Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Baltimore’s reputation as one of Ireland’s great sailing destinations has been matched ashore, with the West Cork harbour named Food Village of the Year at the Georgina Campbell Hospitality Awards. The very many sailors from home and abroad who have…
Bretherton and Luhrs Face Saturday Qualifier at Double-Handed Worlds
23rd September 2026 World Sailing
Ireland’s Richard Bretherton and Inka Luhrs begin their challenge at the 2026 Offshore Double Handed World Championship in Marseille on Saturday, 26 September, as Ireland makes its debut at the event. The Irish pairing, racing as IRE01, are among 17…
Fishing vessel owners and people working in the industry will shortly be able to apply for funding under three grant aid schemes supporting investment, sustainability and generational renewal in Ireland’s fishing fleet. The Young Fisher Scheme opens on 30 September,…
Promoted
Marine Services in Dún Laoghaire has opened its annual RS Winter Sail Order, offering RS sailors the opportunity to organise new sails, covers, spars and foils ahead of the 2027 season. The accredited RS dealer says the scheme aims to…
The 30-foot sailing cruiser which sank at its mooring in Dún Laoghaire Harbour earlier this month was successfully removed from the water on Monday (21 September). A team of divers carried out the recovery operation from the commercial workboat Puffin,…
The 44Cup World Championship in Cowes gets under way with a special prelude on Wednesday, September 23, when the RC44 fleet stages the King’s Cup to raise funds for Isle of Wight charities. Normally the Wednesday before a 44Cup event…
British Marine Launches Digital Training Academy at Southampton Boat Show
23rd September 2026 Marine Trade
British Marine has launched a new digital Training Academy to make industry-led training more accessible to individuals and businesses across the leisure marine sector. The British Marine Training Academy was formally unveiled at the Southampton International Boat Show on Tuesday,…
Afloat has previously highlighted the revival of smaller cruiser-racers and Quarter Tonners in Cork Harbour, where affordability, smaller crews and close handicap racing have attracted owners. Now professional sailor Mark Mansfield makes the case for another option — lightweight planing…
Dublin Match Cup Brings World Match Racing Tour Back to Dún Laoghaire
23rd September 2026 Match Racing
The World Match Racing Tour returns to Dublin Bay this week when a 16-skipper international fleet contests the Dublin Match Cup at the National Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire from Thursday, September 24th to Sunday, September 27th. The Irish event…
Skellig Michael UNESCO World Heritage Site Closing Early Due to Sea Conditions
23rd September 2026 Island News
Skellig Michael is to close more than a week early due to “inclement weather and sea conditions”. The Office of Public Works (OPW) said it has made the decision to conclude the 2026 visitor season at Skellig Michael/Sceilg Mhichíl as…
Royal St George Yacht Club sailor Roger Craig lies fourth in the ILCA 7 Master fleet at the 2026 ILCA Master European Championships in La Baule, France, less than a month after competing in the ILCA 7 Men’s World Championship…
Golden Globe Leaders Romp Past Cape Verdes, But Flukey Winds of Doldrums Now a Real Prospect
23rd September 2026 Golden Globe Race
Going into Tuesday night (September 22nd) the two leaders in the Golden Globe Race were on course at hull speed in fresh to strong northerlies pushing towards 30 mph, and sweeping past the east side of Cape Verde Islands. Damien…
Wexford to Replace Norbay on Brittany Ferries’ Rosslare–Cherbourg Route
22nd September 2026 Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries is to introduce a new passenger and freight ferry on its Rosslare–Cherbourg service from March 2027, replacing the freight-focused Norbay currently operating on temporary charter. The RoPax ferry Vizzavona will be renamed Wexford and will operate three weekly…
Irish offshore sailor Pamela Lee is among 118 skippers now entering the final countdown to the 2026 Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, with just over a month remaining before the solo transatlantic fleet leaves Saint-Malo. As previously reported by Afloat,…
Baltimore RNLI volunteers were called out for their second medical evacuation from Sherkin Island in three days on Tuesday morning. The all-weather lifeboat launched at 9.20 am following a request from the Irish Coast Guard to assist a man on…
EU Ocean Week 2026 will take place from September 28 to October 2, bringing civil society groups, policymakers and other stakeholders together under the theme “Delivering ocean health for Europe’s future”. Organised by a coalition of Brussels-based environmental NGOs led…
Savings of up to €10,000 are currently being offered on new Merry Fisher 795 Series 2 motorboats by MGM Boats. The offer applies to the 795 Series 2, an outboard-powered weekender designed for family coastal cruising, with overnight accommodation, an…
Ireland is hosting European experts in Dublin for a three-day workshop to improve the use of aerial surveillance to detect marine pollution and identify polluters. Some 50 delegates from 16 European countries are attending the eighth European Maritime Safety Agency…
The Cape 31 Mediterranean Circuit heads to Hyères, France, from Thursday 24 to Saturday 26 September for the fifth and final round of its 2026 season, with 20 teams entered and the overall championship title up for grabs. Reigning champion…
Southern California’s sailing community is launching a fundraising drive aimed at improving US sailing results when the Olympic Games return to Los Angeles in 2028. The grassroots Layline to LA28 initiative is raising funds for America One Racing’s Project Podium,…
