Belfast Lough
Three Rescued from 28ft Yacht Grounded on Cockle Island by Bangor RNLI
11th August 2023 RNLI Lifeboats
Three people were rescued by the Bangor RNLI lifeboat after their 28ft yacht ran aground on Cockle Island, Groomsport. The incident occurred on Thursday evening, August 10th. The RNLI received a request from Belfast Coastguard to assist with the recovery…
Ireland’s latest superyacht arrival is the 49m Reef Chief, which moored at Belfast Harbour on Tuesday afternoon (8 August), as the Belfast Telegraph reports. The €23m vessel is owned by multi-millionaire industrialist and art collector James Dicke, and takes its…
Donaghadee RNLI Lifeboat Responds to Emergency Medical Issue on Cruise Ship
5th August 2023 RNLI Lifeboats
In the late hours of Friday, August 4th, 2024, the volunteer crew of the Donaghadee RNLI lifeboat station in Northern Ireland received a call from HM Coastguard. The Coastguard reported an emergency medical issue involving a female passenger on a…
Carrickfergus Sailing Club's 'Hot Orange' Takes the Crown as Ruffian 23 National Champion
30th July 2023 Ruffian 23
Two second places in the final races of the 2023 Ruffian 23 National Championships at the National Yacht Club handed overall victory to Stephen Penney's Hot Orange from Carrickfergus Sailing Club on Belfast Lough. Royal St. George's Shannagh (S. Gill & P. MacDiarmada)…
Two Belfast Lough sailors are racing in the 50th Anniversary Rolex Fastnet Race, which starts on Saturday from Cowes on the Isle of Wight and finishes in Cherbourg. Ewan Finlay is racing as foredeck crew on Mark Emerson’s A13 Phosphorus II,…
On Monday last (17th), several search and rescue teams held a very active training session out of the village of Groomsport on the North Down coast. Taking part alongside Lagan Search and Rescue’s Ribcraft Class 1 Lifeboat were Bangor Atlantic…
Belfast Lough Rescue Crews Welcomed on Board Visiting TS State of Maine
18th July 2023 Belfast Lough
On July 7th, the TS State of Maine, the current training ship of the Maine Maritime Academy, docked at the Gotto Wharf in the Herdman Channel in the Port of Belfast. She was formerly in the United States Navy service…
Howth Yacht Club's McMahon Siblings are Ulster ILCA Championship Winners at Ballyholme
5th July 2023 Laser
It was a challenging, very windy two days at Ballyholme on Belfast Lough for the ILCA Ulster Championships last weekend. The big fleet in three divisions, ILCA 4, 6 and 7, attracted 47 competitors from as far away as Glandore…
A man rescued near Cairnryan in western Scotland after going overboard from a ferry from Belfast Lough on Saturday evening (1 July) has died in hospital, as BelfastLive reports. The Stena Line Superfast VIII ferry’s own rescue craft was deployed…
Annual figures at Belfast Harbour show robust financial results for 2022, with a yearly turnover and profits in line with expectations, despite a challenging global trading environment. In what was a milestone year, marking the 175th anniversary of the formation of…
A35 Final Call II and J109 Storm Share the Spoils at Royal Ulster's RC35/IRC Weekend
27th June 2023 RC35
The RC35/IRC event at Royal Ulster on Belfast Lough last weekend came about because of a chance suggestion by a club member. Although it attracted a small fleet of eight, it did include the very welcome visitors, Ben Shelley in…
Having spent the weekend racing in the Irish RS Elite Championships at Royal Ulster on Belfast Lough, most of the 14-strong fleet are making their way the 18 miles to the UK Nationals hosted by Strangford Lough Yacht Club at…
French Container Operator to Launch New Service Between Belfast Harbour and Mainland Europe
20th June 2023 Belfast Lough
French container shipping giant CMA-CGM is to add a new call to Belfast Harbour to its Irish Sea Express CS container feeder service. The new container service will boost capacity and service options for both importers and exporters in Northern…
Northern Ireland Yachts Post 'Pleasing Results' at 2023 Scottish Series
31st May 2023 Scottish Series
For some of the Northern Ireland boats which competed in the Scottish Series at Tarbert, the results were very pleasing. Of the nine who made the trip north, the best results were from Ballyholme-based Kevin Byers and Michael Russell’s Sigma…
North Channel Wind to Consult With Local Communities on Offshore Wind Farm Proposals
27th May 2023 Power From the Sea
Communities along the coast of East Antrim and North Down in Northern Ireland will have the opportunity to learn about proposals for the installation of floating wind turbines in that part of the Irish Sea, commonly known as the North…
Bangor RNLI Lifeboat Rescues Two Men on Broken Down 8m Yacht on Ballyholme Bay
23rd May 2023 RNLI Lifeboats
Bangor RNLI lifeboat came to the aid of two people on Sunday after their 8m yacht broke down in Ballyholme Bay on Belfast Lough. The volunteer crew were requested to launch their inshore lifeboat by Belfast Coastguard at 1.21 pm…