Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

#VOR - The Volvo Ocean Race’s overall leaders Dongfeng Race Team were at the head of the fleet on Monday (11 June) as the teams passed the iconic Fastnet Rock off Ireland’s southern tip. With just under 24 hours of…

#MigrantCrisis - An offer by Spain to take in a rescue ship reports RTE News, that is drifting in the Mediterranean sea with 629 migrants on board after Malta and Italy refused to let it dock. The humanitarian ship Aquarius…

#MarineScience - Researchers at NUI Galway, along with partners at the Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences (iCRAG) and the Marine Institute, are currently carrying out a marine hydroacoustic survey in the eastern margin of the Porcupine Basin. Continuing…

#RNLI#RNLI - Arklow RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat launched on Saturday evening (9 June) following a report of a lone swimmer in difficulty and being carried out to sea. A concerned member of the public had been out walking at North Quay…

Royal Cork Yacht Club in Cork Harbour introduced the first of its Keelboat 'Pop up' family-oriented races last Friday. The idea was to start at 1800 and round as many marks as possible in 1hr and 30mins, for every minute…

15 years of dedicated voluntary work by the Boyne Navigation Branch, part of Inland Waterways Association of Ireland, will be celebrated at the Irish Maritime Festival in Drogheda next week. For many years the Boyne Canal had been closed to…

There was a tricky start to the IRC European Championships for Ireland's sole entry Fools Gold from Waterford Harbour Sailing Club but the Rob McConnell skippered entry is still very much in the hunt and lies fifth from 12 starters…

#MigrantCrisis - BBC News reports a rescue vessel carrying 629 migrants is stranded in the Mediterranean after Italy's new interior minister refused permission for it to dock. Matteo Salvini, leader of the right-wing League, said Malta should accept the Aquarius…

The J24 National Championships concluded at Foynes Yacht Club today in a light to moderate westerly breeze. OOD Derek Bothwell was able to start on schedule for the first time this weekend after hours spent waiting around for wind. Race…

Barry McCartin and Conor Kinsella are the newly crowned Fireball National Champions after nine races at Skerries Sailing Club over three days. The pair had an almost perfect score winning every race bar the first when a technical issue delayed…

With a history going back to 1887, some sixty-eight double-ended Water Wags were built between 1887 and 1900. All but one of these has fallen by the wayside and its location is no longer known. That one surviving Water Wag…

Andrew Algeo's J109 Juggerknot continues its winning run this season adding the DMYC 'King of the Bay' title to last weekend's Howth Yacht Club Wave Regatta triumph in Class One IRC. Dawn broke, and the club web camera showed a sea…

#FerryNews - Brittany Ferries has confirmed recently the charter of two brand new cruise-ferries to serve its long-haul UK to Spain routes. Both ships adds Afloat are of the Stena E-Flexer design (see Stena Line Irish Sea debut in 2020)…

Next weekend, the Irish Maritime Festival in Drogheda Port welcomes the French Navy for the very first time. On Friday, as part of the Parade of Sail (noon on Friday 15th June), three French Sonar Towing Ships will join the…

#IslandNews - "It’s like Groundhog Day"… reports RTE News as residents on the Aran Islands could be forgiven a touch of dark humour this week, after it emerged that the contract to operate daily flights to and from the mainland…

#FerryNews - Stena Carrier, the ro-ro freight-only ferry that made a notable call to Dun Laoghaire Harbour at the end of April, finally departed the former Stena HSS ferryport last week for further charter work with P&O, writes Jehan Ashmore.…

#InlandWaters - That new Enniskillen Blueway water activity zone located beside Erneside footbridge will be opening soon. A range of family-friendly water activities including canoeing, kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding will be offered at the zone developed by Waterways Ireland…

#ClipperRace - After a week of racing around the clock in Race 11: Nasdaq Race, the Clipper Race fleet has been keeping everyone guessing as to their Scoring Gate tactics. The Scoring Gate allows the first three teams that reach…

#VOR - With just two legs remaining in the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race, the battle for the overall prize is tighter than ever — with three teams fighting for first place and a fourth crew still in with a shot…

#RNLI - Just two days before Carrybridge RNLI’s new inshore lifeboat had its naming ceremony, boat and crew launched to assist a cow that had fallen from a steep bank on Upper Lough Erne. The lifeboat and rescue water craft…