Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

The learned word for the study of flags is "vexillology". Had we been told that it shares its roots with "vexation", it wouldn't have surprised us at all, living as we do just down the road from a region where…

Following the AGM at the Royal St. George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire Harbour earlier this week, a new team of flag-officers led by Commodore Richard O’Connor is preparing for a busy season once Covid restrictions are eased. Like many…

Dublin Bay Old Gaffers Association invites you to join their next Zoom session, which will be on The Building of Howth Harbour and presented by Rob Goodbody on Thursday, 8th April at 20:00hrs. The present Howth Harbour celebrated its Bicentenary…

Howth Yacht Club Commodore Paddy Judge says currently the 'only certainty' following yesterdays announcement of the easing of lockdown restrictions is that junior sail training can recommence from the 26th April with more general sailing probably in May. ‘We welcome the…

Royal Cork Yacht Club in Cork Harbour has expressed disappointment that there has not been more clarity on when sailing can see a full return to the water following yesterday's Government announcement on the easing of lockdown restrictions. RCYC Admiral Colin Morehead…

Dublin Bay Sailing Club Commodore Ann Kirwan says the club aims to start its 2021 summer race series in mid-May despite the lack of clear guidance for the sport following last night's cautious easing of lockdown restrictions by the Government. …

Thanks to modern technology and the can-do spirit of National Yacht Club volunteers and staff, the Dun Laoghaire Harbour club held its Awards ceremony last Friday night. Commodore Martin McCarthy told Afloat "We had a lot to reflect on and…

A 16-year-old Malahide Yacht Club cadet has become one of the youngest sailors to be awarded the RYA Day Skipper (Sail & Power Craft) and ICC Certificate. Daniel Flavin, a Transition Year student at the local Community School, was assessed…

One of the most popular longtime sailors in Dublin Bay, former RStGYC Commodore Larry Martin, has died, and our sympathies are with his family and many friends afloat and ashore. A full appreciation of his generously-lived life appears on Afloat.ie…

Sixty-one years after the first Rankin came off a mould in Cobh, a new one has been built from the same mould. "From the roots of this revered dinghy class in Cork Harbour, a new boat has been built," the…

The Royal Irish Yacht Club at Dun Laoghaire Habour has announced it is 'sadly' postponing its planned May Dun Laoghaire Cup till 2022 due to the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. Regatta organiser David Ryan told Afloat 'We thank the sailors for…

The impression conveyed in the image above of good-humoured sport afloat at the first regatta from the new harbour of Kingstown on July 22nd 1828 is so lively that today we easily forgive the relatively unskilled work of the artist,…

Preliminary results from the 49er Olympic Qualifying event in Lanzarote this morning indicate that the Howth and Skerries pairing of Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove have done enough to secure not only Ireland's Olympic slot in the 49er skiff, but…

The start of the sailing season with two events in March in Cork Harbour has been set back. Two scheduled events have had to be cancelled due to the pandemic, both by the Royal Cork Yacht Club. The first of…

A brilliant opening day's sailing by Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove of Howth and Skerries has put Ireland into pole position in the 49er European Olympic qualification shoot-out in Lanzarote today. Great sailing conditions of a fresh breeze in warm…

Dublin Bay Sailing Club's Cruisers Five fleet has the biggest early entry for 2021’s AIB-sponsored Summer Series due to start next month.  Entries for the country's biggest sailing league are materialising even though there is no clarity yet on the scheduled April 25th…