The biggest growth area for boating in Irish waters in recent seasons has been on outboard cruisers, and the Antares range from Beneteau has delivered massively, writes BJ Marine General Manager James Kirwan.

Whether for day boating, fishing, coastal cruising or just pure adrenaline rushes, the Antares range can do it all. The fact that these boats all have sliding glass doors to shelter from our changeable climate has made them the perfect option to get afloat.

With the 2024 season kicking off at BJ Marine, we have each model from 7m to 11m available immediately! In the last 12 months, we have handed over Antares boats on every Irish coast, north, south, east, and west, as well as on the Shannon, and we are in a position to deliver even more with trade-in opportunities always available.

The Antares 11 Fly is powered by twin Suzuki 300hp outboard engines and has magnificent specs, including a bow thruster, heating, electronic pack, teak cockpit, cockpit enclosure, and so much more! We have a 2022 build, a 2023 model with less than 10 hours on the engines and a saving of over €100k on the new list price. Afloat in Greystones and available at €279,000 inc vat., get in touch to step aboard and plan your season afloat

The Beneteau Antares 9 from BJ Marine

The Antares 9 is powered by twin Suzuki 200hp engines, and its two-cabin configuration makes the nine the perfect family weekend. We have a 2023 demo model available, which is currently on display at our Cardiff office but is available to be delivered anywhere in Ireland.

The Beneteau Antares 8 from BJ Marine

The Antares 8 and Antares 7 are also Suzuki-powered but single-engined, with 200hp on the Antares 8 and 150hp on the Antares 7. We sold our full 2023/24 allocation of these models but managed to secure an extra unit for each, and they will be arriving by truck at our Greystones head office next week.

The Beneteau Antares 7 from BJ Marine

For full pricing and specification details, please get in touch with our team at [email protected] or call the office on 01 2878334. Our website is www.bjmarine.net

After a decade of dedicated service, Alan Corr, the marina manager of Greystones Harbour Marina in County Wicklow, retired at the end of February.

Alan has been a vital part of the marina's success story since January 2014, bringing his wealth of knowledge and expertise in the marine industry to the management of the east coast facility.

"Alan''s contribution to the marina has been invaluable, and his willingness to go above and beyond to assist berth holders, customers, and businesses has been widely appreciated," James Kirwan, Group Manager of BJ Marine and Greystones Harbour Marina" told Afloat.

"His colleagues, including Bernard, John, Marie, and Cian, consider themselves fortunate to have worked alongside him and will always remember his contributions fondly, Kirwan said.

"While Alan will be missed, he is looking forward to spending more time with his wife, daughters, and grandchild. Additionally, he plans on catching up on his fishing, a passion he has had for years," Kirwan added.

As Alan moves on to the next phase of his life, Greystones Harbour Marina welcomes Scott Matthews as their new marina manager.

BJ Marine has confirmed a massive Beneteau display at boot Düsseldorf which takes place 20-28 January 2024.

On the power stand will be a combination of the Swift Trawler, Gran Truismo, Antares and Flyer ranges.

The Grand Trawler 62 will be a star of the whole show, and BJ Marine is particularly excited to have the Antares 12 and Gran Truismo 41 on display.

The Grand Trawler 62 is expected to be the star of boot Düsseldorf 2024

On the sailing stand, interest will be huge in the new Oceanis 37.1 as well as both of the Oceanis yachts, the 54 and 60. Also on display will be the much acclaimed First 36 as well as the First 44.

With daily flights and the show only 15 minutes from the airport, boot Düsseldorf remains the must-see event of the winter boat show season.

The much acclaimed First 36 will also be on display

If you are attending and would like some time aboard the Beneteau range, contact James Kirwan on 087 771 2223 or [email protected] to set up an appointment. Some of the display models are available for sale, with deals available from now, so do not hesitate to get in touch.

BJ Marine is the exclusive Beneteau dealer for Ireland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

At BJ Marine, we know the continued popularity of boating on Ireland’s inland waterways and the exceptional cruising grounds available to us, writes BJ's General Manager James Kirwan.

We found that many major boat manufacturers had evolved their motorboat designs to the point where they weren’t viable for the inland waterways. We found in many cases that the standard engines offered were simply too large and that the accommodation offered didn’t align with what those boating on the Shannon or similar wanted.

As a result, we identified manufacturers who focused on offering true inland boats, and now BJ Marine has a range of four models that offer inland specifications at exceptional prices. We wanted single-engine options with bow and stern thrusters to ensure ease of handling.

First up was the Northman 1200. We took a Northman 1200 Fly on the Shannon this summer, and she demanded huge attention. This demo model is available for sale, and the three-cabin configuration is absolutely unrivalled.

The smallest engine option on the 1200 is a 57hp Yanmar, delivering a top speed of 8 knots. Our demo model, with a huge inventory, is available at the reduced price of €399,000.

The Northman 1050 was launched last month at the Cannes Yachting Festival

Northman just launched the 1050 Trawler at the Cannes Yachting Festival, and we have already secured the first order for Ireland, which will arrive in spring 2024. Again, a single-engine boat, this boat has engine options from 57hp-320hp, all wrapped up in an incredibly spacious two-cabin layout with huge storage.

A single Nanni 270hp powers the Pescador 35 and again delivers two exceptional cabins and a cockpit that is more like what you would find on a 40ft motor boat.

A Pescador 35 is available to view at BJ Marine, Greystones Harbour

We have a Pescador 35 available immediately at our Head Office at Greystones Harbour Marina.

As the smallest offering in our range, we chose the Nexus 870 Revo. This 8.7m boat has outboard propulsion and engine options from 25hp-115hp.

Nexus 870 Evo - the outboard option for Ireland's inland waterways

We are incredibly excited to see these boats come to Irish water, both inland and coastal.

For all details on pricing, please get in touch with [email protected] or call James Kirwan on 087 7712223

Irish broker BJ Marine is in buoyant form after attendance at both of September's international boat shows in Cannes and Southampton, writes BJ's Group Manager James Kirwan.

We found Cannes to be a particularly busy show this year, helped no doubt by several world premieres for new Beneteau models, namely the Oceanis 37.1 and the Antares 12.

Irish clients visited both models. With flights to Nice, Cannes is very easy for our Irish visitors to get to.

The Grand Trawler 62 again attracted huge attention from Irish parties, with availability for 2024 helping to focus the minds

Southampton certainly saw fewer Irish visitors than in years gone by, but as Beneteau dealers in the UK with our Bangor, Cardiff and Pwllheli offices, it still holds an important place in the BJ Marine show diary. We were delighted to confirm new orders at the show for new builds and existing stock, and we look forward to returning in 2024.

BJ Marine is proud to be established as the Princess Yachts dealer for Ireland writes BJ Group Manager James Kirwan

September represents an incredibly important month for Princess Yachts and BJ Marine with Cannes and Southampton boat shows taking place, and we have incredible displays lined up for both!

We also have immediate availability on a few select models.

Cannes Boat Show

In Cannes, from the 12^th-17^th September, we will have 8 stunning boats on display. There will be show debuts for the Y95 and the S72 as well as the much anticipated World Premiere of the Y80. A particular favourite of ours, the F45 will also command a lot of attention and with Irish clients already booked in for time aboard. 

James Kirwan, Group Manager of BJ Marine/ Princess Yachts Ireland, will be in attendance throughout.

It is a busy show and viewing by appointment so contact James on [email protected] or 087 7712223 in advance of the show.

• Princess Y95 – Show Debut
• Princess Y85
• Princess Y80 – World Premiere
• Princess S72 – Show Debuts
• Princess F65
• Princess V55
• Princess F45
• Princess V40

Princess X80 will be on display at Southampton Boat Show

Southampton Boat Show

Next up is Southampton Boat Show from the 15^th-24 September. Seven beautiful Princess Yachts will be on display, and as with Cannes, appointments can be made with James Kirwan.

The Southampton lineup is as follows:

• Princess X80
• Princess S72
• Princess S62
• Princess F65
• Princess V50
• Princess F45
• Princess F50

For all details on the boats, including pricing and availabilities, the Princess Yachts Ireland team are ready to look after you.

BJ Marine are delighted to confirm exciting line-ups of Beneteau sailboats for both the Cannes and Southampton boat shows this autumn.

First up is the Cannes Yachting Festival from 12-17 September where there Beneteau will have six boats on display.

Of particular interest will be the world premiere of the new Oceanis 37.1, while the First 44 will also be on the water after making its world debut ashore at boot Düsseldorf earlier this year.

Others on show in Cannes include the Oceanis 51.1, Oceanis Yacht 54, Oceanis Yacht 60 and First 53.

Cannes is always an incredibly busy show, so it’s best to make appointments to view the boats. James Kirwan will be in attendance for the duration so please contact him on 087 771 2223 or [email protected].

The First 44 will be on the water in Cannes and will also be on show in Southampton next month after making its world debut ashore at boot Düsseldorf earlier this year | Credit: Beneteau

Next up is the Southampton International Boat Show from 15-24 September and again, a stunning line-up awaits those who travel.

The full BJ Marine team will be in attendance from our Greystones, Bangor, Cardiff and Pwllheli offices. Get in touch at [email protected] if you’re paying a visit and we will make it easier for you to get on the boats.

Southampton’s scheduled line-up includes the Oceanis 30.1, 34.1, 40.1 and 46.1 alongside the First 44 and First 36 — which was put through its paces in the Fastnet Race last month.

If you can’t travel to a show but are interested in a new sailboat, please let us know and we will look at other options to get you aboard! We have excellent trade in opportunities for orders this autumn.

At BJ Marine, we have been incredibly excited about the re-emergence of the First range and what it could mean for offshore racing, round the cans racing and fast performance cruising in Ireland and the Irish Sea. After a couple of seasons without boat shows, we debuted the First 36 in Dusseldorf in January 2023, and the first boats were handed over in spring 2023. We were particularly proud to have sold hull #9 to Stevie Goddard at our Pwllheli office. Such is the importance of this new model for Beneteau that Andraz Mihelin, the main man for all Beneteau First models below 40ft, was onboard for the Fastnet race and James Kirwan, BJ Marine Group Manager, took the opportunity to catch up with him now that the dust has settled after the race.

(Above and below) The new Beneteau First 36

James Kirwan: We have been really excited about the new Beneteau First 36 since it was announced at our Beneteau dealer conference as we instantly felt it was a great fit for Ireland and the Irish Sea. For those who aren’t familiar with the model, can you us give a brief overview of what you wanted the First 36 to deliver and how it is fundamentally different to the previous generations of successful First’s such as the First 40, 40.7, 34.7, 36.7, 35 etc?

Andraz Mihelin: Basically, we first had to admit that with .7 series and its evolution in 35/40 we had pretty big shoes to fill. Also, we noticed that the sailors became more demanding on the performance sailing boat should achive as well as on the comfort she should offer. It was clear we have our job cut out for us. So essentially what we aimed for is a boat that at 36ft offers interior of an old First 40 while reducing the displacement by almost 3 tones. By avoiding exotic materials like Carbon or Epoxy we managed to achive that without pushing the price of the boat in niche racer market. After this year's Fastnet we can say that she works as advertised – upwind in a breeze she can keep up with the First 40s but she is radically faster and more fun in reaching and downwind.

JK: BJ Marine sold Faenol, hull #9, and the boat was delivered to our Pwllheli office for commissioning. The Fastnet Race was the big target for this season and it represented the first true IRC test for the model anywhere in the world. Can you tell us who was onboard for the race and how you felt as a crew in the 24 hours before the race with the forecast as it was?

AM: I was excited about the forecast. As I said she is a production boat displacing only 4.8 tonnes with all the wood, Corian tops and inner liners, so having a proper real-life test in an iconic race as Fastnet was the best we could hope for. Especially since we had the designer – Sam Manuard joining the team as well as super experienced Jochem Visser. Altogether we were eight – Apart from Steven Goddard and his friend James Dean and the guys I mentioned, there was also world-class meteo guru Jure Jerman, Norwegian journalist and sailor Oyvind Bordhal, First 27SE owner Milan Tomek and myself. In essence a lot of afterguards but not so many skilled bowmen. We never really sailed together but the chemistry was great and I think I can say for all of us we had a great time despite the testing conditions.

JK: From the start to the Fastnet Rock, you seemed to have every condition imaginable; what did you learn about the boat, and yourselves, in that section of the race?

AM: Basically it was all upwind from 40+ knots after the start to super light just before the Fastnet. Interestingly enough she proved to be very well behaved and fast upwind in the 20+ knots true wind. Even though we were missing a J4 jib we could pretty much keep up with First 40s and other race boats of our size. What became clear is we need a bit more rake on the rig while the rest seems pretty much as it should be.

JK: Once around the rock, the First 36 really seemed to take off. What numbers were you seeing and how did the boat feel?

AM: First part to the Scillies was a close reach about halfway under code 0 and the rest under J1. There were no real overtaking opportunities there since we were all pretty much on displacement speeds.

It was really only the last 160M where we could ease the sheets and show what she could do. We covered this distance in about 15 hours averaging 13-14kt for longer periods of time and peaking over 20kt when we caught a good wave. Also worth mentioning is that we really only had an A2 spinnaker so after the wind started to get over 30 knots, we had to change down to the jib. Plenty of potential still with some A5 kite and jib-top reacher. That part was absolutely amazing. All the time, under full control and cheering like little kids, every time we exceeded 20kt of boatspeed.

JK: Looking back now having recovered, what are your thoughts on the overall performance of the boat under IRC in the race? Are there performance gains there that we can look to optimise for future races and to help future owners?

AM: Absolutely! 14th in IRC1 was as good as we could hope for a boat that was pretty much out of the box. With 2-3 extra sails, improvement in rig and rudder trim and more training, there are still hours to be gained in a race like this year's Fastnet. Also the conditions where ¾ of the race was upwind or close reach were not ideal for a boat like 36. So essentially, Fastnet was the first big entry in our knowledge base on how to race 36 in IRC so with more owners starting to race we are excited to collect and share more insights on how to sail and tweak her in order to get even better.

JK: To finish, what was the big highlight from this race for you personally?

AM: A surf where the boat speed went 20, 20.5, 22,... 10, 9.5, which meant the whole bow all the way to the paddle wheel was out of the water like we are used to see on offshore racers. I would pay good money to have a drone shot of that. 

For full details on the Beneteau First 36 and the entire Beneteau range, please contact BJ Marine at [email protected] or call the Greystones head office on 01 287 8334

We are delighted to finally be in a position to talk about the new Gran Turismo 45 from Beneteau writes Irish agent James Kirwan of BJ Marine 

We have had great success with the Gran Turismo range, in particular with the GT40, and this new 45 is ideally suited for our waters. An incredibly comfortable boat to drive with superb visibility and the option of either Volvo Z-drives or IPS, she lends herself to exploring our stunning coastline and travelling further afield. 

At low speed, the boat can be steered easily using the joystick and the optional bow thruster giving you fingertip control over in-harbour manoeuvres and berthing operations 

The cockpit has been cleverly designed, maximising space and minimising clutter. The Hydraulic Platform option will be very popular as it makes launching a tender effortless. The Glazed Cockpit doors also are ideal for our climate, enabling owners to seal the boat from the elements.

The Gran Turismo 45 hard-top has been completely redesigned to include much larger side windows that provide fabulous views of the open sea 

Essentially this is a boat that has been designed to be used, and as we have more people valuing what being afloat has to offer, we look forward to introducing this boat to all interested parties, whether they have been boating for years or if they are just getting started.

An elegant interior with grey walnut and white lacquered joinery 

Beneteau has launched the seventh generation of its First range small sailing cruisers and dayboats under the strapline: "Big boats bring the glory, but small boats make the sailors".

The First 24 and 27 are exciting sports cruisers, while First 14 is an innovative dinghy that brings fun and exciting sailing to everyone.

"We are delighted with the constant evolution and versatility of the First range", Irish Beneteau agent James Kirwan of BJ Marine told Afloat. "BJ Marine has sold more of the current First line up than any dealer in the UK/Ireland and it is definitely reflected in our passion for these boats", he said. 

In addition, a new product line of First SE – Seascape Edition, consisting of four models: 14SE, 18SE, 24SE and 27SE, was created. First SE is building on the legacy of Seascape boats and has the mission to bring modern one-design racing and adventure sailing in every sailor's hands.

The ability to specify these boats now for cruising or racing, or a healthy mix of both, makes them ideal for Irish waters and Irish owners as we look to maximise our time afloat and the value we get from our boats, Kirwan told Afloat. 

"We see the First 24 and 27 in particular as extremely relevant to domestic racing fleets and we are putting attractive “on the water” packages together for both. We can deliver new boats in time for this season which is fantastic", he said.

Back in the eighties, Beneteau brought the second generation of Firsts to life and with it a wide range of sailing experiences to every kind of sailors. The First range of cruiser-racers answered the needs of those looking to escape to the sea for family holidays or go racing with friends over the weekend. First Class one-design racers offered racing on a level playing field. And on top of that, Wizz, an innovative dinghy designed by studio Finot, opened the door to sailing for everyone.  

Forty years later Beneteau and Seascape's joined forces to reinvent the First for the new sailing era defined by accelerated innovation and progress. Focusing on the sailor and the sailing experience, Beneteau and Seascape created two distinct lines, First and First SE – Seascape Edition, to answer the needs of two distinct kinds of sailors.

FIRST 24: THE PERFECT FAMILY DAYSAILER

The new First 24 from BJ Marine: a fun day-sailor

A smart pocket cruiser, fun day-sailor or an exciting club racer all-in-one, she is keeping the First promise of modern performance sailing. She can easily sleep up to 4 persons but at the same time still delivers fun, planning sailing experience. A completely retractable keel gives you access to cruising spots you missed so far and a possibility to launch and recover your 24 on an ordinary slipway, opening new opportunities.

Light and stable hull together with the aluminium rig, classic backstay and Dacron sails make it an ideal weekender and holiday cruiser. The open-space interior is based on huge sleeping surfaces and offers innovative solutions for the toilette, storage, and living space transformation. Winch operated deep composite/lead retractable keel, and removable rudder blades give you access to as little as 30cm of water while keeping the boat fast and stable while sailing. 

FIRST 27: AN EIGHT-METER CRUISER FOR THE NEW ERA

First 27 - A family day sailor

She is the fastest and safest cruiser of her size. First 27 delivers fun and modern planing sailing thanks to modern design and building technologies. Families and couples will love taking her cruising, she will transform a light or strong wind day into a great sailing experience, and she will win trophies on the club races.

Being true to her pocket Yacht description, the 27 offers inboard Yanmar engine, separated Marine toilet, galley, fridge and up to 6 berths. Coachroof and hull windows together with big deck hatches bring a generous amount of light into the saloon while cockpit benches and removable table make living outdoors comfortable. Aluminium rig with classic backstay and dacron sails simplify life with the 27.  On the other hand, her striking performance is balanced by a number of safety features, including the deep, 1.7-meter lead fixed keel, twin rudders, and "insubmersibility" volumes, as the French manufacturers describe the new vessel's liability to flooding.