Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
The age-old issue of what boat to progress into after Optimists is often answered by opting for another single-handed boat, writes John McGonigle of Lough Ree. And why not? The skills learned in an Optimist dinghy can be easily carried over…
Counting three race wins but bouncing back from a disqualification in the third race of five sailed, Alex Barry, Richard Leonard and Kieran O'Connell sailing 'Howlin' Mad' won the National 18 Irish Championship crown at Royal Cork Yacht Club on…
Dublin Port Company (DPC) is welcoming back its breeding terns for the summer months. Among these returning birds is likely an Arctic Tern that was first ringed in Dublin Port in the year 2000 and has been flying back and…
Government Criticised Over Lack of Consultation Before Announcing Marine Park
27th May 2024 Marine Planning
Marine expert Dr Kevin Flannery has criticised the Government over its lack of adequate consultation with local fishers in advance of announcing the State’s first marine national park. The new park, Páírc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí, involves some 70,000 acres…
Portaferry Lifeboat Crew Break From Dedication Evening to Assist 35ft Yacht With Engine Failure
27th May 2024 RNLI Lifeboats
HM Coastguard requested the launch of Portaferry RNLI’s inshore lifeboat on Friday evening (24 May) to assist a 35ft yacht which was making slow progress after having suffered engine failure eight miles to the north-east of Strangford Bar in Northern…
Royal Irish Yacht Club Trio are Roy Trophy Winners at the 2024 Women at the Helm Regatta (Photo Galleries Below)
27th May 2024 National YC
The Royal Irish Yacht Club White Sails Cruiser team of Just Jasmin (Joan Sheffield), Shearwater (Catherine Day) and Great Escape (Katherine Sheehan) were the winners of the Roy Family Perpetual Trophy for the best team performance at the Women At The Helm 2024 regatta…
Colm Bermingham and his Elan 333 Bite the Bullet have been such steady performers in the front of the fleet for so long at Howth, that it is difficult to imagine a significant series without the crew of BTB (don't…
Dublin Port’s resident colony of terns is “thriving”, according to the wildlife charity that has been monitoring their progress for over 10 years. Helen Boland, manager of BirdWatch Ireland’s Dublin Bay Birds Project tells RTÉ News: “The numbers have been…
Irish RNLI Volunteers Attend Buckingham Palace Garden Party to Celebrate 200 Years of Saving Lives at Sea
26th May 2024 RNLI Lifeboats
Volunteers from Irish lifeboat stations including Dun Laoghaire, Arklow and Union Hall were among the 2,500 guests at a special garden party at Buckingham Palace last Thursday (23 May) to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution…
Corby 33 Loses IRC One Lead to J109 as Scottish Series Enters Final Day
26th May 2024 Scottish Series
On a day when the IRC and the CYCA Scottish Series fleet raced around Inch Island in Loch Fyne, the overnight leader in IRC 1, John Stamp’s Corby 33 Jacob VII (CCC) lost out to the J109 Ben Shelley’s Mocking…
Howth Wave Concludes With Suggestion To Re-Name It As Four Seasons Regatta
26th May 2024 Wave Regatta
It started on Friday May 24th in Winter. Nobody would argue with that. But then on Saturday 25th - Lambay Day - Howth’s Wave Regatta barely paused in Spring before leaping straight into sunlit High Summer, with a magic racing…
A deal between Ireland and Scotland to allow Irish fishing vessels to return to Rockall has been vetoed by British foreign secretary, David Cameron. As The Irish Times reports, the agreement would have allowed Irish fishing vessels to fish for…
The Port of Cork Company proudly announced the official arrival and unveiling of its new state-of-the-art pilot boat, 'SOLAS'. The vessel, a symbol of the port's commitment to safety, innovation, and sustainability, was introduced in a special ceremony at the…
Irish Rowers Take Four World Cup II Medals; One Gold, One Silver and Two Bronze
26th May 2024 Rowing
Irish rowers rounded out World Cup II with four medals: one gold, one silver, and two bronze. After a long week in Lucerne between the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta and World Cup II, it's finally time for the high-performance team…
It’s not widely known that when the Danes of Howth were being pressurised to become Christians, being Vikings they had a side deal to the effect that, forever afterwards, when the Annual Fete in late Spring at the new church…
Strong and gusty southeasterly winds on the Irish Sea swept Andrew and Sam Hall's Welsh J125 Jackknife to victory by almost 20 minutes on corrected time in Saturday's 12-hour ISORA race from Pwllheli to Dun Laoghaire. Despite an entry of 18, 11 boats…
After five races sailed at the Jura Scottish Series 2024 on Loch Fyne, John Stamp's Corby 33 Jacob VII leads a 13-boat IRC 1 fleet from a strong challenge from J109 designs that hold the next three positions overall. Jacob…
Lambay Race Magic Takes The Day For Lough Ree SB20 at Wave Regatta (Vid Here!)
26th May 2024 Wave Regatta
The long-forecast serious rain didn't reach the Wave Regatta venue at Howth until 2200hrs yesterday (Saturday 25th May), and even then, most of the power had gone out after a day during which there'd been about twice as much sunshine…
Ireland pocketed two medals and progressed to five A Finals on day two of racing in Lucerne, Switzerland, at rowing's World Cup II. Siobhán McCrohan takes gold in the Lightweight Women's Single, and Tiarnán O'Donnell opens his international career with…
National Champions Lead Flying Fifteen Western Championships in Connemara
25th May 2024 Flying Fifteen
National Champions Niall and Ronan O'Briain of Flying Fifteen Chonamara lead the 15-boat Flying Fifteen Western Championships after two races sailed in overcast and cool conditions with intermittent rain off the Galway coast. The National Yacht Club's Shane McCarthy and…