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Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Loughs Agency Climate Action Plan consultation logoo
A public consultation will soon commence on the Loughs Agency’s draft Climate Action Plan, which outlines how the organisation aims to reduce its carbon emissions in the coming years. The consultation, which will run for 12 weeks from Wednesday 8…
Close racing for Ruffian 23s in the second stage of the Golden Jubilee Inter-Port at the Royal Hong Kong YC’s Shelter Island base. A feature of the event was sponsored Golden Jubilee sails for all boats
A highlight throughout our 2023 sailing season has been the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the much-loved Billy Brown-designed Ruffian 23, which became an almost continuous and very friendly party of shared enthusiasm, friendship, racing and cruising-in-company. It began on Strangford…
Italian Wally 93 Bullitt skippered by Andrea Recordati is the 2023 Rolex Middle Sea Race overall winner
At 2100 CEST on Wednesday, 25 October, the 44th edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race winner was announced as the Italian Wally 93 Bullitt, skippered by Andrea Recordati. The announcement was made shortly after the double-handed entry Red Ruby…
Among a trio of work vessels that arrived into Dublin Bay today and bound for the capital port was the floating crane-ship, Lara 1 as seen in the familiar waters of the Mersey with the backdrop of Liverpool. The vessel’s crane with a reach of 250 tonnes, has been to Irish ports before, including Arklow where the Spirit of Rathlin, a rare example of a car-ferry built in Ireland was hoisted from the quayside into the River Avoca.
Three vessels approaching Dublin Bay were observed off Howth Peninsula today as a tug, barge and a self-propelled heavy-lift crane-ship had sailed from Irish and English ports, writes Jehan Ashmore. The tug Chloe May (formerly Afon LLigwy) had astern a…
File image of Clifden RNLI’s inshore lifeboat
Clifden RNLI’s volunteer crew were tasked by the Irish Coast Guard at 1.45pm on Tuesday (26 October) following a report that three people were stranded on Omey Island. The Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat was launched by volunteer helm Kenny Flaherty…
The Ballyholme Bay ODs shaping up for some club racing on Belfast Lough in their heyday. Two of the boats are now being offered 'free to a Good Home as restoration projects
Two Ballyholme Bay yachts, which would make a great match-racing pair, need a new home (or homes). They are 22 ft plank-built sloops which were built on the Clyde in approximately 1939 for members of Ballyholme Yacht Club on Belfast…
The 420 fleet will gather in Lough Ree Yacht Club this bank holiday weekend for the annual late autumn three-day intensive training camp, and the 420
The 420 fleet will gather in Lough Ree Yacht Club this bank holiday weekend for the annual late autumn three-day intensive training camp under the watchful eye of Graeme Grant and supported by Cara McDowell and a team of experienced…
Irish Lights are welcoming applications for the following roles: Support Operative Do you like a varied job where every day at work can be different? If yes, then join the team at Irish Lights as one of our Support Operatives…
Over 180,000 passengers on 94 cruise ships were welcomed to Cork Harbour (Cobh) this year with the end of season caller today, MSC Virtuosa at 181,541 gross tonnes representing one of the largest ships of its type in the world. The most frequent caller was Regal Princess with 14 visits and a maximum passenger capacity of 3,592 for each visit to the southern cruise terminal.
The cruise ship season for the Port of Cork Company (PoCC) has been marked with a successful year as it welcomed one of the largest such ships in the world, the MSC Virtuosa which arrived to Cork Harbour today.  The…
The new Isle of Man Steam Packet ferry Manxman is sailing currently with a passenger limit of 600 while crew training takes place on the flagship
The new Isle of Man Steam Packet ferry, the Manxman which operates on the Douglas-Hesyham route will soon be able sail at full capacity which is 948 passengers. Since entering service in August, the Steam Packet's £78m newbuild flagship of…
Competitors in the 2023 IRC European Championship held in Cannes, France, enjoyed very close racing, with final positions decided on countback. The 2025 championships will be hosted by the Royal Irish Yacht Club on Dublin Bay
Ireland's coastal town of Dun Laoghaire on Dublin Bay is set to host the next IRC European Championship in September 2024, the 2023 international IRC Congress held in Paris heard recently. Irishman Michael Boyd, who chaired the Congress and is also…
Over 120 Optimist dinghies are expected for the IODAI National Training Week at Royal Cork from November 1-4
The Royal Cork Yacht Club at Crosshaven in Cork Harbour will be the centre for fun and learning at the IODAI Optimist National Training Week from the 1st to the 4th of November. Over 120 boats are signed up at…
EU member states recently agreed on ambitious new goals for offshore renewable energy generation by 2050
The European Commission says it is “doubling down” on efforts to support offshore renewable energy with additional actions. It says member states must collectively install almost 12 gigawatts (GW) a year on average to meet ambitious new goals set after…
Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation is looking for “ways and means of weaning fishing vessels off diesel
On-going efforts by fishermen to reduce their environmental impact, increase their efficiency and contribute to scientific data collection are continuing to enhance the sustainability credentials of seafood, Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation has claimed. The major Donegal-based fishing group is also looking…
Post-Brexit boost for Irish trade as Brittany Ferries reports increased trend in freight and passenger volumes between Ireland and EU member states of France and Spain. Recently, the company announced that it will operate for the first time a winter service on the Cork-Roscoff route. The popular cruise-ferry Armorique (Afloat captured above at Ringaskiddy) will offer sailings to Brittany every weekend during November and December 2023.
Passenger and freight figures for Brittany Ferries summer season 2023 (June to September), highlighted increased volumes across the board on routes between Ireland and the EU. The figures published by Brittany Ferries, which cover all routes across Ireland, France, Spain,…
When everyone’s a champion….one of the features of the Howth Autumn League is an inter-team series with three boats per squad, each from a different class. Clear winners in 2023 have been the “Stormed Inside Erica” Team with Pat Kelly’s J/109 Storm (second in Class 1) Stephen Mullaney’s Sigma 33 (first in Class 3) and Davy Nixon’s Howth Seventeen Erica (second in class). Most of the personnel involved are in this festive group on Saturday night
At High Water Howth early on Saturday morning, it was still dark – very dark – and the roaring breakers in the nor’easterly gale at the tag-end of Storm Babet’s secondary low were sweeping over the East Pier as if…
A dead juvenile salmon in the Corkley River near Keady where a slurry spill is being investigated
Local anglers have said it could take years for stocks to recover after a major fish kill in a Northern Ireland river. According to BBC News, it’s believed hundreds of juvenile salmon were lost as a result of a slurry…
Kevin Escoffier skippered Team Holcim-PRB in the most recent edition of The Ocean Race
Round-the-world yachtsman Kevin Escoffier has been banned for 18 months by the French Sailing Federation following a sexual assault inquiry, as RTL Today reports. Escoffier, who skippered Team Holcim-PRB in the most recent edition of The Ocean Race, was quizzed…
Fashionable freight: Brands such as Zara (with above their store at Battersea, London) and Massimo Dutti through parent company Inditex have partnered with Danish shipping giant Maersk to reduce its maritime transport emissions. The use of Maersk’s alternative fuels is estimated to reduce global greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint by more than 80% compared to conventional fossil fuels.
Fashion brands such as Zara and Massimo Dutti, which are under the parent company of Inditex has partnered with the giant Danish shipping freight group Maersk to reduce its global greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint. This is achieved as the brands when…
Sunday morning Fireball action inside Dun Laoghaire Harbour at the  DMYC Autumn Regatta – Ethel Bateman & TJ America (14), Chris Bateman & Conor Flynn (14916), Team Butler (14969), Nicola Ferguson & Thomas Chaix (14750), Butler & Oram (15061, partially hidden) and Lee & Geraghty (15017, black spinnaker)
Such has been the upswing in enthusiasm for Fireball sailing that despite completing the full suite of scheduled events for 2023, there was a significant view that a further event would be well received. Fortunately, Dun Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club…

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