Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
![Team Ireland celebrating with IODAI President Tim Lucas](/media/k2/items/cache/249222d19775c3686e5ef2ea44b9960d_L.jpg)
Top Results for Team Ireland Optimist Sailors at British Spring Championships
12th March 2018 Optimist
The Irish tricolour featured very high on the results board at last weekend's IOCA Volvo Gill, Optimist British Spring Championships at Royal Lymington Yacht Club. Ireland's winning weekend of sailing saw nine sailors in the top 20. The Irish Team…
![Strategic investments in ports through the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF II) for the financial period 2021-2028](/media/k2/items/cache/d848c57f1e1916d17446c0fb3f7e2ad8_L.jpg)
ESPO Pleads for Strong Connecting Europe Facility to Support €48 Billion Port Investment
12th March 2018 Ports & Shipping
#Ports&Shipping- A submission by the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) of its contribution to the public consultation in preparation of the new Connecting Europe Facility (CEF II) for the financial period 2021-2028 was presented last week. To prepare its submission,…
![Damage at Holyhead after Storm Emma. Holyhead Sailing club is making alternative plans to host this year's ISORA fleet](/media/k2/items/cache/48da40e19144ac88d6ca5f97027ee319_L.jpg)
Holyhead Sailing Club Make Contingency Plans for ISORA Race Start After Storm Emma's Damage
12th March 2018 ISORA
Holyhead Sailing Club (HSC) is working on contingency plans to host the ISORA fleet following the devastation to the North Wales Marina during Storm Emma. it is unlikely the damage will be repaired in time for the ISORA events planned…
![Queen of Aran which Afloat adds is seen berthed in Dun Aengus Dock, Galway, is the ferry that is to be introduced serving Tory Island off Donegal](/media/k2/items/cache/db8712d72a77145913f1b502f8408ac3_L.jpg)
Islanders Fear 'Tory Island is at Risk of Extinction' - As Row Over New Ferry Deepens
12th March 2018 Island News
#IslandNews - A new ferry service to be introduced in serving Tory Island could lead to the 'extinction' of the community according to a group of concerned islanders. According to the Irish Independent, 'Mná Thorai' claim that a new ferry…
![The new Jeanneau Sun Fast 3600 on display at Dun Laoghaire Marina](/media/k2/items/cache/de742a4a946dcc7f38a7ea810476da78_L.jpg)
The ISORA fleet's newest arrival, a brand new Jeanneau Sunfast 3600 named Yoyo, made its debut at Dun Laoghaire Marina this weekend and although only partially commissioned by MGM Boats at this point, the Daniel Andrieu design looks more than ready…
![The start of the final race at the 2018 Star Class Bacardi Cup](/media/k2/items/cache/51e33ee3437f7646e8984dd27deec194_L.jpg)
Royal Cork's O'Leary Brothers 11th at Star Bacardi Cup, Royal St. George Pair Finish 18th
12th March 2018 Star
With seven out of the top 10 at the Bacardi Cup being Star world champions, Peter O'Leary and Robert O'Leary from Royal Cork Yacht Club were in good company when they finished 11th overall in Miami at the weekend. A…
![Jeff Condell and Jeff Cochrane of Fuggles accepting the Squib Trophy from Kinsale Yacht Club Commodore Dave Sullivan and Bruce Matthews](/media/k2/items/cache/bd79f0a495d7b186c607a28b3f8d8846_L.jpg)
Having lost three weeks to the vagaries of the Irish weather, flat seas and a 9 – 12 knot breeze greeted the fleets on Sunday morning for the last day of the 2018 Kinsale Yacht Club Frostbite Series. 13 Squibs…
![Noel Butler has an unassailable lead in the DMYC Frostbites](/media/k2/items/cache/2b2987babd88532d62602b0f3631b089_L.jpg)
Odd Easterly Entertains Fireballs & Others Dinghies in a Tricky DMYC Frostbite Race Outside the Harbour
12th March 2018 DMYC
When sailors arrived to rig for the DMYC Dinghy Frostbites on Sunday the wind was considerably less than the 6-12 knots promised by Windguru but by the time boats got afloat an encouraging 8 knots plus ENE had kicked in.…
![James McCann and Harry Whitaker sailing a 420 dinghy win €700 as a first prize. See full photo gallery below](/media/k2/items/cache/ef8811238109d17162a3048efdd93e89_L.jpg)
420 Dinghy Pair Win First Prize in Royal Cork Yacht Club's Horizon Energy PY 1000 Race
11th March 2018 Royal Cork YC
The fourth running of the Horizon Energy PY 1000 at Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven today saw James McCann and Harry Whitaker sailing a 420 dinghy win €700 first prize writes Bob Bateman. Racing on the Owenabue river opposite the RCYC clubhouse, there…
![Intervarsity sailing at Kilrush Marina](/media/k2/items/cache/a505485509dd3da116f427018b288715_L.jpg)
A successful Irish University Sailing Association (IUSA) Intervarsity team racing championships concluded today at Kilrush Marina on the Shannon Estuary in County Clare. To a bystander not familiar with team racing it may have appeared somewhat chaotic with lots of…
![Nasdaq sailing north past Taiwan on Day 7 of Race 8: The Sailing City Qingdao Cup](/media/k2/items/cache/f2cd7a562018e0981c702fbf0ea555d6_L.jpg)
Highs & Lows For Clipper Race Fleet As Chase For Qingdao Podium Heats Up
11th March 2018 Clipper Race
#ClipperRace - As the Clipper Race fleet pushes north up the eastern Taiwanese coast, a real contrast in wind and conditions have been reported over the last 24 hours, resulting in a vast range of fortunes and emotions for the…
![European Commission Issues Brexit Preparedness Notices On Maritime Transport](/media/k2/items/cache/e0f193ed636366cb4590fae476317c97_L.jpg)
European Commission Issues Brexit Preparedness Notices On Maritime Transport
11th March 2018 Ports & Shipping
#Brexit - The European Commission has published notices to stakeholders in maritime transport and in seafarers’ certificates in preparation for the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union. These notices are intended to facilitate preparation by EU-27 Member States and…
![Clogherhead Lifeboat Assists Medevac Of Injured Fisherman](/media/k2/items/cache/651cd4f26235cde93bbe0c8230f5dedb_L.jpg)
#RNLI - Clogherhead RNLI assisted a fisherman in need of medical attention on Thursday evening (8 March). The all-weather lifeboat was launched around 5.45pm following a request for a medevac from a small fishing boat operating off Gormanstown and north-east…
![An Award Picture from the Erne Head](/media/k2/items/cache/fbd28b52a9184e0e1320815a0e0d6201_L.jpg)
#Rowing: Trinity’s senior eight were the fastest crew at the re-fixed Erne Head of the River in Enniskillen today. It was their fourth consecutive win, achieved this year in rainy conditions. Junior crews did well: Enniskillen RBC’s junior men’s eight…
![Cargoship MV Helena with the dramatic backdrop of the mountainous coast of St. Helena Island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean. Helena is seen docked in Ropert's Bay on the first day of arrival (7 March) following a delayed debut on the new freight service from South Africa.](/media/k2/items/cache/19ee69db48789c09831ef4c9cdc6b113_L.jpg)
#Ports&Shipping - Following the final RMS St. Helena sailing linking the UK overseas territory of St. Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean with the outside world, a replacement freight-only service has finally begun, writes Jehan Ashmore. The lo-lo containership MV…
![On deck with the crew of Visit Seattle](/media/k2/items/cache/1128b2d8e635cb614f24b7875578a98d_L.jpg)
#ClipperRace - After a tough and wet couple of days for the Clipper Race fleet, the sun came out on Day 6 of Race 8 (Saturday 10 March), bringing plenty of positive attitudes as the teams make better progress up…
![Dongfeng sailing to victory in the New Zealand Herald In-Port Race today](/media/k2/items/cache/ac622bf21aee96d597280b95c13dd8c9_L.jpg)
Dongfeng Win Auckland In-Port In Challenging Conditions for Volvo Ocean Race Fleet
10th March 2018 Ocean Race
#VOR - Dongfeng Race Team showed great concentration and resilience in winning the New Zealand Herald In-Port Race in Auckland, New Zealand earlier today (Saturday 10 March). Conditions were extremely light, shifty and patchy on the Waitematā Harbour for the…
![An artist's impression provides an idea of what cruise ships might look like arriving into Dun Laoghaire harbour](/media/k2/items/cache/10dccd76de12adfe49d310bc73c4cb6b_L.jpg)
Senator Says Dun Laoghaire Cruise Ship Plans 'Not Dead in the Water Yet'
10th March 2018 Dun Laoghaire Harbour News
In a further twist in the long running proposed cruise Line berth at Dun Laoghaire Harbour, An Bord Pleanála has written to Dun Laoghaire Harbour Company this week requesting them to furnish further information in relation to the effects on the…
![Starting young. Thumbs up from Billy Coyne (aged 12) aboard Lula Belle at the start of the breezy Volvo Dun Laoghaire-Dingle Race 2017](/media/k2/items/cache/1bf5bffc89b20167a945aebdf5779d82_L.jpg)
Will Olympic Sailing Regimentation Spoil Irish Offshore Racing’s Growing Attraction for Young Sailors?
9th March 2018 W M Nixon
It’s highly likely that a trial Olympic offshore racing event will be run in tandem with the 2020 Sailing Olympiad in Tokyo in 2020, and one proposal which seems to have traction is that a boat similar to the Figaro…
#Navy - The latest Irish Naval Service newbuild, LÉ George Bernard Shaw was floated-out for the first time from a UK shipyard, writes Jehan Ashmore. LÉ George Bernard Shaw costing €67m, is the fourth of the offshore patrol vessel (OPV90…