Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has opened the second draw for anglers wishing to catch and keep salmon from Cork’s Lower River Lee in 2024. ‘Brown tag’ regulations came into force on the river from 1 February and will remain in…
Irish Sailing League on the Right Track for Its Inaugural Season
12th March 2024 Irish Sailing League
Steady entries are coming in for the Irish Sailing League with the inaugural event coming over the weekend of 20-21 April, as Kenneth Rumball writes. We are delighted to welcome two more clubs to the entry list who committed over…
Volvo Cork Week 2024 entries have been steadily climbing with a huge variety of boats and sailors from Ireland and all over the world expected to be competing at the Royal Cork’s famous regatta from 15-19 July. The championship fleet…
The early bird entry for the Waterman Kelly Irish Sailing Youth Nationals 2024 is closing later this week at midnight on Friday 15 March. This year’s event will be hosted by the the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven from…
Marine Notice: Pre-Lay Grapnel Run for Greenlink Interconnector Off South-East Wexford
12th March 2024 News Update
As previously reported on Afloat.ie, Greenlink Interconnector Ltd is proposing to develop an electricity interconnector to allow for offshore cable installation and burial at a later stage. A pre-lay grapnel run (PLGR) will be performed along the planned interconnector route…
Waterways Ireland advises arrangements have been made for Iarnród Éireann to open the lifting bridge at Newcomen Bridge on the Royal Canal in Dublin on the following dates and times, if there is demand: Sunday 5 May, 9am-1pm (Low water…
Another Two Races in the Bag at the Viking Marine DMYC Dinghy Frostbites at Dun Laoghaire
12th March 2024 DMYC
Despite a horrible forecast of wind which caused Howth’s Round the Island Race to be cancelled (on the Saturday) and huge seas in Dun Laoghaire on Saturday, the DMYC dinghy Frostbites, sponsored by Viking Marine took place on Sunday afternoon…
The 2024 Sea Scout Master Mariner competition took place in Dublin on 10 March. This maritime skills event has been running since 1995 and is supported by the Irish Institute of Master Mariners. This year’s event had a focus on…
Malahide Yacht Club is inviting entries for the March Hare Regatta on Saturday, March 23rd, 2024. This open event will feature ILCA/Laser, Optimist, and PY class races on the beautiful Broadmeadows Estuary. "Sailors of all ages are welcome to participate…
Anthony Marchand (Actual Ultim 3) Finishes Fourth in Ultim Challenge
11th March 2024 Ultim Challenge
French solo skipper Anthony Marchand took fourth place on Ultim Challenge this afternoon when he sailed the ULTIM Actual Ultim 3 across the finish line off Brest at 14:08:21hrs UTC. Marchand, who turned 39 years old during this first ever solo…
What significance is there in the first arrival of a basking shark in Irish waters this year being spotted on the West Coast? It is not the earliest date of arrival of a basking shark. It ranks as the third…
Busy Times at the Port of Sligo as Wilson ASA Cargo Ship Trio Load Fishmeal
11th March 2024 Ports & Shipping
While tracking vessels in the north-west today, among them passenger ferry Aran Islands Express, a trio of general cargo ships operated by Wilson ASA have been trading in the Port of Sligo at the weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore The operator…
Aran Islands Express Sets Sail Fresh From Overhaul as St. Patrick’s Day Fast Approaches
11th March 2024 Ferry
Doolin Ferry Co.’s 294-passenger Aran Islands Express this morning departed Killybegs, Co. Donegal, fresh from overhaul in readiness for St. Patrick’s Day and this year's season, writes Jehan Ashmore. Afloat tracked Aran Islands Express, having left Mooney Boats, the boat-builder,…
The Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) has laid out its plans for the forthcoming 2024 season, and it features a packed calendar of events that will, among other things, produce the ICRA Boat of the Year 2024 by the end…
Irish Solo Offshore Sailor, Tom Dolan, Prioritises Mental and Physical Preparation for 2024 Racing Season
11th March 2024 Tom Dolan
Irish solo offshore sailor, Tom Dolan, is starting his 2024 racing season with a new approach. Rather than spending most of his time on the water, the skipper of Smurfit Kappa-Kingspan has prioritised his physical and mental preparation. Dolan is…
Rolex Renews Sponsorship of Sydney Hobart Yacht Race for Another Decade
11th March 2024 Sydney to Hobart
Rolex has renewed its sponsorship of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race for another ten years, extending its naming rights to the event through to the 2033 edition. The announcement, say the sponsors, is a testament to the brand's privileged relationship…
J80 'Jambon' Wins 2024 DBSC Spring Chicken Title as Final Race is Cancelled in Strong Winds
11th March 2024 DBSC
Strong easterly winds and big seas may have prevented the final race of the AIB-sponsored DBSC Spring Chicken Series from sailing on Sunday morning (March 10) – the first cancellation of the six-race mixed cruiser and one design league –…
France and Netherlands Sweep 49er and 49erFX World Championships
11th March 2024 Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing
Giving the host nation a huge boost just months before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Erwan Fischer and Clément Pequin of France emerged victorious in the 49er World Championships held in Lanzarote on Sunday (10 March). Odile van Aanholt and Annette Duetz of the…
The Frank Godsell March League 2024 for mixed cruisers at Kinsale Yacht Club got off to an exciting start on Sunday. The fleet decided to round alternative turning marks after discovering that some of the prescribed buoys on the course…
History of Dublin Bay Lifeboats Lecture On Tuesday By Maritime Historian Cormac Lowth
10th March 2024 Dublin Bay
While the RNLI celebrates its bicentenary, the first lifeboats in Dublin Bay date back to the early 19th century and were run by the Port Corporation. This is the subject of a talk by maritime historian and researcher Cormac Lowth…