Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Port of Holyhead Gets £20m from UK Spring Budget Towards Breakwater Restoration
16th March 2023 Ports & Shipping
The Port of Holyhead is to benefit from the UK Government’s Spring Budget which has pledged to give the Welsh Government £20m to help secure the future of the breakwater at the ferryport on Anglesey. The historic breakwater which is…
Digitalisation to Accelerate at the Port of Cork with New AI-Powered Port System
16th March 2023 Port of Cork
An agreement between the Port of Cork Company and Innovez One, a provider of port management systems, is to accelerate the digitalisation of its port calls and operations. Under the agreement, Innovez One will provide its flagship software, “marineM”, to…
Royal Cork's popular PY1000 Race takes place on Saturday, 1st April 2023, but this year in a twist to the annual fixture, the big prize money goes to the winner of a new first-passed-the-post format. Dinghies will start from the slowest…
Malahide Yacht Club Invites Entries for March 25th, St. Patrick's Regatta
16th March 2023 Malahide YC
Malahide Yacht Club invites entries for the St. Patrick's Regatta on Saturday, March 25th, 2023. This open event will feature ILCA/Laser, Optimist, and PY class races on the beautiful Broadmeadows Estuary. "Sailors of all ages are welcome to participate in…
The Irish environmental charity Friends of the Irish Environment [FIE] will claim that Ireland is guilty of a systemic violation of a legally-binding deadline to end overfishing at an EU court hearing on Thursday, March 16th. The test case was…
The Irish Sailing Association’s recently-published 2022 annual financial statements present a picture of robust financial good health, with almost €1.4m in the bank, though nearly €900k of this reflects grants received, which have yet to be disbursed. However, the summarised financial…
Defending Champion Rocco Wright Takes the Lead at ILCA 6 Men's Senior Europeans
15th March 2023 Laser
Reigning ILCA 6 Men's Senior European champion Rocco Wright of Howth Yacht Club took the lead today in Andora, Italy, with 21 points. Overnight leader Athanasios Kyfidis GRE and Mattia Cesana ITA follow him two points behind. They are all…
Howth's Eve McMahon Moves up to 15th at ILCA 6 Women's Europeans
15th March 2023 Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing
Howth Yacht Club's Eve McMahon completed a solid day at the ILCA 6 Women's Europeans in Andora, Italy improving from 19th to 15th overall thanks to sixth and third places as well as a 12th as her event moves into Gold…
Full Speed to the East for The Ocean Race Fleet — But Speed Bumps Lie Ahead
15th March 2023 Ocean Race
Near midnight UTC on Tuesday (14 March), The Ocean Race Leg 3 leader Team Holcim-PRB made yet another gybe to the south, looking to stay close to the ice exclusion zone. Its nearest competitor — Team Malizia — continued pushing…
Gear failure for Finn Lynch on the first day of gold fleet racing at the ILCA 7 European Championships in Andora, Italy, has been a setback for the National Yacht Club ace. Lynch was forced to use his discard when…
Loughs Agency Launches Public Consultation for Angling and Fisheries Improvement in Foyle and Carlingford
15th March 2023 Loughs Agency
A public consultation on the Loughs Agency’s angling and fisheries improvement strategy and action plans for Foyle and Carlingford has been launched. The consultation, which will run for a period of eight weeks, will provide members of the public with…
Clifden Lifeboats Search North Connemara Coast After Emergency Beacon Activation
15th March 2023 RNLI Lifeboats
Both Clifden lifeboats were launched on Monday morning (13 March) to conduct a search after an EPIRB distress signal was detected by Malin Head Coast Guard in the area around Letterfrack in Co Galway. An EPIRB, or emergency position indicating…
After the previous Sunday, March 5th, when the course for the first race was suitable for the second race, without adjustment from the first, Mother Nature gave the Viking Marine DMYC Frostbites Race Officer a more difficult time of it this…
Irish Sailing League Notice of Race is Published for Dun Laoghaire Inaugural Event
15th March 2023 Irish Sailing League
Organisers of the inaugural Irish Sailing League have published the Notice of Race (downloadable below as a PDF) Online entry is now open, and the clever new league is welcoming entries to finally settle the argument on who is the best sailing…
Kerry Education Board Wins 'Skills Development' Prize at Irish Wind Energy Awards
15th March 2023 Power From the Sea
Kerry Education and Training Board (Kerry ETB) has been named the Talent and Skills Development Award winner at the recent Irish Wind Energy Awards. The award was presented in recognition of Kerry ETB's innovative approach to developing talent and skills…
Open 50 Round Ireland Speed Sailing Record Bid Now Awaits 'Direction from Weather Routers'
15th March 2023 Round Ireland Speed Record
RORC skipper Ross Hobson, aiming to beat the doublehanded Round Ireland Speed Sailing Record, has postponed his record bid. The Open 50 'Pegasus of Northumberland' remains in Dun Laoghaire Harbour, and Hobson and Adrian Banks are 'awaiting direction from weather routers'…
Classic Clinker Classes Have Enduring Backbone But Occasionally Need New Ribs
15th March 2023 Historic Boats
Classic clinker-built wooden dinghies can mean a lot of maintenance work as they mature. Betty Armstrong's recent stories on Afloat.ie of restoration projects on some of the almost-forgotten 14ft Ballyholme Insects in the North, will have been an evocative reminder…
Eve McMahon Recovers Well at ILCA 6 Europeans After Port-Starboard Incident
15th March 2023 Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing
Irish Sailor of the Year Eve McMahon recovered from a port-starboard incident shortly after the start of the first race of the day at the ILCA 6 Womens' European Championship but recovered well to place 14th and then ninth in the…
Athanasios Kyfidis GRE is heading the fleet with 7 points (3-1-17-3), followed 1 point behind by the reigning European champion Rocco Wright IRL (4-6-3-1) with 8. Mattia Cesana ITA is third with 14. They are all Under 21 and lead…
Consistent Finn Lynch is Sailing in the Top Ten of the ILCA 7 European Championships
15th March 2023 Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing
Consistent sailing by Olympic Paris 2024 campaigner Finn Lynch puts him in the top ten of the ILCA 7 European Championships in Andora, Italy. The National Yacht Club ace, ranked as high as second in the world last season, added another two…