Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
RYA Northern Ireland’s Women On Water Festival will take place at the Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club in Cultra on Sunday 12 May and online sign-ups are now open to women across Northern Ireland and the wider island of…
Northern Ireland's New Minister of Agriculture Visits Loughs Agency to Learn About Environmental Preservation Efforts
8th March 2024 Loughs Agency
Northern Ireland's new Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir, recently paid a visit to the Loughs Agency Headquarters in Prehen, gaining first-hand insights into the organisation's essential work. The visit was warmly welcomed by Sharon McMahon, Chief…
'Purple Haze' Arrives on Strangford Lough: Vintage Quarter Tonner Will Contest 2024 ICRA Nationals and IRC Europeans on Dublin Bay
6th March 2024 Quarter Ton
The Ker 32 Hijacker was a popular competitor owned by Stuart Cranston of Strangford Lough YC at Whiterock and the nearby Down Cruising club, but he was struggling to get enough regular crew (eight) so downsizing was the answer, and…
Four of the first 46 entries for the 2024 Scottish Series this season are from Northern Ireland. They received a 15% discount on their entries, which has now been extended to the end of March at 10%. The event will…
New Irish-Language TV Series Follows Epic Kayaking Adventure Along North Coast
2nd March 2024 Kayaking
A new TV series as Gaeilge follows presenters Tessa Fleming and Irial Ó Ceallaigh as they embark on an epic adventure paddling their way along the North Coast. Together with kayaking expert John Hubbocks, the novice kayakers brave the unpredictable…
Andy Thompson of East Antrim BC is “Sailor of the Month (Worlds)” for February
1st March 2024 Sailor of the Month
We’ve become accustomed to veteran dinghy racing superstar Andy Thompson of Larne suddenly emerging into the spotlight again at some world championship, and he has already made his annual mark for 2024 by brilliantly crewing for Tom Gillard at Geelong…
Ed Wheeler of County Down is Afloat.ie “Sailor of the Month (Voyaging & Services to Sailing)” for February
1st March 2024 Sailor of the Month
Ed Wheeler’s extraordinary career in sailing has ranged from racing the first International Cadet dinghy to be seen on Belfast Lough in the early 1950s (he won Ballyholme YC’s famous Lufra Cup for the big-fleet end-of-season pursuit race) to solo…
Colin Leonard of Strangford Lough and Ballyholme is “Sailor of the Month (International & Cruising)” for February
1st March 2024 Sailor of the Month
There seem to be two Colin Leonards prominent in the sailing scene in the north, but in fact, it’s one and the same man making the best of several possibilities. Colin Leonard of Ballyholme was tops in the medal stakes…
Olympian Alison Young to Coach Northern Ireland Sailors at ‘Female-Focused Camp’
28th February 2024 RYA Northern Ireland
Three-time Olympian and 2016 ILCA World Champion Alison Young will provide coaching for Northern Ireland sailors at RYA Northern Ireland’s ‘Female Focused Camp’ at Ballyholme Yacht Club on the weekend of 27-28 April. The camp is specifically targeted for junior…
Royal Ulster Yacht Club has launched Bangor Regatta 2024 with the publication of the Notice of Race and Entry Form for the event, which will be run in Belfast Lough out of Bangor from 27th till 30th June. Sixty boats…
Ben Greenhalgh comes from a Bangor Co Down sailing family, and he races an RS Feva at Port Dinorwic SC near the Welsh Bangor on the Menai Straits. Ben is the joint winner with Topper sailor, Jess Powell, of the…
RYANI Discussing Options for Safe Disposal of Out-of-Date Flares
25th February 2024 RYA Northern Ireland
RYA Northern Ireland says it has been in discussions with British Marine and other stakeholders regarding the safe disposal of out-of-date flares. Marine flares have become increasingly difficult to dispose of in Northern Ireland in recent years, which RYANI recognises…
Northern Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir met with members of the Northern Ireland Fishing Harbour Authority (NIFHA) and local fishers during a visit to Portavogie Harbour in Co Down this week. The visit on Wednesday…
Back in the day, Bangor Grammar School was seen by a small but significant sector of its pupils as a sailing school with a grammar problem. This was in a time when it was an establishment of friendly size, located…
Earl ‘Open to Options’ Regarding Future of Lough Neagh as Toxic Blue-Green Algae Returns
23rd February 2024 Environment
The owner of Lough Neagh’s lakebed has said he is “open to exploring options” amid reports of the return of toxic blue-green algae blooms. But as BBC News reports, the Earl of Shaftesbury has refused to budge on suggestions that…
Erne System: Closure of Enniskillen’s Henry Street Jetties for Angling Weekender
21st February 2024 Inland Waterways
Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on and users of the Erne System in Northern Ireland that the Henry Street Jetties in Enniskillen will be closed this Friday 23 to Saturday 24 February. This is to accommodate the annual Fishing Tackle…