Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Olympic Trial Begins as Ireland's Finn Lynch and Ewan McMahon Do Battle For Paris Berth at ILCA 7 Worlds, Australia
24th January 2024 Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing
Hot on the heels of the ILCA 6 World Championship held earlier this month (where Howth's Eve McMahon qualified for Paris 2024) comes the battle for the ILCA 7 world title and the first Irish Olympic sailing trial of this…
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Introducing North Sails RENEW - a Sustainable Sailcloth for Cruising
24th January 2024 North Sails Ireland
A belated Happy New Year, everyone. We hope you are all safe and sound from Isha and survived recent storms, Isha and Jocelyn! I am bringing you some wonderful news from our North Sails product development teams. At the Dusseldorf…
Northern Ireland Protocol: Blamed By Freight Groups for Making it Harder for Irish Sea Ferry in Storm Isha to Head for Port
23rd January 2024 Northern Ireland Waters
Blame has been put directly to the Northern Ireland Protocol for narrowing down the options of captains, as vessels get hit by storms in the Irish Sea. With Storm Isha just over, the News Letter also reported the the severe…
Sailings Not Running at Fishguard Due to Berth Works While Relief Ferry Stena 'Europe' is Under Repairs
23rd January 2024 Stena Line
Ropax Stena Nordica which has been absent from Fishguard Harbour linking Rosslare since early January, had led to a relief ferry that too left the south Wales port due to issues, leaving no ship to cover the route. Operator, Stena Line…
Storm Isha Was One Notch Away from 'Hurricane Force' in the Irish Sea - With Little Respite as Storm Jocelyn Sweeps In
23rd January 2024 Belfast Lough
It was so stormy on the Irish Sea during Storm Isha that the shipping forecast had put the weather conditions just one notch away from being categorised as hurricane force, it has emerged. While on land, Storm Isha interrupted electricity…
Dun Laoghaire Harbour RNLI Rescues Cocker Spaniel Charlie from Rocky Ledge
23rd January 2024 RNLI Lifeboats
Last Saturday, the Dun Laoghaire RNLI rescued a Cocker Spaniel named Charlie from a rocky ledge inside the west wall at Dun Laoghaire harbour. Charlie, a three-year-old chocolate brown Cocker Spaniel, had wandered down the dangerously slippy harbour wall steps…
The flagship ferry Manxman has made its first ‘virtual’ arrival at the Isle of Man Government's new £70m Liverpool terminal due to open in March. Officers of the Isle of Man Steam Packet, writes IOMToday, undertook a recent trip using…
Cancelled Sailings Continue on Scotland Route Due to Fault Discovered on Isle of Arran Ferry
23rd January 2024 Ferry
On the Firth of Clyde, ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) announced there will be no sailings between Ardrossan and Brodick, Isle of Arran today, 23 January. Following Storm Isha, this time CalMac say the cancellations aren't down to the weather,…
As Storm Jocelyn sweeps in over the Atlantic seaboard with very strong south-west to west winds, Galway City Council has closed roads and car parks and warned of dangerous travelling conditions. Met Éireann is predicting large coastal waves with wave…
New Charter-Service Fleet Division at Harland & Wolff to Support Group's Shipyards and Clients
23rd January 2024 Shipyards
Shipyard group, Harland & Wolff has formally commenced its marine services offering under Harland & Wolff (Marine Services) Ltd, this is part of its five-market, six-service business growth strategy. (HWMS), HWMS will be focussed on growing and maturing its UK…
Ballyholme ILCA Sailors Bill O’Hara and Conrad Simpson Competing in NZ and Australia
23rd January 2024 Laser
Bill O’Hara and Conrad Simpson from Ballyholme Yacht Club on Belfast Lough are used to travelling far and wide to race their Lasers and in Bill’s case, to officiate at world events, but at the moment, they are both on…
The controversial toxic waste incinerator proposal for Ringaskiddy in Cork Harbour has been re-opened by the decision of Bord Pleanala to look again at the project proposed by the Indaver company. The latest situation has developed from a High Court…
The Port of Cork Company has issued a warning to all mooring holders in Cork Harbour that it is going to remove all unauthorised, unpaid or poorly marked moorings in Cork Harbour. “It is the responsibility of the mooring holder…
Coville Confirms Broken Foil Control System Suffered in Ultim Challenge Race
23rd January 2024 Ultim Challenge
Thomas Coville, the solo skipper of Sodebo Ultim 3 admitted to having suffered some technical damage last Wednesday in his Ultim Challenge Race bid. Although it is not a structural failure, Coville reports, "I am handicapped on one side, but…
History was made at the world’s oldest yacht club last night when Annamarie Fegan became the first female admiral of the Royal Cork Yacht Club. Fegan, who was a coastal rower before she took up sailing later in life, had…
Royal Cork Yacht Club's First Female Admiral Annamarie Fegan (Podcast Here!)
23rd January 2024 Wavelength Podcast
“It only took 304 years…” The words of Royal Cork Yacht Club’s first female admiral, Annamarie Fegan, on her election to the post this week. As Afloat reports here, Fegan, who already broke new ground in the world’s oldest yacht…
Clipper Race Postpones Departure from Australia Due to Incoming Cyclone
23rd January 2024 Clipper Race
The next leg of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race has been postponed as a tropical cyclone approaches the Queensland coast. The fleet of eleven racing yachts has been enjoying a stopover in Airlie Beach as part of its…
Ultim Challenge Leader Caudrelier Continues Fast Speeds in the Indian Ocean
22nd January 2024 Ultim Challenge
Charles Caudrelier, leader of the Ultim Challenge Race round the world, is passing the NE corner of the Kerguelen Islands exclusion zone, racing on a SE’ly course at around 35kts as he plunges towards the ice exclusion zone. The skipper…
Ferry Woes in Scotland Develop at 'Irish' berth as Safety Issues Emerge at Ardrossan Harbour
22nd January 2024 Ferry
Passenger ferry services on one of Scotland's busiest routes is to face a new wave of disruption after divers discovered safety issues at Ardrossan Harbour in north Ayrshire. On Thursday, the Irish Berth was put out of action, as the…
Fishing Industry Calls on Minister for Marine to "Come Clean" Over EU-Iceland Talks on Access
22nd January 2024 Fishing
Irish fishing industry organisations have called on Minister for Marine Charlie McConalogue and his officials to “come clean” on the exact nature of talks between the EU and Iceland on fisheries. In a joint statement, the Irish Fish Producers’ Organisation…