Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

When he crossed the finish line off Lorient, Brittany at 16:03:48hrs UTC today (Saturday 9th December) to win the inaugural 3,500 miles Retour à La Base, this afternoon French skipper Yoann Richomme marked himself as a sailor worth watching on…

Extreme adventurer Damian Browne is hosting a “spoken word tour” early in the new year on his solo rows across the Atlantic in both directions. Browne, the focus of the documentary Man Versus Ocean broadcast on RTE Television last week,…

An Independent TD has called for a statutory inquiry into the death of Irish Coast Guard volunteer Caitríona Lucas off the Clare coast over seven years ago. Clare Independent TD Michael McNamara raised the issue in the Dáil following the…

The 81st-anniversary memorial ceremony remembering the Cork Harbour Irish Shipping tragedy of December was held in Cobh, County Cork this morning. It commemorates the December 1942 tragedy when five members of the then Marine Service, William Duggan, Frank Lloyd, Frank…

With a lead of some 88 miles and about 400 miles to the finish line, it could be imagined that Yoann Richomme (Paprec Arkéa) might ease back on the accelerator and consolidate to the Lorient finish line of the Retour…

 Irish Sailor of the Year Eve McMahon is on the six-strong shortlist for the RTÉ Sport Young Sportsperson of the Year. The 2023 nominees include a Munster number eight, a Premier League star, two medal winners at the European U20…

It has been a busy year for the Irish Optimist Fleet, the largest and youngest class in the country, and its class association, the International Optimist Dinghy Association of Ireland (IODAI), held its AGM on Tuesday, the 28th of November,…

Ireland’s national seabed mapping programme, INFOMAR completes its Bluescale Map Series with the release of its stunning map of the Aran Islands. Now all 18 maps in the series are available for free to the public, in English and now…

We know that the biennial SSE Renewables 700-mile Round Ireland Race from Wicklow is a significant fixture in the international calendar. We know it well, because since its inception through the dedication of the late Michael Jones and his voluntary…

The Transport Committee in the European Parliament has adopted the own-initiative report on building a comprehensive European Port Strategy. On foot of this the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) has highly welcomed that the report embraces the comprehensive role of…

Embark on a holiday shopping spree with Viking Marine's Christmas Gift Guide! Whether you're shopping for children, dinghy sailors, boat owners, or anyone else who loves the sea, Viking Marine has meticulously curated options that are sure to bring satisfaction.…

Engineering works which took place over recent months in Dalkey, Co. Dublin involving the Coliemore Harbour Remedial Repair project have been completed this week, writes Jehan Ashmore. A section of bedrock along the cliff face as Afloat reported in 2020,…

It will be all change in the operation of Bangor Marina on Belfast Lough from September 2024. This has been outsourced to a private operator since 1 April 2008, with the latest agreement expiring on 30 September 2024. An opportunity…

The Aran islands have linked up with a new energy agency which has been established for west Galway. Gníomhaireacht Fuinnimh an Iarthar (GFI), as it is called, is one of three local energy agencies established to support homeowners, communities and…

Ireland's Tom Higgins, Jamie McMahon, Fiona Ferguson, Xavier McLachlan and Riley Evans from Dun Laoghaire's Royal St. George Yacht Club have finished fifth overall at the Harken International Youth Match Racing Championship in Australia. In a thrilling final between Ben Tylecote from…

The Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) has released its Unitised Traffic Report for the third quarter of 2023. The volume of RoRo traffic at Republic of Ireland ports declined by 2% to 291,879 units in the third quarter of 2023…

The European ILCA 6 Youth Championships 2024 will be sailed at Ballyholme Yacht Club on Belfast Lough next season. “This is a very significant championship for Europe’s youth sailors and hosting the event is a feather in the cap for…

The winner of the Retour a La Base is forecasted to cross the Lorient finish line on Saturday afternoon. It is looking increasingly likely to be a maiden solo IMOCA race triumph for longtime race leader Yoann Richomme on the…

The Ocean Race has taken the top prize in the sustainability category of the 2023 International Sports Awards, hosted by the International Sports Convention. The award recognises the efforts of the race’s Racing with Purpose initiative, which was created with…

The British Sailing Team has unveiled plans for a state-of-the-art training base at its home in Dorset. The new Performance and Innovation Centre will bring together sailors, coaches and support staff in one location designed to promote collaboration and innovation.…