Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Inclement weather played havoc with the six-race Royal Ulster Yacht Club Spring Series on Belfast Lough, with Sunday, 7th April, cancelled. However, four races eventually gave overall results. The last outing on 21st April started with little wind, and the…

There was a second consecutive ISORA coastal race win for the Howth Yacht Club J109 Indian crew co-skippered by Colm Buckley and Simon Knowles on Sunday after a light to medium air test in the longest race of the Viking Marine…

One of Cork Harbour’s most notorious islands, Spike, is the subject of a new book published this week. “Spike Island—the Rebels, Residents, and Crafty Criminals of Ireland’s Historic Island” was written by John Crotty and will be launched by Cork’s…

An introduction to sailing in Dun Laoghaire Harbour for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) earlier this month (April) was so successful that a second is planned for May 8th. As reported by Afloat, the initiative is run by MS Ireland…

Tributes have been paid to Jo English, SailCork's administration and customer care manager who died earlier this month after a brief illness. The Sunday Independent reports that the many tributes have included those from Royal Cork Yacht Club (RCYC) admiral…

After five races sailed and one discard, Denis and Annamarie Murphy's Nieulargo was crowned IRC One champion at Kinsale Yacht Club's Axiom Private Clients Spring Series 2024 on Sunday. The Royal Cork Yacht Club Grand Soleil 40 crew, skippered by RCYC's Lady…

Multi-talented Irish Finn Sailor Oisin McClelland from Donaghdee in County Down, who recently joined the 44Cup circuit, is in top match-racing form in America this weekend as part of Great Britain’s Ian Williams Congressional Cup crew, which is through to Sunday's…

Galway RNLI’s volunteer crew were requested to launch by the Irish Coast Guard on Saturday afternoon following a report of two people stranded by the tide on Hare Island, which is located on inner Galway Bay. The crew’s pagers were…

Clifden RNLI’s volunteer crew in western Connemara launched on Thursday evening (25 April) to rescue a sailor from the upturned hull of his sailing boat in Clifden Bay. At 8.45pm the lifeboat crew were tasked by Malin Head Coast Guard…

There were ideal conditions for Dublin Bay Sailing Club's first AIB Saturday race of the 2024 season, on April 25th, in medium north-easterly winds and a classic Dublin Bay chop. In a ten-boat turnout, J109s took the top three places…

National Yacht Club organisers have confirmed that the 15-boat ISORA fleet will race a 28-mile coastal race from Dun Laoghaire. As Afloat reported previously, the Howth Yacht Club J109 Indian (Colm Buckley and Simon Knowles) returns to the Dun Laoghaire Harbour line this…

Deploying three offshore patrol vessels for the first time added “fundamental fisheries control capacity to the EU”, according to the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA). The EFCA says that the chartering of three seaborne inspection platforms—the Ocean Sentinel, the Ocean…

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels and waterways users on the Erne System in Northern Ireland that Fermanagh’s annual Classic Fishing Festival will take place on Lough Erne from this Sunday 28 April to Friday 3 May. Inland waterways users are…

Crosshaven RNLI in Cork Harbour came to aid of two people on Wednesday (24 April) after their 30ft yacht got into difficulty. The yacht’s crew who were on passage from Dublin to Crosshaven alerted the Irish Coast Guard at Valentia…

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on and users of the Shannon Navigation that the lifting bridge at Tarmonbarry in Co Roscommon will now reopen on Friday 3 May. This extension of the bridge’s closure since February is a result…

Irish Olympic class sailors did not make it to Saturday's medal race final at French Olympic Week in Hyères, France on April 26th, 2024. This week's regatta saw all events conclude their series despite moderate winds and torrential rain on…

Brittany Ferries, the popular ferry operator, has announced plans to add a third weekly return-sailing between Rosslare and Cherbourg from April 29th. The move is aimed at boosting connectivity ahead of the company's rail-ferry service launch in 2025. The new…

The Royal Irish Yacht Club of Dun Laoghaire is so far the only club in Ireland which has indicated to Denis Byrne, Commodore of the governing Irish Cruiser-Racer Association and Vice Admiral of the Royal Cork YC, that it is…

Clare County Council has been granted planning approval to develop new visitor facilities at Loop Head Lighthouse Visitor Experience at the mouth of the Shannon Estuary in County Clare. This proposed development will feature new visitor centre facilities, a Looped…

Despite grey clouds, the sun was out too during the launch of Arklow Rose this morning, which was a spectacle that the locals of a Dutch shipyard clearly enjoyed watching, writes Jehan Ashmore. A blast from the Royal Bodewes shipyard…