Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Streamling Aquaculture Regulation To Be Considered By Oireachtas Fisheries Committee
21st September 2026 Aquaculture
Streamlining the aquaculture regulatory system is to be considered by the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs on Tuesday (Sept 22). IFA Aquaculture chief executive Teresa Morrissey is among those invited to the public session where pre-legislative scrutiny of…
South African paddlers Matthew Fenn and Bradley Boulle claimed overall victory in the 65th Liffey Descent, leading the 30km race from Straffan Weir to the finish in a time of two hours, 14 minutes and 30 seconds. Bridge View: Spectators…
First Electric Wheelchair Accessible Boating Service Launched in Dun Laoghaire
21st September 2026 Dun Laoghaire Harbour News
Dun Laoghaire Harbour has initiated one of Ireland’s first electric wheelchair-accessible boating services – named Boathub. In a significant step forward to making maritime activities accessible to all, Boathub will enable wheelchair users and people with disabilities to experience the…
The Multihull Cup will celebrate its 10th anniversary at Port Adriano in Mallorca from September 25th-27th, with a fleet of high-performance cruising multihulls lined up for the three-day regatta. Among the headline entries are Adrian Keller’s 84-foot Nigel Irens-designed Allegra…
The 56.6-metre wooden ship Batavia has arrived at Damen Shiprepair in Amsterdam after being towed from Lelystad across the Markermeer and IJ, marking the final stage of the 17th-century ship's reconstruction. The vessel, complete with its masts, passed the centre…
Wicklow RNLI volunteers brought one person to safety after a 40ft sailing vessel lost manoeuvrability 11 miles north-east of Wicklow Harbour late on Friday night (September 18th). The all-weather lifeboat RNLB Bridie O’Shea launched at 11.10 pm, ten minutes after…
Artificial Reefs Deployed Off West Coast To Help Restore Deep Sea Coral
21st September 2026 Marine Wildlife
Twenty-three artificial reefs have been placed on the seabed off the south-west Porcupine Bank, off the west coast of Ireland and in the Bay of Biscay, France,as part of a project to restore deep sea coral. Researchers from University of…
A record fleet of 170 Swan yachts and more than 1,800 sailors has completed the 23rd Rolex Swan Cup in Porto Cervo, bringing a week of racing marking Nautor Swan’s 60th anniversary to a close. Among those involved in running…
Memorial To RMS Leinster Victims To Be Unveiled In Dun Laoghaire
21st September 2026 Dun Laoghaire Harbour News
A memorial to all those who died when the RMS Leinster was torpedoed in the Irish Sea in October 1918 is due to be unveiled next month. The exact number is unknown, but it is believed 564 people lost their…
Kinsale Yacht Club will hold its annual ‘At Home’ on Sunday, September 27th, with an afternoon of keelboat racing followed by a barbecue at the clubhouse. The first gun for the keelboat fleet is scheduled for 1.25 pm. The traditional…
Jon McClean and Mark Mansfield’s Fareast 28R Resolute emerged with a perfect score from the 2026 Hibernia Line Cork Harbour Triple Crown as the three-race series concluded with its overall prizegiving at the Naval Base in Haulbowline on Saturday (September…
Copithorne and Mapplebeck Retain Irish Sailing Junior Champions’ Cup in Schull
21st September 2026 Irish Sailing
Daniel Copithorne and Matt Mapplebeck have retained the Irish Sailing Junior Champions’ Cup after winning the 2026 edition at the Fastnet Marine Outdoor Education Centre (FMOEC) in Schull, West Cork. The Schull Harbour Sailing Club and Royal Cork Yacht Club…
Golden Globe 2026 front runners Damien Guillou (France) and Pat Lawless (Ireland) continue to make good progress towards the Cape Verde Islands, but south of the archipelago the mostly nor'east winds they currently benefit from become weaker and split into…
David Johnston skippered Nimon to a convincing victory in the 2026 Puppeteer 22 National Championships at Howth Yacht Club, winning four of the six races sailed. Johnston, representing RIYC/HYC, finished the championship on six nett points, six clear of Alan…
Adam and Emily Torrens won the GP14 Youth Championship at Sligo Yacht Club on Sunday (September 20th), as light winds allowed two races to be completed after Saturday’s programme was abandoned. Sailing Kokomo, the NSC/LEYC pair scored a first and…
National Yacht Club sailor Chris Johnston has won the 2026 Beneteau 31.7 Irish National Championships on Dublin Bay after a dominant four race wins from five starts in Prospect. Johnston finished the five-race championship on four nett points after discarding…
Fresh conditions in Cork Harbour provided the backdrop for the annual Naval Race on Saturday (September 19th), the third and final racing fixture of the 2026 Hibernia Line Cork Harbour Triple Crown. The race followed the opening Blackrock Race on…
Orient Express VI has completed a remarkable comeback to win the 25th anniversary Bosphorus Cup as 47 yachts raced through the heart of Istanbul on one of international sailing's most distinctive racecourses. The Turkish Farr 55, owned and skippered by…
New Galway City Logo With Maritime Theme Criticised By Councillors
20th September 2026 Galway Harbour
A new logo for Galway City Council with a maritime theme has caused a stir among city councillors. The design draws on Galway's civic and maritime heritage, the city council says. The lower-case ‘g’ reflects the form of the hull…
Interim Report Into Death of Donegal Fisherman Says Exact Circumstances Uncertain At This Stage
20th September 2026 MCIB
An interim report of the investigation into the death of Donegal fisherman Kevin McCloskey in Donegal Bay on September 25th, 2025 says the “exact circumstances of the incident cannot be determined with certainty”. The five page interim report has been…
