Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Changing Yacht Racing Handicap Bands at Royal Cork Yacht Club is 'Radical'
2nd April 2018 Tom MacSweeney
The Royal Cork Yacht Club at Crosshaven in Cork Harbour has decided on a change in the format of racing for the coming season which will reduce the number of starts and re-define the sailing classes. In cruiser racing out…
52 Local Authority Harbour Projects Get €2.2m Capital Investment Programme
2nd April 2018 Irish Harbours
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed TD, today announced details of a €2.2m package to assist 13 Coastal Local Authorities undertake and complete 52 development and repair projects on harbours and slipways owned by them (see…
#FerryNews - Brittany Ferries resumed seasonal Cork-Roscoff service this Easter Bank Holiday, the sailings also celebrated the 40th anniversary of the route, writes Jehan Ashmore. The 41,700 gross tonnage flagship, Pont-Aven launched the Ireland-France season having arrived in Roscoff yesterday…
Howth Yacht Club's Ewan McMahon Wins CH Marine Laser Munsters at Baltimore, Royal St. George's Fahy Takes Radials
2nd April 2018 Laser
Howth Yacht Club's Ewan McMahon won the four race CH Marine Laser Munster Championships in convinging style with three race wins in his 37–boat fleet. Dublin sailors also made a clean sweep of a 19–boat Radial fleet with Royal St.…
Just two points off the top ten overall, Royal Cork Yacht Club's David Kenefick has posted Ireland's best Moth World Championships result to date, an 11th overall in Bermuda. Dubliner Rory Fitzpatrick was 29th in the 41–boat fleet having suffered both…
It was a windless Easter Sunday for the third and final day of the RORC Easter Challenge that saw Ireland's only entry record a creditable fifth overall on the Solent. As Afloat.ie reported earlier, former Cork Corinthian Quarter Ton Cup Champion Jason…
Irish Olympic Laser campaigners Finn Lynch of the National Yacht Club and Liam Glynn of Ballyholme Yacht Club will face a fleet of 183 and all three Rio medallists when they start racing at a bumper 49th Trofeo Princesa Sofía Iberostar in…
Enda O’Coineen “Unofficially” Finishes Vendee Globe & Completes Solo Circumnavigation
1st April 2018 Vendee Globe
At 13:57 today off the west coast of France Irishman Enda O’Coineen passed through the finishing line of the Vendee Globe course to mark the end of his solo sailing lap of the planet, with just one stop. On 6…
Former Cork Corinthian Quarter Ton Cup Champion Jason Losty is lying fifth overall at this weekend's RORC Easter Challenge on the Solent sailing his First 36.7 Altair in the 12–boat IRC Twodivision after six races sailed. Losty is six points off third…
Ireland to Cede Some Fishery Rights for Favourable French Deal with our Bloodstock Industry?
1st April 2018 Fishing
Following the outstanding success of the Irish contingent at the recent Cheltenham horse-racing festival, Afloat.ie understands that ongoing exploratory international talks have been stepped up to ensure that existing access is maintained and developed to countries where our thriving bloodstock…
Enda O Coineen’s Latest Sailing Challenge Has Been an Inspiration For Us All
31st March 2018 W M Nixon
Lone sailor Enda O Coineen will soon – barring any cruel last-minute setbacks - complete his current personal Odyssey to finish his very individualistic version of the Vendee Globe Round the World course writes W M Nixon. He’s slightly ahead…
#VOR - Vestas 11th Hour Racing has dismasted while racing in Leg 7 of the Volvo Ocean Race, this afternoon Friday 30 March (UTC). The team is safe and reports there is no immediate danger to the crew. The team…
MAPFRE Chasing Volvo Ocean Race Fleet Towards Falkland Islands After Sail Repair Pitstop
30th March 2018 Ocean Race
#VOR - Overall 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race leaders MAPFRE resumed racing on Friday morning (UTC) following a Cape Horn pitstop to make repairs to a torn mainsail, as well as a damaged mast track and boom. The move — which…
#VOR - While the Volvo Ocean Race fleet mark a major milestone with the passage of Cape Horn today, Thursday 29 March, MAPFRE were forced to suspend racing to work on repairs to their damaged mast track. A section of…
Team Brunel Leads Volvo Ocean Race Fleet Past Cape Horn & Out Of Southern Ocean
29th March 2018 Ocean Race
#VOR - Skipper Bouwe Bekking and navigator Andrew Cape have used their veteran nous to sail Team Brunel past Cape Horn at the head of the Volvo Ocean Race fleet. Bekking and his team passed the famed Cape at 2.01pm…
Irish Deep Water Coral Reefs Changing Faster Than Previously Thought, Says New Research
29th March 2018 Marine Science
#MarineScience - One of Ireland’s deep water coral reefs is changing at a rate of some 20% over four years, faster than previously thought. That’s according to new research published by Dr Aaron Lim of the Marine Geology Research Group…
#Rescue - A fishing trawler in distress off the Irish coast has been found after concerns that it had sunk, as the Irish Examiner reports. Contact was lost with the 22m Ocean Pioneer after it was left without power some…
Recent political turmoil in Catalonia has been cited by race organisers in their decision to cancel next year’s Barcelona World Race. The fourth edition of the double-handed round-the-world race for IMOCAs was due to start on 12 January 2019, and…
MGM Boats €32,000 Bayliner 'Starter' Motorboat Aims to Get Families Afloat
29th March 2018 MGM Boats
Boat Sales Company MGM Boats in Dun Laoghaire have put together a "Get You Started Pack" on the new Bayliner Element 5 motoboat this Easter weekend, just in time for the 2018 Irish boating season. What's more, the package has…
Fastferry Dublin and Belfast Seasonal Services Resume to Isle of Man In Advance of Easter Break
29th March 2018 Ferry
#FerryNews - This morning the first Dublin-Isle of Man sailing for season 2018 began with fastferry Manannan departing on time at 10.45 in advance of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, writes Jehan Ashmore. The fast ferry service taking 2hrs 55mins…
