Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

With just three weeks to go to the Centenary of the departure from Ireland on June 20th 1923 of Conor O’Brien’s world-girdling 42ft Baltimore-built ketch Saoirse, the public debut of the re-born Saoirse (Fred Kinmonth) at last weekend’s Baltimore Wooden…

Baltimore RNLI in West Cork rescued a kayaker who got into difficulty in freshening winds this afternoon and was drifting backwards towards rocks off Sherkin Island. The volunteer lifeboat crew were requested by the Irish Coast Guard to launch their inshore…

Following a successful inaugural race in 2022, the date for the 2024 Kinsale Yacht Club Inishtearaght Race has been set to start on Friday, 24th May 2024. The date has been set to be one month before the Round Ireland…

It’s a Céad Mile Fáile to the world's oldest keelboat fleet to Carbery’s 100 Isles in West Cork from June 24 to 30. As Afloat reported previously, the classic Howth 17s from Dublin will sail around Fastnet Rock next month, marking…

Wooden boats will dominate Baltimore Harbour this weekend when the West Cork village welcomes back the annual gathering of traditional vessels. Like many other events the Baltimore Wooden Boat Festival, which had been held annually for seventeen years from 2002,…

This coming weekend’s annual Baltimore Wooden Boat Festival makes its welcome post-pandemic return from Friday, May 26th until Sunday, May 28th, with the well-proven formula of events afloat tailor-made for the local and visiting classic and traditional craft being neatly…

The Atlantic Challenge group at Bantry is working on a new development project for a marine centre in the West Cork town which would encourage more young people to become involved in the maritime sphere. The Atlantic Challenge International began…

Kinsale Yacht Club will host the “O’Leary Life South Coast Dragon Championships” from the 26th – 28th of May. The event, which is the first regional event on the Irish Dragon class calendar, will mark the start of an exciting…

Cape Clear Ferries has announced its summer schedule for West Cork, taking in Baltimore, Cape Clear Island, The Fastnet Rock and Schull. The announcement comes amid considerable excitement at the launch of the newest addition to their fleet – the…

CD Environmental Calves Week Regatta 2023 at Schull in West Cork has welcomed the latest entry of the 1898-built Cork Harbour one design “Jap”, scheduled to compete in the August event. Having spent over twenty years on the European classic boat…

Irish classic boatbuilders and owners are no strangers to the podium at the annual International Classic Boat Awards in London, and 2023’s ceremony in April was no exception. Simon O’Keffe of Schull – the current family owner of the 1902…

Rob O'Leary and his Baltimore Sailing Club crew from West Cork returned to their winning ways at Howth Yacht Club when the North Dublin Club hosted the resurgent 1720s for the class’ first regional event of the 2023 season on Saturday and Sunday (29-30 April). Conditions…

Former Vice-Admiral Mark Mellett of the Irish Naval Service, who retired as head of the Defence Forces in September 2021, has been saluted by Kinsale Yacht Club at the weekend for his distinguished award from the French Government of 'Commandeur de…

Baltimore RNLI was called out to provide a medical evacuation yesterday evening (Tuesday 25 April) from Cape Clear Island off the coast of West Cork. Last week the crew performed a Medvac from Sherkin Island, as Afloat reported. The volunteer…

As part of the 125th year celebrations for the oldest one design racing keelboat class in the world, the Howth 17s will be travelling to Baltimore, West Cork, this year. As Afloat reported previously, they will be launching on Saturday,…

The all-conquering North Wales-based Mojito is one of five highly competitive J109 offshore cruiser racers that will contest June 7th's Volvo Dun Laoghaire Dingle Race organised by the National Yacht Club. Two of the J109s entered are West Cork based,…