Sailor of the Month
Don Street is "Sailor of the Month (International)" for December
1st January 2021 Sailor of the Month
Don Street of Glandore and the Caribbean is the Afloat.ie "Sailor of the Month (International)" for December in celebration of his continuing and inspirational joy in sailing at the age of 90, and in honour of the remarkable contribution he…
Marcus Spillane is International "Sailor of the Month" for November
1st December 2020 Sailor of the Month
The election of Marcus Spillane – originally of Cork – to a Vice Presidency of World Sailing in November is the latest step in an extraordinary involvement in sailing which has seen him compete in many world championships – most…
Donal O'Sullivan of the National Yacht Club is "Sailor of the Month" for November
1st December 2020 Sailor of the Month
Anyone who writes the history at the Centenary of one of his long-affiliated sailing clubs in 1984, and then writes the history of his other club at its 150th (Sesquicentennial) some 36 years later in 2020, is clearly someone profoundly…
The new Round Ireland Two-handed Record Holders, RL Sailing's Pamela Lee of Greystones SC and Catherine Hunt, are acclaimed as October's "Sailors of the Month" after a superbly-executed circuit of our island home which went way beyond their initial challenge…
The O'Leary family of Crosshaven and Baltimore have a fine reputation for top-level competitive sailing allied with ready enthusiasm for volunteering in services to our sport, and Rob, the youngest O'Leary brother is following this tradition. Having served successfully as…
Teenage skipper Ben Graf of the 250-year-old Lough Ree YC is September's Junior "Sailor of the Month" on the strength of a remarkably varied lineup of successes which reached a new level during the late season. Having won the 420…
One of the many "little miracles" which kept Irish sailing alive and active during the continually-changing official restrictions in the summer of 2020 was the flexible and effective administration of the Irish side of the Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association's…
When Meathman Tom Dolan heads off for a solo or double-handed campaign with the Figaro 3 Smurfit Kappa from his French base at Concarneau, the Irish sailing community is with him all the way. But as the truncated 2020 season…
The Murphy Family & Nieulargo are "Sailors of the Month" for August
3rd September 2020 Sailor of the Month
There are many boats in Ireland that are in the happy position of being regarded as one of the family, yet few fulfil that role so completely as Denis and Annamarie Murphy of Crosshaven's beloved Grand Soleil 40 Nieulargo. Aboard…
Colin Morehead & Martin McCarthy are "Sailors of the Month (Services to Sailing)" for August
2nd September 2020 Sailor of the Month
It is unusual to have two leading figures sharing the "Sailor of the Month (Services to Sailing)" award. And it surely unique when one is Admiral of the world's oldest yacht club, the Royal Cork at Crosshaven, in its Tricentenary…
The Quinlan-Owens Family of Kinvara are Sailors of the Month for July
2nd August 2020 Sailor of the Month
The Sailor of the Month contest has been running for nearly a quarter of a century now, but this may well be the first time the award has gone to a single seagoing family. Vera Quinlan, her husband Peter Owens,…
Kieran Dorgan of Cobh is July’s Sailor of the Month for Services to Sailing
2nd August 2020 Sailor of the Month
While other clubs have found it a big enough challenge simply resuming sailing in a regulation-compliant way, the 101-year-old Cove Sailing Club in Cork Harbour has also been bringing its new marina on stream, and in addition to resuming club…
When Garry Crothers (64) of Lough Swilly YC brought his Ovni 435 Kind of Blue into her berth in Foyle Marina in the heart of the City of Derry this (Saturday) afternoon at 1520 hrs, it marked the completion of…
John Killeen is June’s “Sailor of the Month (Services to Sailing)”
4th July 2020 Sailor of the Month
John Killeen of Galway’s services to sailing and the broader maritime world expanded still further in June, when he became Chairman of the RNLI Council for Ireland. This is in addition to his major role as Chairman of the Marine…
Daria & Alex Blackwell are 'Sailors of the Month' (International) for May
3rd June 2020 Sailor of the Month
Daria and Alex Blackwell of Mayo Sailing Club are highly-experienced ocean voyagers, and they’re Vice Commodore and Rear Commodore respectively of the Ocean Cruising Club, the global body which currently has hundreds of members’ boats currently on long cruises. During…
With the complex COVID-19 regulations, many sailors with boats to fit out and get into commission had difficulty in assessing just what they could and couldn’t do. But Ian Byrne, Commodore of Howth Yacht Club, made it his business to…