Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
New Stena Line Route of Dublin-Liverpool Sees ‘Freight’ Crossings Completed with First Round Trip Today
16th February 2024 Stena Line
Stena Line launched their new route of Dublin – Liverpool (Birkenhead) with the freight service completing its first round trip to the Irish capital in the early hours of this morning (16 February). The addition of the new route is…
Fireball sailors Tom Gillard of England and Andy Thompson of East Antrim Boat Club in Northern Ireland have been crowned World Champions at the 2024 Fireball Worlds in Geelong, Australia. The duo sailed a near-perfect regatta, rarely falling outside the…
Opportunity Knocks for Eve McMahon at ILCA6 Euros in Athens?
16th February 2024 Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing
Rising star of Irish sailing, Eve McMahon, is all set to compete in the ILCA 6 European Championships in Athens, starting this Sunday. With several top rivals absent, the Howth Yacht Club teen has an excellent opportunity to build on…
Ultim Challenge Race Leader Charles Caudrelier is Back in the Home Hemisphere
16th February 2024 Ultim Challenge
Race leader Charles Caudrelier is back in the northern hemisphere after returning across the Equator at 0744hrs UTC this morning. After a long, slow spell in light airs, Thomas Coville has wind again; Armel le Cléac’h, his ULTIM MAXI Banque…
Brittany Ferries has introduced pet-friendly cabins for the first time on its ferry Armorique, which has restarted the twice-weekly Cork Harbour-Roscoff service. There are 18 ‘pet-friendly’ cabins which, the company says, have been introduced to “significantly enhance capacity for passengers…
Moderate Westerly Winds Forecast for Third Race of DBSC Spring Chicken Series
15th February 2024 DBSC
The AIB DBSC Spring Chicken Series fleet is expecting moderate westerly winds for their third race this Sunday on Dublin Bay. ECHO Handicaps and start times for the 40 boat have been published and are downloadable below As Afloat reported…
With a fleet including several Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV), the Naval Service has only been able to put one such ship into operational duty for the past month due to a combination of mechanical issues and a lack of specialist…
Young Irish Optimist Sailors Gear Up for the IODAI Sprint Series 2024 and Youth Sailing National Championships
15th February 2024 Optimist
Young sailors from all over Ireland are getting ready to compete in the highly anticipated Irish Optimist Dinghy Association (IODAI) Sprint Series 2024 and Youth Sailing National Championships. The Sprint Series, is billed as 'one of the most exciting events…
Damage to Armel Le Cléac'h’s Maxi Banque Populaire XI in Ultim Challenge
15th February 2024 Ultim Challenge
Armel Le Cléac'h’s Maxi Banque Populaire XI, a giant racing trimaran competing in the solo round the world Ultim Challenge race, has suffered damage to its central rudder after an incident. The Banque Populaire team confirmed the news in a…
Study on Protection of Ardmore Bay, Co Waterford Approved for OPW Funding
15th February 2024 Coastal Notes
A study on coastal protection and flood mitigation for Ardmore Bay, Co Waterford has been approved for additional funding by the Office of Public Works (OPW). Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Patrick O’Donovan, sanctioned Waterford County Council’s…
2024 Double Handed World Offshore Championship Confirms Lorient as Hosts
15th February 2024 World Sailing
Lorient Grand Large, Yacht Club de France, and the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) have joined forces to host the 2024 Double Handed World Offshore Championship. The event will feature a fleet of Sun Fast 30 One Design boats and…
Fireball duo Tom Gillard from Sheffield and Andy Thompson from East Antrim Boat Club in Northern Ireland will take a seven-point lead into the final two races of the 2024 Fireball Worlds in Geelong tomorrow as they look to be…
"Engage With Us" - Appeal By Simply Blue Group's Dr Val Cummins to Eamon Ryan
15th February 2024 Power From the Sea
Ireland is “ about five years behind other countries” on floating offshore wind, Simply Blue Group’s chief impact officer Dr Val Cummins has said. Dr Cummins was responding to a reported call by Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan on fellow…
Virtual Public Consultation On Floating Wind Farm off Scottish Coast Closes Next Monday
15th February 2024 Power From the Sea
The “virtual” consultation on the Ossian wind farm project off the Scottish coast has included four live question and answer sessions, along with availability of documentation on the project’s website. The Ossian project is a joint venture between SSE Renewables…
Irish Sailors Finn Lynch and Ewan McMahon Continue Battle for Olympic Spot in Men's Single-Handed Event at Paris 2024 Regatta
15th February 2024 Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing
Irish sailors Finn Lynch and Ewan McMahon are battling it out for a spot in the Men's ILCA 7 single-handed event at the Paris 2024 Olympic regatta. With just five months to go before the event begins in Marseilles, the…
Kidzink, the women’s team from the UAE, continues to maintain its lead in the overall standings at the SB20 World Championships in Dubai. The team, skippered by Charlotte Borghesi, has been in fine form, putting up a strong performance in…
Promoted
With the new season fast approaching, Quantum Sails Ireland has just announced a new 10% spring discount for sails ordered by the end of March. An average delivery time of 8 weeks allows sails to be delivered before most boats…
Organisers of The Ocean Race have confirmed Kiel.Sailing.City as the host of the start of The Ocean Race Europe during a press conference in Kiel on Wednesday morning (14 February). The second edition of the European race, which was confirmed…
Bundoran Lifeboat in Rescue of Two Trapped on Rocks at Mermaid’s Cove
14th February 2024 RNLI Lifeboats
Bundoran RNLI came to the aid of two people who got trapped at the bottom of a cliff in county Sligo on Wednesday afternoon (14 February). The inshore lifeboat was requested to launch at 2.41pm following a report from the…
Stormont Debates Motion Calling for Action to Save Lough Neagh from ‘Ecological Catastrophe’
14th February 2024 Northern Ireland Waters
Three Sinn Féin MLAs have brought a motion to the newly restored Stormont Assembly for action to save Lough Neagh from its pollution crisis, as The Irish Times reports. MLA for North Antrim, Philip McGuigan described the situation on the…