Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
North Sails Expert Reveals Tricks for a Better Yacht Race Start
31st January 2018 North Sails Ireland
The first two minutes of a race is arguably the most important. Those first two minutes will define where you start on the line, and how much space is around you to accelerate. This makes starting one of the hardest…
West Cork’s Famous Gaff–Cutter Lady Min is Being Saved for Future Generations
31st January 2018 West Cork
When the 30–ft gaff–cutter Lady Min was newly-launched in Schull in 1902, she was something of a sensation writes W M Nixon. Designed by local sailing enthusiast Maurice O’Keeffe and built to his requirements by local shipwrights under his own…
Light Winds Lottery Brings Leaderboard Changes For Clipper Race Fleet Out Of Whitsundays
31st January 2018 Clipper Race
#ClipperRace - A testing first 24 hours of Race 7: The Forever Tropical Paradise Race has seen the Clipper Race fleet make slow progress at the mercy of a light wind lottery. With soaring temperatures to contend with and only…
#Fishing - The Netherlands has demanded certainty for Europe’s fishing industry after the UK’s withdrawal from the Common Fisheries Policy, as The Guardian reports. Dutch fisheries minister Carola Schouten called on UK environment secretary Michael Gove to provide a formal…
Flossie Crowdfunding For Seabin In Dun Laoghaire Harbour
31st January 2018 Dun Laoghaire Harbour News
#Seabin - Coastal litter crusader Flossie Donnelly has raised hundreds of euro in a crowdfunding campaign to procure a Seabin water cleaning device for Dun Laoghaire Harbour. The Seabin is simple but remarkably effective, essentially a floating rubbish bin with…
Sir Kenneth Branagh On Board HMS Caroline Surprises Movie Fans in Belfast
31st January 2018 Belfast Lough
#BelfastLough - A surprise visit by Sir Kenneth Branagh was made to HMS Caroline in Belfast Harbour on Tuesday - surprising a group of movie-goers who were on board to watch his turn in the Oscar nominated Dunkirk. The actor…
The AAIU Investigation into the accident involving the loss of R116 and its four crew members at Blackrock, Co. Mayo on 14 March 2017 is still in the process of gathering factual and background information and is making steady progress.…
The trailer for the much awaited film, The Mercy, which stars Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz as Donald and Clare Crowhurst, have been unveiled. The movie opens nationwide on 9 February. The film recounts the story of Crowhurst disastrous attempt to…
#MarineScience - Research vessel RV Celtic Explorer of the Marine Institute, is off to a renewed start in 2018, after undergoing a major refit. The Romanian-Dutch built ship is ready to accommodate 18 scientific surveys throughout the year. The five-year…
His many friends in international sailing and the global mining industry will be delighted to hear that the legendary Dave FitzGerald celebrated his 90th birthday at a very convivial gathering of family and close friends in the Royal St George…
Switzerland has banned the practice of boiling lobsters alive. From March 1, as part of new animal protection reforms, it will be illegal for restaurants to throw live lobsters into the pot. Only an electric shock or the ‘mechanical destruction’…
Irish Scientist Appointed Vice Chair Of International Council for the Exploration of the Sea’s Advisory Committee
30th January 2018 Marine Science
#MarineScience - Dr Colm Lordan of Fisheries Ecosystems Advisory Services at the Marine Institute has been appointed as one of the Vice Chairs of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) Advisory Committee. The ICES Advisory Committee…
Nearly one week to go before the Volvo Irish Sailing Awards, and the judges have been weighing up the nominations for the very last time. You still have time to register for tickets for the Awards, taking place in the RDS…
#ClipperRace - The Clipper Race fleet had a Le Mans start for Race 7: The Forever Tropical Paradise Race to Sanya, China, which officially got underway early this morning Tuesday 30 January at 4am Irish time/UTC (2pm local time). After…
Public Consultations Conservation Proposals For Razor Clams In North Irish Sea & Brown Crab
30th January 2018 Fishing
#Fishing - Marine Minister Michael Creed has announced that following proposals made by the National Inshore Fisheries Forum, two public consultations will be held on conservation measures for razor clams in the North Irish Sea and brown crab in Irish…
#FerryNews - Irish Continental Group (ICG) announced today they are to sell their high-speed craft 'Jonathan Swift' which has served the Dublin-Holyhead for almost two decades to a Spanish operator. ICG the Dublin based group (parent company of Irish Ferries)…
The historic 1926-built 56ft Conor O’Brien trading ketch Ilen is now comfortably under shelter again after her midwinter adventures (on the Ilen River, naturally) at Oldcourt near Baltimore writes W M Nixon. With her hull, deck and deckhouses restored in…
Top Two 2016 Round Ireland Race Yachts Enter Atlantic Anniversary Regatta
29th January 2018 Offshore
The Atlantic Anniversary Regatta is the first ever regatta series with two Atlantic Ocean races in both directions. Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV), based in Hamburg, Germany. The first part of this extraordinary series was…
People seem to think that tuning a fractional rig is very difficult. In reality, it is not that hard as Mark Mansfield, Professional sailor and racing consultant/agent for UK sails Ireland, describes below in the first part of a series of 'How To'…
RMS Ship Runs Out of Steam as St. Helena Island’s Airport takes Off
29th January 2018 Ports & Shipping
#Ports&Shipping - RMS St.Helena, the last ship from a mighty fleet that once bound Britain’s scattered empire together will arrive today (Monday, 29 January) after its final voyage to St Helena. As the UK newspaper, The Times reports the isolated British…
