Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine

The sailing scene in Ireland has lost three significant figures this past week with the deaths of Liam Shanahan of Dun Laoghaire, Mick Hunt of Howth, and Sean Flood of The Baily overlooking Dublin Bay. They were very much distinctive…

Pete Smyth's Sunfast 3600 Searcher from the National Yacht Club won ISORA's Friday night IRC race overall from Dun Laoghaire Harbour. Seven boats took part in the final race of the Viking Marine coastal series around the Moulditch Buoy off…

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on and users of the Shannon Navigation that diving operations will be taking place at Tarmonbarry Wier from Monday 25 September for a period of approximately one week. Alpha Flag (Divers Flag) will be…

Grand Canal: Circular Line Reopens After Closure for Removal of Fallen Trees
22nd September 2023 Inland Waterways
Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels and waterways users that the Grand Canal’s Circular Line in Dublin (Lock C1 through to Lock C7) is now reopened. As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the Circular Line had been closed to navigation…

Port of Cork Company Celebrates Bumper First Year at Cork Container Terminal
22nd September 2023 Port of Cork
Over 90,000 containers were loaded and discharged at the Port of Cork Company’s new Cork Container Terminal (CCT) in Ringaskiddy in what was a bumper first year at the state-of-the-art facility. The Cork Harbour terminal, which is the result of…

Mixed Catamaran Olympic Medalists Aim to Set New North Channel Sailing Record Time
22nd September 2023 Northern Ireland Waters
Ballyholme Yacht Club on the south shore of Belfast Lough will be the start point for a record-breaking trip across the North Channel to Portpatrick on the Mull of Galloway in Scotland during the week beginning 25th September. Team GB…

Stem The Flow of Untreated Sewage: Rivers Trust App Empowers Irish Public to Become Water Guardians
22nd September 2023 Inland Waterways
The Rivers Trust has launched the inventive Big River Watch app to coincide with the upcoming World Rivers Day on September 24, 2023. This online tool aims to unite individuals, organisations, and communities throughout Ireland to protect and conserve the…

Dublin Port Opens Refurbished Substation as Interpretive Centre on Culture Night
22nd September 2023 Dublin Port
The Irish economy “couldn’t function” without the “central role of Dublin Port”, Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe has said. Speaking at the opening of Dublin Port’s Substation as an interpretive centre and venue, Mr Donohoe said that Dublin began…

Tom Gillard and East Antrim's Andy Thompson Win Fireball European Championship in Slovenia
22nd September 2023 Fireball
Tom Gillard and Andy Thompson of Larne in Northern Ireland have won the Fireball European Championship at Portroz, Slovenia. The pair scored three bullets during the final day of racing in spectacular conditions with winds typically around 18 knots but…

Robert Hendrick Wins Ireland a Canoe Slalom Place at 2024 Olympic Games
22nd September 2023 Canoeing
Irish Olympic canoeist Robert Hendrick has accomplished an impressive feat by qualifying his country for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Canoe Slalom, a moment of immense pride for the Irish paddlesports community. He demonstrated skill and composure in the semi-final…

The Cork Harbour and Belfast Lough pairing of Peter O'Leary and Stephen Milne lie 11th from 94 starters at the 2023 Star keelboat World Championship in Tuscany, Italy. The Championship finally began at Marina di Scarlino after two windless days…

J109 'Mocking J' Takes RC35 Championship Title in North Clyde Regatta Finale
22nd September 2023 RC35
The RC35 Championship has concluded for 2023, with Ben and Jono Shelley in their J109 'Mocking J' claiming their inaugural Championship victory. The final event, The North Clyde Regatta hosted by Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club, started with Charlie Frize’s…

Greystones Harbour Canting Keeler 'Opal' for ISORA Viking Marine Coastal Night Race Contest
21st September 2023 ISORA
The canting keel Elliott 57, Opal, skippered by Frank Whelan of Greystones, will compete in Friday's ISORA Viking Marine Coastal night race from Dun Laoghaire. According to organisers, the likely course will be 20 miles along the Dublin and Wicklow coast…

We regret to announce the death at the age of 91 of Sean Flood of Howth, originally of Clontarf. In a long and active life, he played a leading and popular role in business in Dublin, and in many areas…

RS Feva Southerns Are Cancelled at Monkstown Bay Sailing Club Due to Forecast
21st September 2023 Monkstown Bay Sailing Club
The RS Feva Southern Championships, scheduled for this weekend at Monkstown Bay Sailing Club, has unfortunately been cancelled due to the bleak forecast throughout the weekend. Saturday's wind in Cork Harbour is expected to increase throughout the day, and Sunday's…

Swiss and British Crews on Equal Points as Fireballs Europeans Heads for Friday Conclusion in Slovenia
21st September 2023 Fireball
After five races sailed at the Fireball European Championships in Portroz, Slovenia – and three sailed today – Vince Horey and Dave Wade UK are on equal points with event leaders Claude and Ruedi (Sui). Tim Gillard and Andy Thompson…

Cork Harbour ILCA 6 Sailor Races from Blackrock to Crosshaven in 90 Minutes to Win Royal Cork's Passage Race
21st September 2023 Royal Cork YC
As part of this summer's Royal Cork Yacht Club RCYC 'At Home' regatta, the ILCA/Laser fleet took on the Blackrock to Crosshaven passage race in Cork Harbour. The ILCAs launched at Cork Boat Club and headed downriver with a falling…

RS200 and RS400 Dinghy Fleets to Conclude Season at Killaloe Sailing Club on Lough Derg
21st September 2023 RS Sailing
The Irish RS200/400 fleets return to Lough Derg this month for the year's final event on 23/24 September at Killaloe Sailing Club Co. Clare, and boats are expected to travel from all parts of the country for the Inland Championship. From…

Royal Irish Yacht Club in association with BDO to host talk with Pip Hare
21st September 2023 Royal Irish Yacht Club
Dun Laoghaire Harbour's Royal Irish Yacht Club and professional services firm BDO will co-host an exclusive evening with Pip Hare, the solo ocean sailor, on Thursday, October 5 at 7:00 pm. As Afloat reported at the time, Hare, who turned…

Royal Cork ILCA (Lasers) hosted the grand finale of the ILCA summer sprint series on Sunday 17th. The series, including ILCA racing across five venues throughout the summer, saw twenty-seven ILCAs compete in three different classes from five clubs on…