dover, the operator has said. Commenting on the data breach, P&O…
One of the odder stories to emerge from the weird and wonderful history of Dublin port is the near-legend of the Ouzel galley. It seems that in 1695 a group of the city’s merchants funded a sailing cargo ship called…
Sharp Increase In Russian Shadow Fleet Transits Off Irish West Coast Recorded
3rd September 2026 Navy
The Naval Service has recorded a 189 per cent increase in transits off Ireland’s west coast by the Russian shadow fleet. The Sunday Times reports that 132 transits occurred between January and September last year. It says the figure rose…
The 2026 Herreshoff Classic Yacht Regatta brought classic yachts back to Rhode Island waters at the weekend, with racing between Newport and Bristol producing a mix of light-air patience, historic boats and close competition. The opening Newport-to-Bristol feeder race produced…
Rising Costs of Around £20m for CalMac’s New Ferries for Islay & West Coast
3rd September 2026 Shipyards
Construction costs for Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) three ferries being built in a shipyard inTurkey, have risen by around £20 million, the Scottish Transport Secretary has said. Stephen Flynn had said ministers have approved the additional project costs to complete the…
Austen, Evelyn, Kilian and Miriam are among the seven storm names which Met Éireann nominated for the 21 names released for 2026/2027. Heather, Laoise and Phelim were also nominated by Met Éireann, drawn from a public campaign run last year.…
Olympic Medallist Kontides Says Irish Sailing Culture Is a Model for Cyprus
3rd September 2026 ILCA Worlds 2026
Cypriot Olympic medallist Pavlos Kontides says the sailing culture he witnessed in Dún Laoghaire during the ILCA 7 World Championships is something he dreams of developing in his home country. Writing on LinkedIn after the championships concluded on Sunday, Kontides…
Howth Yacht Club’s Adrenaline, skippered by Darren Wright, is seventh overall after six races at the Melges 24 European Championship in Tønsberg, Norway, following a demanding four-race programme in winds reaching 36 knots. Wright is sailing with Hannah Morris, Jack…
The Cannes Yachting Festival 2026 will put motor boats firmly in the spotlight, with nearly 535 new models from three to 50 metres expected and almost 120 world premieres among them. Spread between the Vieux Port and Port Canto, the…
Six IMOCA teams have started The Ocean Race Atlantic 2026, setting off on a 3,200-nautical-mile transatlantic sprint from waters off New York to Lorient, France. The international fleet crossed the offshore start line at 1400 UTC on Wednesday (September 2),…
Wednesday, September 2nd was the first of four September AIB DBSC races scheduled before the Water Wag season concludes on September 23rd. The 27-strong fleet turned out to compete for the Newsom Memorial Cup 2nd Tie for Division 1A, the…
Irish solo sailor Pat Lawless has received his official Green Card for the 2026 McIntyre Golden Globe Race, clearing one of the final hurdles before Sunday’s start of the 30,000-nautical-mile solo, non-stop circumnavigation. Lawless was the second of the 16 skippers…
The RS21 World Championship will head to France for the first time this autumn, with entries now open for the fifth edition of the international keelboat class's global championship. Around 50 boats are expected at the Yacht Club de Cannes…
The Mirror Nationals were hosted by Rush Sailing Club at the weekend as part of the club’s dinghy festival. The Mirrors were joined by the RS Aero class, also sailing their Nationals, while the club senior regatta added fleets of…
Promoted
Happy September sailing to all you sailors out there - and here is happy pricing! The sailing "season" is still ripping along with various championships, events, "Indian Summer" cruises, Autumn Leagues & "frosty" series still to come. So, there is…
The Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO) has called on the Government to seek a comprehensive review of Ireland’s position within the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), arguing that flexibility offered to Iceland should also be available to Irish fisheries. The…
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has opened a new round of funding for projects that remove physical barriers from rivers and waterways. The initiative follows IFI funding schemes launched in 2025, which awarded grants of €28.48 million to 194 projects across…
Following the death of Johnny Hooper, sailing historian Vincent Delany recalls the remarkable career of the double Olympian and National Yacht Club and Royal Irish Yacht Club sailor, whose achievements stretched across several decades of Irish sailing. Johnny was born…
