Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
#Fishing - Marine Minister Michael Creed TD has launched a public consultation on the Inshore Fisheries Strategy, following a proposal made by the National Inshore Fisheries Forum. The consultation process will be open for a seven-week period and is due…
The IRC overall lead is being tightly contested this morning in the Volvo Round Ireland race 2018 with the bulk of the fleet now to the west of County Clare, slugging to windward in a north to northeast breeze writes…
#RNLI - Both Wicklow RNLI lifeboats were launched yesterday (Sunday 1 July) to assist two people on an inflatable dinghy near Brittas Bay beach. The father and son had set off from the popular tourist beach to fish in a…
There's less than a week to go until the inaugural Bangor Town Regatta hosted by Royal Ulster Yacht Club and Ballyholme Yacht Club in Belfast Lough. The last Bangor Week was hosted back in 2005 when a full week was…
Deaf & Hearing Impaired Children Set Out on Tall Ship Adventure from Dublin Port
2nd July 2018 Tall Ships
Twenty four deaf and hearing impaired students along with four aided communicators from around Ireland have set out on the adventure of a lifetime on a 6-day Sail Training voyage aboard the Tall Ship Pelican of London. The voyage organised…
Dun Laoghaire Rescues Yacht With Engine Failure Off Bray Head
2nd July 2018 Dun Laoghaire Harbour News
#RNLI - Dun Laoghaire RNLI responded to a yacht with one man onboard on Saturday afternoon (30 June) when the skipper’s engine failed just outside Bray Head. The volunteer lifeboat crew were called into action at 16.24pm following a report…
Kinsale Yacht Club hosted the Squib Southern Championships this weekend. Six races were sailed over the two days with different wind and sea conditions each day. Saturday had a 12 – 15-knot breeze coming from due east so there was…
Despite the relatively benign sailing conditions, 24 hours into the Volvo Round Ireland race and three boats have now retired from the 700-mile race. As Afloat.ie reported earlier, the Cookson 50-footer Riff Raff experienced 'engine problems' (earlier described as gear failure) and…
Round Ireland Update Day 2 9pm: Wind Pattern Gives Fleet Leaders a Raw Deal
1st July 2018 Round Ireland
Close north of the Blaskets at 1900hrs Sunday, the Volvo Round Ireland fleet leaders on the water - the Class 40 Corum and the Ker 43 Baraka GP - are sailing a textbook race in terms of handling the vagaries…
Fethard RNLI Name Lifeboat Naomh Dubhán in a Ceremony with Strong Emphasis on Community
1st July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats
Volunteers with Fethard RNLI gathered at the lifeboat station over the weekend (Saturday 30 June) for a naming ceremony and a service of dedication for their new lifeboat Naomh Dubhán. In glorious sunshine, operations crew, fundraisers, station management, friends and…
In a series led from start to finish, Strangford Lough Olympian Peter Kennedy, sailing with Stephen Kane and Hammy Baker, was the winner of the SB20 National Championships at the National Yacht Club on Dublin Bay. The former Flying Dutchman crew…
A Round Ireland Race favourite, Riff Raff, the canting keel Cookson 50, has retired 'due to gear failure'. All on board are safe and the British entry is heading for port in Cork Harbour. Racing for the 55 boats continues…
Goacher Wins Flying Fifteen British Nationals in Cut–Short Strangford Lough Event
1st July 2018 Flying Fifteen
In a four day series dramatically reduced to one day of racing due to lack of wind, former world champion Steve Goacher and Tim Harper were crowned Flying Fifteen Champions of the British Isles at Strangford Lough with a minimum of…
In the days leading up to the Volvo Round Ireland Race start at Wicklow yesterday, there were predictions of boats being delayed by calms, struggling for sea breezes by day and land breezes by night writes W M Nixon. But…
Sunday 1 July, at 12:00 local time in Les Sables d’Olonne France, Irishman Gregor McGuckin crossed the starting line of the Golden Globe Race onboard his very ordinary looking 33-year-old yacht, Hanley Energy Endurance. All going to plan, Gregor will…
Slow-Speeding Regulations Under Consideration In Norway's World Heritage Fjords
1st July 2018 Cruise Liners
#CruiseLiners - Limitation on speed in the Norwegian World Heritage fjords is one of several measures the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) is considering in order to limit pollution from ships in these areas according to Cruise Europe. DNV GL carried…
Only Place to Be: On the Water Activities At Foyle Maritime Festival
1st July 2018 Maritime Festivals
#MaritimeFestivals - How often have you admired the River Foyle but wondered what the walled city must look like from out on the water? Whether it’s swimming across it, flying above it or sailing along it, your options are endless…
Day 2 of the Volvo Round Ireland Race 2018 finds the fleet enjoying freshening offshore breezes along the south coast to provide drag racing conditions and good speeds writes W M Nixon. But enjoyment is muted by the knowledge that…
Big Turnout for Royal Irish Yacht Club Regatta as New Sponsor Unveiled. Results & Photos Here!
1st July 2018 Royal Irish Yacht Club
2018 marked a big year for the Royal Irish Yacht Club's Regatta with the announcement that Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin has come aboard as title sponsor of the event, a shot in the arm for the waterfront regatta scene at…
It’s said that the boat which has made the best start is not always the one which seems first over the line, but rather it’s the boat which is in the lead five minutes after the kick-off writes W M…
