Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Entries are now being accepted for the annual Classic Malts Cruise – a unique two-week sailing voyage along the spectacular coastline of north-west Scotland from July 12 to 25. The UK’s biggest non-competitive sailing event, the annual Classic Malts Cruise…

Philip Fitzgibbon and Mike Shanahan will attempt to improve on their Round Ireland speed record of 19 hours. You can read the story of their last spin in the April/May 2008 issue of Afloat (p42). The pair commissioned Martin Moriarty…

A team of emergency paramedics will now be available to treat people injured in marine accidents on board a Coast Guard helicopter.

Lough Derg Yacht Club recently took delivery of a new Tirion sailing boat, part funded by the Lotto. The boat is of Dutch design with a shallow keel, ideal for sailing on the lake. It has a large cockpit area…

Sail Training International’s Board of Trustees has appointed Sean Flood as an International Goodwill Ambassador in recognition of his long affiliation with the organisation, its mission and activities.

It has been said that every traditional boat is a perfect adaptation to a specific environment. This includes both natural and social environments. Instead of being museum pieces, traditional boats are therefore perfect icons of the 21st century as well…

The Irish Cruising Club’s latest batch of annual awards reflect vigour at home and abroad. The premier trophy, the Faulkner Cup, goes to Dublin-based Michael Holland, whose alloy-built Dubois 72 ketch Celtic Spirit of Fastnet ranged between the Arctic and…

Buying a boat is quite like buying a house, and unfortunately, it can be just as stressful. Similar to any big purchase, the stress levels can be minimised if potential buyers take the time out to do some homework, assess…

Saab has agreed to sponsor the ICRA Cruiser National Championships for a fifth successive year. The event is hosted by Howth Yacht Club between May 16th and 18th and expects over 150 boats and some 1,200 sailors.

More than 60 crews from ten countries have already entered the first SB3 World Championships, to be held by the National Yacht Club from September 20–26. Entries will close when the 120-boat limit is reached, or on June 1st.

The Ireland wakeboard team finished in fifth position at the recent Europe, Africa and Middle East (EAME) Championship on the Vaal River, near Johannesburg in South Africa. This was the team’s second major International competition and follows an eighth placing…

Craftinsure.com, the UK’s leading online boat insurance specialist, has launched a new range of products specially designed for Ireland. Immediate quotations and cover can be obtained within a couple of minutes by visiting www.craftinsure.ie

Dutch boatbuilder De Boarnstream has chosen Midlands-based LoughRee Marine Services Ltd. as its new distributor for Ireland. The facilities at Quigley’s Marina, Killinure Point in Glasson will also provide a back-up service for all new and existing De Boarnstream clients…

Club Powerboat.ie, Ireland’s first online yacht club, has just been granted a warrant to fly its own ensign by the Mercantile Marine Office of the Department of Transport.

If you find painting a bit of a performance, the new Multicoat from Blakes Paints will get the job done quickly and effectively. It’s maintenance made easy because it’s a primer and topcoat in one. The one product system is…

Yachtsmen making an international voyage to or from the UK could be required to check in and out if the British government fully implements its new E-Borders scheme in two years’ time. The scheme already makes it compulsory for commercial…

Having completed eight Round the World races in the last eight years, this summer Barcelona World race hero Damian Foxall is staying inshore.

BRIAN HEGARTY - GENTLE AND WISE SKIPPER Ireland has lost a true sailor in Brian Hegarty – “The Heg” to friends and family – who has died aged 76. His enthusiasm for boats and sailing was central to his gentle…

The victory achieved on February 11th after three months of intense sailing in the Barcelona World Race by Ireland’s Damian Foxall and France’s Jean-Pierre Dick in the Open 60 Paprec Virbac 2 was honoured a week later with a reception…

It was always going to be an outside chance given the tight deadlines but The Green Team's Irish Volvo 70 boat will not now make the start line of June's Round Ireland race, says team CEO Jamie Boag. The hull…