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Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
The 1979 Joubert-Nivelt Quarter Tonner, co-skippered by Joanne Hall and Martin Mahon, makes the best of the light winds to lead the Class Three fleet of the 2023 ICRA National Championships 2023 at Howth Yacht Club
After four races sailed with no discard, Snoopy, the 2021 Champion ICRA Class Three Champion, is currently leading the 2023 Monday.com sponsored ICRA Championships in Howth, according to provisional results. The Courtown Sailing Club Quarter Tonner, co-skippered by Joanne Hall…
Royal Cork's James Dwyer, in the classic half-tonner Swuzzlebubble, leads Class Two of the ICRA Nationals at Howth Yacht Club
Half Tonners dominate the Class Two fleet in the Monday.com ICRA National Championships in Howth. After no racing on the first day of the Championships, clouds cleared to allow a perfect sea breeze to develop, with four races completed on…
The rugged Danish-built steel ketch Teddy from Clifden has survived two Arctic knockdowns – albeit with damage - during this past week
The 39ft Danish-built ketch Teddy is a familiar sight in the heart of the Connacht coast, snugly berthed along the tidal quayside at Clifden in Connemara. And when she’s not there, we can usually be sure that owner-skipper Nick Kats…
The Royal Cork J122 Jelly Baby of the Jones Family leads the ICRA Nationals Championships at Howth Yacht Club after four races sailed
With a building breeze promising livelier conditions later in the day, you might have expected the slipper, smaller craft to set the pace in the opening salvo of Class 0's delayed series of the Monday.com ICRA National Championships at Howth…
Aran Islands Ferries 40th. In addition to the Rossaveal route, they operate Ireland’s longest distance domestic ferry route served by Saoirse na Farraige as seen on its maiden crossing from Galway City.
Western seaboard operator, Aran Island Ferries with a five-strong fleet, hosted a Galway Chamber ‘Connect Series’ event last week. The event took place during a cruise on Galway Bay which gave members of the Chamber to network while also enjoying…
Ireland's Siobhán McCrohan has won the gold medal in the lightweight women's sculls final at the World Rowing Championships in Serbia
Siobhán McCrohan, a member of the Tribesmen Rowing Club in Ireland, secured a gold medal in the lightweight women's sculls final at the World Rowing Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia. McCrohan, aged 36, faced stiff competition from Mexican Kenia Lechuga…
CHC Ireland runs four helicopter bases for the Irish Coast Guard at Dublin (pictured above) Shannon, Sligo and Waterford
The Department of Transport says it was notified by CHC Ireland about a “safety stand down” at search and rescue (SAR) helicopter bases on Friday. The department said it is “actively engaged with all stakeholders, including CHC” to “enable the…
Participants in a previous Frances Thornton memorial swim across Galway Bay
About 100 swimmers will set off this morning on the annual Galway Bay swim, one of the largest open water events of its type on the West Coast calendar. As Afloat reported previously, the swimmers will leave Aughinish on the…
The Courtmacsherry RNLI All Weather Lifeboat crew that rescued the sea swimmer included Coxswain Mark Gannon, Mechanic Stuart Russell, and crew members Ken Cashman, Donal Young, Denis Murphy, and Kieran Boyle
A sea swimmer in West Cork was rescued by an RNLI lifeboat crew in thick fog this morning.  The Courtmacsherry RNLI All Weather Lifeboat "Val Adnams" was called early this morning (Saturday, September 9th) by the Valentia Coast Guard Marine…
The annual WSI Surf Rescue Championships - the competition will encompass a range of key skills, both in the ocean and on the beach, utilising a combination of athleticism, swimming, and rescue techniques
Youghal is set to host the annual WSI Surf Rescue Championships this weekend, with local competitors from Cork seeking to benefit from home-field advantage. Co. Clare will be aiming to maintain their supremacy in the sport, which boasts a dedicated…
Pictured from right to left: Carol Harrington, CEO Shellfish Ireland with four generations of the Murphy family - Pat Murphy, Chair Shellfish Ireland, Ryan Murphy, Richard Murphy and Tommy Murphy
Shellfish Ireland, a company that specialises in shellfish in West Cork, has launched Ireland's first crab pate after receiving a grant worth €793,281 under the Brexit Processing Capital Support Scheme implemented by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM). The grant was worth a…
Cloghan Point has four large tanks which are currently used to store part of the Republic of Ireland’s strategic reserve of diesel and gas oil
Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s planning committee have approved for expansion of a Belfast Lough oil terminal despite sizeable local opposition to the project, as BBC News reports. Cloghan Point has four large tanks which are currently used to…
The Fastnet flag being raised by Micheal ó Ceadagáin on Cape Clear Island
A 'Heritage & Fastnet Centre' is scheduled to open in Summer 2024 on Cape Clear Island, located on the West Cork coast. The development of the centre was celebrated by raising flags at the proposed site during a 'Flags Day'…
File image of Howth RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat
The volunteer crew of Howth RNLI are urging anyone planning a trip to the coast, beach or inland waters over the weekend to stay safe amid the continued good spell of warm weather forecast. This follows a busy period for…
On the 7th of September, the O’Connell Centenary Cup was presented by the Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire- Rathdown, Denis O’Callaghan, to the winning crew from St. Michael’s Rowing Club. The race was held for the first time in 1875, when a trophy was presented to the people of Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire) and Dalkey, to commemorate the centenary of Daniel O’Connell’s birth. The race will be held every year, with more crews joining next year. The cup has now gone on public display in the entrance area in County Hall in Dun Laoghaire.
On September 7th, the O’Connell Centenary Cup was presented to the winning crew from St. Michael’s Rowing Club by Denis O’Callaghan, the Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. The presentation ceremony was held at the County Hall and attended by councillors, members…
Tom Dolan is down but not out after a 'brutal', light winds stage from Kinsale to Roscoff in the La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec race
Irish skipper Tom Dolan's performance was a mixed bag in the first two legs of the 54th La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec race. He emerged victorious in the first leg, but encountered a challenging time in the second leg due…
The Class Zero and One fleets wait in vain for wind at the Howth Yacht Club Committee Vessel Starpoint on day one of the 2023 ICRA National Championships
The J24 National Championships, being raced as part of the Monday.com Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) National Championships at Howth Yacht Club on Friday, were the only class to manage a race with winds of less than three knots across…
Azamara Pursuit on its maiden call to Warrenpoint, Co Down, is also where MJM Marine have their headquarters in Newry, and which was given in 2018 a project to fit-out the 800 passenger vessel at Harland & Wolff, Belfast. In the city’s port today, MJM will make its multi-million pound announcement on board the 2,950 cruise ship, Celebrity Apex, of Celebrity Cruises (Royal Caribbean Group) one of MJM Marine's trade partners.
A cruise ship and ferry outfitting firm based in Co. Down will announce today in Belfast Harbour that it has secured £120 million (€139m) of new work to fit out cruise ships. The firm MJM Marine located in Newry, said the…
Overall winner Ger Owens leads Rob Dickson at a leeward gate buoy during the GP14 National Championships at Sutton Dinghy Club on Dublin Bay
Sutton Dinghy Club, located on Dublin Bay, proudly hosted the GP14 Championship of Ireland. This year, the club put on an impressive show for the class, attracting 37 boats from across the country, including some of the biggest names in…
John Maybury’s J/109 Joker II – seen here racing at the Howth Wave Regatta 2022 – is defending champion in the ICRA Nats 2023
When the three-day Irish Cruiser-Racing Association monday.com-sponsored annual National Championship gets underway today (Friday) at Howth, it will be the combination of a modern innovation in Irish sailing, which is barely twenty years old, and a local regatta tradition of…

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