Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) has named its multi-platform commentary team for the 2026 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, with leading Australian sports broadcaster Matt Hill joining the line-up for the first time. Hill, best known as the…
Peter McConnell of Royal North of Ireland YC is “Sailor of the Month (Championship)” for August
1st September 2026 Sailor of the Month
The Royal North of Ireland YC at Cultra on Belfast Lough had quite a month of it in August with the hosting of the hundred-strong fleet racing in the GP14 Worlds. And then, in the very last weekend of the…
Ger Owens of Wicklow & Mel Morris of Newtownards are “Sailors of the Month (World Champions)” for August
1st September 2026 Sailor of the Month
A successful 27-year south/north championship dinghy racing crew combination would be unusual enough in any country, and in Ireland it’s a beacon of goodwill with its own special messages for all sport. Not least of the messages is that you…
Sienna Wright of Howth is “Sailor of the Month (Youth Worlds)” for August
1st September 2026 Howth YC
With something like 429 young sailors from 45 nations in all categories taking part in August’s huge ILCA 6 Youth Worlds at Aarhus in Denmark, getting anywhere near the podium was a remarkable achievement. Yet in her fleet races for…
Finn Lynch of Carlow is “Sailor of the Month (Olympic)” for August
1st September 2026 Sailor of the Month
Finn Lynch may have been disappointed that his home ILCA 7 World Championship on Dublin Bay did not produce the medal he wanted, but eighth overall in the 141-boat fleet was another remarkable demonstration of his consistency at the very…
Johnny Swan of Howth is “Sailor of the Month (International Offshore)” for August
1st September 2026 Sailor of the Month
While sailors at home in Ireland basked in the heat of high summer, in mid-August away to the north at highly scenic Hangko in Norway, the weather was sometimes decidedly rugged for the international fleet of 42 Classic Half Tonners…
Finnish Firm Acquires Former Irish Sea Ferry Stena Nautica for Åland Archipelago
1st September 2026 Ferry
Baltic Sea ferry company Rederiaktiebolaget Eckerö, based in Mariehamn, the capital of the Åland archipelago, earlier in the summer announced the purchase of the ropax Stena Nautica from its Swedish owner. As Shippax reported in May, the move will strengthen its…
Rush Sailing Club delivered a great regatta, with the friendly atmosphere they are well known for. The RS Aero Nationals were combined with the club regatta, with Mermaids and GP14s in action, and the Mirror Nationals, creating a great atmosphere…
Peel Ports Group Appoints Audrey Dolhen as Chief Operating Officer for Irish Sea Operations
1st September 2026 Ports & Shipping
The UK’s second-largest port operator, Peel Ports Group, has appointed an international shipping executive, Audrey Dolhen, as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO), Unitised. Audrey joins the port operator from ZIM Shipping, where she served as managing director for the…
ILCA Worlds Put Dún Laoghaire's Watersports Campus Plans to the Test
31st August 2026 ILCA Worlds 2026
“Probably the biggest collection of top sailors ever to have raced in Ireland” is how International Laser Class Association (ILCA) president Mark Lyttle describes the activity in Dublin Bay over the past week. Since the ILCA Men’s World Championships opened…
There was a striking contrast in shipping movements on Dublin Bay on Monday evening (August 31), as the Polish tall ship Fryderyk Chopin arrived in Scotsman’s Bay while the cruise liner Marina prepared to depart Dún Laoghaire. The two vessels…
Peter McConnell and Aaron Goodman-Simpson’s Karaboudjan, racing under the Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club burgee, scored four race wins to take the J/109 UK National title at Dartmouth. Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club’s Karaboudjan, owned by Peter McConnell…
New York Yacht Club has asked the New York Attorney General’s Charities Bureau to examine whether the new America’s Cup Partnership (ACP) is compatible with the Deed of Gift that has governed the trophy for more than 160 years. The…
Chairman of ICG Faces Potential Revolt if Now Delayed MBO Takeover Deal Rejected
31st August 2026 Irish Ferries
The long-standing chairman of Irish Continental Group (ICG), John B. McGuckian, could face a challenge from a number of shareholders who have expressed opposition to the proposed €1.2 billion management buyout of the Dublin-listed ferry and maritime transport group. According…
We regret to record the death of Johnny Hooper of the National Yacht Club and Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire, who for many decades was in the forefront of Irish sailing performance and boat class development. The son…
Arklow Shipping, which this year marks a maritime milestone of its 60th anniversary, is also to celebrate their latest newbuild which to be launched next week at a shipyard in the Netherlands, writes Jehan Ashmore. Arklow Dale is the first…
A dispute has arisen as to whether the wreck of a ship with cargo of gold, silver, and priceless royal belongings of British King Charles I has been located on Scotland's Firth of Forth estuary, just north of Edinburgh. Recent…
The Rankin ‘Worlds’ Championships were called off for the second time at the weekend as strong winds again prevented the Cork Harbour fleet from racing. The Cobh-built dinghies had been due to race on Saturday and Sunday from the Royal…
Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment Darragh O'Brien has approved a new funding proposal of €2 million to support Cork, Dublin and Galway on the EU Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Mission. More frequent marine heatwaves and rising temperatures…
Jonatán Vadnai Makes Hungarian History With ILCA 7 World Title in Dublin Bay
30th August 2026 ILCA Worlds 2026
Hungary’s Jonatán Vadnai has been crowned ILCA 7 Men’s World Champion on Dublin Bay after a dramatic final day in Dún Laoghaire that saw the title decided by a single point. Vadnai scored a fourth and a race win in…
