Betty Armstrong
Betty Armstrong is Afloat and Yachting Life's Northern Ireland Correspondent. Betty grew up racing dinghies but now sails a more sedate Dehler 36 around County Down
Coastguard Discovers Dolphin Washed Up on Crawfordsburn Beach, Belfast Lough
7th January 2021 Marine Wildlife
Last Wednesday (January 6th) Bangor Coastguard Team answered a report of a cetacean washed up on Crawfordsburn Beach on Belfast Lough. It was identified on social media as a Common Dolphin and it was suggested that the find should be…
Five young sailors have been given a unique chance to boost their training and skills after they were awarded funding from the Mary Peters Trust. The Trust aims to help aspiring young athletes, whatever their sport or social background, to…
Lough Erne Sea Plane Tenders To Feature on BBC NI Newsline Tonight
2nd January 2021 Inland Waterways
Lough Erne Yacht Club on the Lower Lough is situated about six miles north of Enniskillen on Goblusk Bay and occupies a former WW2 RAF site built in 1941 for Catalina Flying Boats. It has the enviable facility of being…
Think of the GP14 class in Ireland and among those uppermost in your mind, (depending on your age!) would be the late Ernie Mawhinney's Ventura, one of the earliest in the class at number 796. Ventura means 'fortune, chance or…
Irish Olympic Finn Sailor & Race Officer Bill O'Hara Awarded OBE in New Year's Honours List
31st December 2020 Northern Ireland Waters
Among those in the New Years Honours List for 2021 is Bangor, County Down man Bill O'Hara who has been awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for services to Sailing. A long-time member of Ballyholme and Royal Ulster…
John McVea, class captain of the now 100-year-old River Class which sails regularly at Strangford Lough Yacht Club, had been looking forward to a 2020 season of centenary celebrations. Covid 19 put paid to that, but one achievement which has…
The Name of the Late Don Clarke of Strangford Lough Yacht Club Will be on the New Clifden Lifeboat
27th December 2020 RNLI Lifeboats
It's a long way from Whiterock on Strangford Lough to Clifden in County Galway where the new Shannon class all-weather lifeboat will be stationed in 2022. It will be the second such vessel to be part of the charity's 'Launch…
Nigel McNeely was a motorboat man who had also enjoyed sailing a Leisure 17. But with two young boys reaching the age at which they could learn to sail, Nigel bought a second-hand GP14 called Alchemellia (no 12819) originally owned…
Single-Handers Race for Christmas Regatta Honours at East Antrim Boat Club
24th December 2020 Northern Ireland Waters
Seventeen single-handers took advantage of a favourable day on Sunday last (20th) to hold a Christmas Regatta at East Antrim Boat Club on Larne Lough before the shut down in Northern Ireland on Boxing Day. The fleet consisted of two…
Ballyholme Yacht Club on Belfast Lough will host the British Topper Nationals, scheduled for early August next year, a few days after the World Championships in Cork Harbour. With the Irish Nationals in Northern Ireland at Strangford Lough Yacht Club in…
Larne Harbour is Base for 'MPI Resolution', World's First Purpose-Built Vessel for Offshore Wind Turbine Installation
21st December 2020 Northern Ireland Waters
Larne Harbour on the east coast of Antrim in Northern Ireland is currently the base for the MPI Resolution, the world's first purpose-built vessel for installing offshore wind turbines, foundations, and transition pieces. The ship is working out of Larne…
East Antrim Boat Club Appoints Lucy Whitford as Commodore
21st December 2020 Northern Ireland Waters
East Antrim Boat Club in Larne has appointed Lucy Whitford as Commodore, only the third lady in the Club's 70-year history to enjoy that position. The others were Lilian Stewart and Anne Morris. Although Lucy is a regular sailor, and…
A car was moments away from plunging into the sea after it edged over the side of the pier at Portrush on the North Coast on Tuesday morning at about 9.30 am. The car moved forward from the council car…
Honour for Belfast Lough Sailor Chris Lindsay with SportMaker Technical Official of the Year Award
16th December 2020 Northern Ireland Waters
Chris Lindsay from Carrickfergus on Belfast Lough has been awarded the Sportmaker Technical Official of the Year title through Sport Northern Ireland. Since July 2019, Chris has officiated at World Championships across various classes and countries, with the highlight of…
HM Coastguard N Ireland and South West Scotland have opened its recruitment window for volunteer 2021 Coastguard Rescue Officer Recruitment. The team of volunteers is made up of people from all backgrounds including other emergency services, government agencies, business owners,…
Deep Sea Angler Ronald Surgenor Wins Marine Conservation Award
14th December 2020 Northern Ireland Waters
Ronald Surgenor is a Project Officer with the Ulster Wildlife Trust and has been awarded the Marsh Volunteer Award for Marine Conservation. As well as caring for nature reserves and peatlands, Ronald is a dedicated volunteer sea-angler for the shark…
Last week Jersey Coastguard was asked to go to the aid of a man dressed in red who reported that he had fallen out of his sleigh during a routine test flight and was stranded on a sandbank. Both RNLI…
Ballyholme Yacht Club on Belfast Lough – The First 50 Years Book is Published
26th November 2020 Belfast Lough
Eric and Barbara Mayne had been active sailing and committee members of Ballyholme Yacht Club for many years. Eric had been a past Hon Secretary and Commodore and Barbara held many and various positions on Committees. They undertook the mammoth…
Bangor's favourite band, Snow Patrol, are well known for the lines in their hit 'Run' - Light up, Light up. And that's what, in this year of endless restrictions, Kevin Baird Manager of Bangor Marina on Belfast Lough, would like…
RYANI's Richard Honeyford Joins Northern Ireland Sports Forum
18th November 2020 RYA Northern Ireland
RYANI Chief Operating Officer Richard Honeyford has joined the Northern Ireland Sports Forum (NISF). Gordon Reid has stepped down from the NISF and re-joined RYANI as Development Officer, covering Mary Martin's maternity leave. The Sports Forum is the recognised umbrella…