In sailing, Brian C expects the 1720 sports boat class to explode again in the coming months. He says "with a lot of the top IRC boats sold and heading for foreign lands, the 1720 can be picked up easily/cheaply and coupled with only having to find 4 crew plus…

An SAR Pilot and a Ship's Captain are debating the downgrade of the Coast Guard search and rescue helicopter service in the southeast. A new study says pleasure craft should pay towards the upkeep of the Lighthouse service. We want your contribution too! Log in , join over 800 Irish…

So there I was, sipping my unusually strong G&T and chatting with the rest of the Rat family on a balmy summers day on the bay, when some SCOUNDREL appears over my right shoulder shouting 'STARBOARD' as if I was racing him, or something. Honestly, some people take their white…

As the sun sets on the decade we're looking for a list of Irish sailing and boating highlights (and lowlights). Let readers know what you think were the defining moments of this decade by adding your events of the decade (good or bad) here.

On Afloat's boating Forum: The Chief of Irish Sailing Harry Hermon says the decision to scrap the Asgard Programme in the 2010 budget may well be the last nail in the coffin of the marine leisure sector unless we pull together and do something about it. He has a lot…

Ezgoing asked some weeks ago on Afloat.ie: where can children go when their Optimist gets too small? Recent responses were the Mirror or 420 for more ambitious sailors (Gordon Davies); though Peadar1987 disagreed with the 420 choice due to the costs involved; and Lynchy thinks the Firefly may be the…