Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Volvo Ocean Race: Scallywag Leads Turn The Tide On Plastic Into Melbourne
27th December 2017 Ocean Race
#VOR - Fifth place in Leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race went to Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag, who managed to hold off Turn the Tide on Plastic for the second consecutive leg. Skipper David Witt steered Scallywag across the Melbourne…
The notoriously light and flukey night sailing conditions of the Derwent River in the final stages of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race are frustrating what has been an otherwise textbook performance by Jim Cooney's super-maxi LDV Comanche writes W M…
Irish–Australian Skipper Jim Cooney Steering Comanche to Sydney-Hobart Record
27th December 2017 Sydney to Hobart
In the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, the two leading supermaxis LDV Comanche (skippered by Irish–Australian skipper Jim Cooney with Cork's Justin Slattery as bowman) and Wild Oats XI are heading to a race record finish in the Derwent tonight. They are…
Mr. Sean Kyne T.D., Minister with responsibility for the inland fisheries sector, has approved a suite of regulations and bye-laws that will govern the wild salmon and sea trout fisheries in 2018. These will come into effect from Monday 1,…
Senator 'Doubts' Dún Laoghaire Harbour Corporate Governance
26th December 2017 Dun Laoghaire Harbour News
A decision on the future governance of Dún Laoghaire harbour needs to be made by government without delay, according to Senator Victor Boyhan a former director of Dún Laoghaire harbour company. The Independent Senator has called on Minister for Transport Shane…
2017 Memorial by Dun Laoghaire RNLI Lifeboat To The Crew Lost in 1895 Trying to Rescue SS Palme
26th December 2017 Dun Laoghaire Harbour News
On Christmas Eve at Dun Laoghaire's East Pier, the annual memorial was held by the crew of the Dun Laoghaire RNLI Lifeboat, and the Irish Coastguard for the lifeboat crew lost on Christmas Eve 1895 attempting to rescue the crew…
#Rowing: Christmas has been productive for the Relentless and Gullivers Travel crews taking part in the Atlantic Challenge rowing race. The four-man Relentless crew covered 84 nautical miles (156 kilometres) in the 24 hours to 4pm on St Stephen’s Day.…
Luck of the Irish? Comanche Leads Sydney Hobart Race on Water, Ichi Ban Leads on Handicap
26th December 2017 Sydney to Hobart
They say that winning a sailing race is a matter of making fewer mistakes than anyone else, and then knowing when to go for it writes W M Nixon. Fourteen hours into the contest, and the annual 628 mile Rolex…
Irish Sailors in the Mix as Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race Gets Underway
26th December 2017 Sydney to Hobart
Irish sailors (as previewed by Afloat.ie here) are in the mix today as grey skies could not diminish Sydney’s enthusiasm for the start of its seminal ocean race. Crowds flocked to the foreshore and the Heads, while an assortment of…
#VOR - Dongfeng Race Team was able to fend off a late charge by Vestas 11th Hour Racing and Team Brunel to secure a second-place finish on Leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race from Cape Town to Melbourne on…
MAPFRE First Into Melbourne On Christmas To Earn Consecutive Volvo Ocean Race Leg Wins
24th December 2017 Ocean Race
#VOR - The Spanish Volvo Ocean Race team MAPFRE has won Leg 3 from Cape Town to Melbourne, a 6,500 nautical mile dive into the fierce challenges posed by the Southern Ocean. For the second consecutive leg, MAPFRE needed to…
#Sailing - With sailing being included as Physical Education is added to the Leaving Certificate next September, Irish Sailing is encouraging parents to urge their schools to apply for the first phase of the new curriculum. Participating schools have three…
#Fishing - Northern Ireland’s Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute reminds that the rewards for reporting tagged Irish Sea cod have been increased. Earlier this year it was reported that the project would award €25 for every cod captured with a red…
#Kitesurfing - Tributes have been paid to the Irishman who died in a kitesurfing accident in Thailand last week. Jonathan Wogan, 43 and originally from Co Louth, was a keen kitesurfer and a regular on the waves near his home…
National Yacht Club members braved the chilly waters of Dublin Bay this morning in aid of Simon, the charity that prevents and addresses homelessness. The Christmas Eve dip that raised over €2,000 was organised by the NYC's John Corcoran who was first…
#StarWars - Tourism chiefs’ “cultural rebranding” of Skellig Michael on the back of its appearance in the new Star Wars film threatens to push visitor numbers to “unsustainable levels”, says An Taisce. According to The Irish Times, Ireland’s national trust…
#IMERC - Documents seen by the Irish Examiner show that the Naval Service was against the shutting of the Irish Marine and Energy Research Cluster (IMERC) earlier this year. A joint marine research initiative of CIT’s National Maritime College of…
Westport’s rising sailing star Joan Mulloy visited her home town of on Wednesday December 20th with legendary sailing veteran Enda O’Coineen, and delivered a fascinating talk at the invitation of Mayo Sailing Club reports Afloat.ie’s Clew Bay Correspondent. Seeking sponsorship,…
#P&O@180 – Before another year sails by, it should be highlighted P&O's 180th anniversary took place during this year, with celebrations marking the world famous shipping company that was founded in 1837, writes Jehan Ashmore. Operating 20 ferries and employing…
State Broke EU Rules Over Seafarer Qualifications Says High Court
23rd December 2017 Ports & Shipping
#Training - A marine notice issued earlier this year on accreditation for seafarers qualifications has “no legal basis” and must be quashed, says the High Court. According to The Irish Times, the court has also directed Transport Minister Shane Ross…