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Irish Sailing and Yacht Club News. Regattas, Race Reports & Results
Royal Cork duo Seafra Guilfyole and Johnny Durcan competing at the 53 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca
On light-wind day four of the World Cup Series event at the 53 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca, Irish competitors maintained their overall positions, with one day left to sail before the medal races on Saturday. The light sea-breeze condition on…
This season’s first cruise ship to Dublin Port, MS Spitsbergen called with passengers disembarking in the ‘Docklands’ quarter, close to the O2 Arena. So far the small polar ship has visited Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man before in a couple of months heading for Svalbard, where the largest island in the archipelago is the ship’s namesake off northern Norway and within the Arctic Circle. Above the observation deck at the prow, when in waters off Bessaker, also in Norway, home to Hurtigruten’s famous Coastal Express. As for today, Spitsbergen arrived from Douglas, Isle of Man from where also this morning, the IOM Steam Packets fast-ferry Manannan, at 35 knots passed the Baily Lighthouse and bound for the Irish capital marking its first seasonal sailing.
The first cruise ship to Dublin Port of this season saw the Norwegian operator of M/S Spitsbergen, Hurtigruten Expeditions, whose small yet smart red, black, and white liveried ship, sailed upriver to a berth today, writes Jehan Ashmore. The call…
RYA Northern Ireland logo
RYA Northern Ireland has launched its Active Clubs Grants scheme, which offers funding for Northern Ireland clubs aiming to grow and retain their membership. Priority will be given to clubs who are running programmes for women and girls, people with…
Clementine Van Steenberge (left) of the National Yacht Club, sailing with new crew Jessica Riordan of the Royal St. Goerge Yacht Club lead the 29er skiffs at the Irish Sailing Youth Nationals at Crosshaven in Cork Harbour
Over 90 boats and more than 100 sailors competed on a wet opening Thursday at the Irish Sailing Youth National Championships ahead of Storm Kathleen's expected arrival in Cork Harbour this weekend. The Royal Cork Yacht Club-hosted event saw three dinghy…
The large metal marker buoy found washed ashore at Ballymoney near Gorey, Co Wexford
A marker buoy that washed ashore in Co Wexford this week has been traced to as far away as the US state of Louisiana. The large metal buoy was found on Wednesday (3 April) on the coast at Ballymoney near…
Colleen Deas is a Classic Dublin Bay class and this stunning GRP reproduction is an absolute head-turner
A classic reproduction of the early Dublin Bay "Colleen" class is up for sale at €9,750. Doyle of Kingstown - Dun Laoghaire designed this stunning GRP boat, an absolute head-turner. With a gaff rig, main and jib, and simulated clinker…
A generated representation of the view of the proposed Codling Wind Park from Wicklow Harbour
Ireland’s largest Phase One offshore wind project, Codling Wind Park, has confirmed a 25% reduction in the number of turbines required to deliver the project. The wind park will be located off the County Wicklow coast and was initially estimated…
Ambition of Ambassador Cruise Line was the first vessel to visit Cobh today, opening the start of a season that is also to welcome a further 100 plus calls. The 1,400 passenger guest cruise ship previously called to Belfast and beforehand became the first ever cruise ship to use the new berth at the Scottish port of Stornoway (above) on the Isle of Harris & Lewis, off the west coast. Up to now the port could only handle anchorage available for ships the size of Ambition and fleet-mate flagship Ambience which too has called to Cobh in the past two years.
Ambition, one of two cruise ships of UK operator Ambassador Cruise Line, overnight sailed from Belfast Harbour to arrive this morning at the Port of Cork, where it made a maiden visit to Cobh, writes Jehan Ashmore. Afloat tracked yesterday…
Mainport Edge is the newest acquisition of Cork-based Irish Mainport Holdings (IMH), which is undergoing an upgrade in Turkey. Works include improvements to the survey support ship to enhance and meet the roles required when placed on the international charter market for the global geo-data and offshore energy industry sectors.
Mainport Edge, the name of the Cork-based Irish Mainport Holdings (IMH) newly acquired survey support ship from a shipyard in China last year and since relocated to Europe, is where further upgrade works continue, writes Jehan Ashmore. As Afloat previously…
Some of the junior 4.7 fleet racing in the ILCA Munster Championships 2024 at Baltimore Sailing Club in West Cork
For ILCA sailors Easter always means the Munster Championships in Baltimore Sailing Club in West Cork. Despite the early Easter this year the Munster Championships lived up to all expectations, with nearly a hundred boats travelling from around the country,…
An Irish fishing trawler operating off Cork Harbour. The Irish fishing industry should have bigger catch quotas, according to MEP Billy Kelliher
Following the announcement by EU Fisheries Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius that he has ordered a “full evaluation” of the Common Fisheries Policy and reports that 43,000 tonnes of fish were uncaught by Member States, other than Ireland, European fishing regulations under…
29er action at the 2021 Irish Sailing Youth National Championships held in Cork Harbour. The 2024 event returns to Royal Cork Yacht Club this morning
Over 170 young sailors are set to compete in Ireland’s largest youth regatta, which starts today, April 4th at Crosshaven in Cork Harbour. The 2024 Irish Sailing Youth National Championships, which will be hosted by the Royal Cork Yacht Club…
Simon Knowles' J109 Indian is confirmed for Saturday's first ISORA coastal race from Dun Laoghaire Harbour
ISORA's first Dublin Bay Coastal race of the season is in doubt due to this Saturday's forecasted strong southerly winds. A new JPK design is set to challenge reigning ISORA champion Rockabill VI in the Viking Marine-sponsored race to and…
The boss of CalMac Robbie Drummond is standing down 'with immediate effect' after a leadership review of the Scottish government owned ferry operator with its extensive route network to west coast islands.
Caledonian MacBrayne's (CalMac) chief executive is stepping down as the Scottish state-owned ferry operator faces ongoing challenges with its aging fleet. The ferry company announced on Wednesday (3 April) that Robbie Drummond is stepping down with immediate effect from the…
Port Dinorwic Marina
Marine Industry News reports that a company providing berthing and marine services at a storied North Wales marina has been sold after going into administration last year. Port Dinorwic Marina, on the Menai Strait south-west of Bangor, is now in…
Arklow RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat tows the 16m yacht into the safety of Arklow Harbour on Tuesday morning 2 April
Arklow RNLI in Co Wicklow were requested to launch early on Tuesday morning (2 April) following reports of a large yacht with four crew onboard in difficulty near the Arklow Bank. Shortly after 6.30am, Arklow volunteers launched the station’s all-weather lifeboat…
Royal Cork duo Seafra Guilfyole and Johnny Durcan have moved up one place to 24th overall at the Trofeo Princesa Sofía Trophy in Mallorca
Another sea breeze day kept the giant 53 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca by Iberostar rolling through a demanding schedule of races. Across the classes are some marked, understandable differences between the mindsets of those who are in the throes of…
The mighty John Alden schooner Puritan is just one chapter in Bob Fannin Jnr’s very varied history of sailing experience
Bob Fannin Jnr feels most at home on the high seas. For as the Bristol-based writer, broadcaster and university lecturer told the members of the Cruising Group at his former club of Howth on Tuesday night, when sailing the sea,…
Met Eireann has issued a small craft warning for all coasts of Ireland valid from Thursday afternoon
Ahead of a forecasted breezy weekend, Met Eireann has issued a small craft warning for all coasts of Ireland valid from Thursday afternoon.  Easterly winds, veering southwesterly in southern sea areas, will reach force six or higher, the State forecaster…
Marine advisors have been appointed to support the procurement of a multi-role vessel (MRV) to replace the Naval Service’s decommissioned flagship, LÉ Eithne which departed the navy’s base in Cork Harbour last month and awaits to be recycled from an EU approved facility. AFLOAT also adds above at the city’s north quays, the bow of Arklow Fame, previously reported in 2016 as the last vessel to be dry-docked (asides static museum ship Jeanie Johnston) then the state’s largest such facility in Dublin Port, before ‘finally’ forced to close in 2017, in order to facilitate major infrastructure works, since completed. Currently, the only ‘ship’ dry-dock in the Republic is the Rushbrooke based Cork Dockyard (Doyle Shipping Group) which is used by the Navy.
Advisers from the marine sector have been appointed to help procure a multi-role vessel (MRV) to replace the former flagship of the Naval Service, the LÉ Eithne which was decommissioned in 2022. According to the Tánaiste, Micheál Martin, who is…