Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
ExploMar to Preview 400HP Electric Outboard at METSTRADE
6th November 2026 Electric Outboard Engines
Electric marine propulsion specialist ExploMar will unveil plans for a new 400HP electric outboard at METSTRADE 2026 in Amsterdam from 17–19 November, as the company expands its range of high-performance marine engines. The Shanghai-based manufacturer will present the concept and…
Plans to improve shelter and provide additional berthing facilities for fishing boats, pleasure craft and visiting yachts at Burtonport Harbour in County Donegal are being promoted by a local harbour committee. The Burtonport Harbour Committee says it is advancing proposals…
The 2026 ILCA World Championships, hosted by the National Yacht Club and Royal St George Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire, have been shortlisted for Event of the Year at the Olympic Federation of Ireland's 2026 Olympic Sport Awards. The international…
The IRC Rating Authority has published updated Race Management Guidelines to help yacht clubs, organising authorities and race committees prepare for the 2027 sailing season. The revised guidelines provide practical advice on organising IRC racing, covering everything from drafting Notices…
A new documentary tells the extraordinary story of British Army veteran Craig Wood, who became the first triple amputee to sail solo across the Pacific Ocean, setting two Guinness World Records. The film, Single Handed, was released exclusively on YouTube on Tuesday,…
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North Sails Ireland Highlights Sail Inspection and Repair Service
6th November 2026 North Sails Ireland
North Sails Ireland is highlighting its sail inspection and repair services, encouraging boat owners to identify wear and address minor defects before they develop into more costly problems. The company's North Certified Service programme begins with a detailed 10-point inspection,…
Royal Cork YC To Celebrate 1924 World Champions James & Aileen Payne
6th November 2026 Royal Cork YC
The first international sailing win for Ireland as an independent state in 1924 will be celebrated in the Royal Cork Yacht Club at Crosshaven on the evening of Thursday 19th November. The presentation will feature a newly-digitised historic film of…
The RS Aero European Championship will be hosted by the National Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire from 27 to 30 August 2027, bringing an international fleet of single-handed dinghy sailors to Dublin Bay. RS Sailing and the International RS Aero…
From Micro to Mega Fauna: Explorers Education Team Dive Into Science Week 2026
6th November 2026 Marine Science
The Marine Institute’s Explorers Education Programme will embark on a nationwide tour for Science Week 2026, joining forces with the 29th Galway Science and Technology Festival and regional festivals across the country to celebrate all things water. For two decades,…
Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels and waterway users on the Erne System that the Erne Fours Head of the River Rowing Race will take place this Saturday 7 November from 9am to 2pm. The rowing course will start…
Route du Rhum: Pam Lee Diverts to Azores as Beccaria Retires
6th November 2026 La Route du Rhum Race
Ireland's Pamela Lee is diverting to the Azores for repairs aboard EmpowHer, while Italian race favourite Ambrogio Beccaria has been forced to retire from the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe after suffering a back injury in heavy seas. Five…
The Irish Marine Federation (IMF) has met Irish Members of the European Parliament, European Commission officials and industry representatives in Brussels to ensure that Ireland's leisure marine sector is represented in the development of European policy. The meetings took place…
The start of the ARC+ 2026 transatlantic cruising rally, which includes Ireland's Cara of the South, has been postponed by three days after forecasts of strong south-westerly winds and possible gales around the Canary Islands prompted organisers to delay the…
French skipper Corentin Horeau has extended his lead in the 21-boat IMOCA fleet on the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, but a succession of Atlantic depressions threatens to complicate the solo race to Pointe-à-Pitre. Horeau, sailing MACSF and known…
Wicklow RNLI volunteers launched both the inshore and all-weather lifeboats on Sunday morning (1 November) following reports of two swimmers in difficulty at Blainroe, south of Wicklow Head. The Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 116 from Dublin, the National Ambulance…
Youghal RNLI was involved in a multi-agency rescue on Thursday morning (5 November) after a car got into difficulty on the Waterford side of Youghal Bridge. The volunteer crew were requested to launch their inshore lifeboat at 9.04am. The lifeboat,…
“What the Sea Is Telling Us” is the theme of a discussion at this weekend’s Dublin Book Festival as part of Science Week. Surfer, scientist and author Easkey Britton, novelist Roisin Maguire and writer and broadcaster Eoin Warner will join…
The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) has issued a safety advisory identifying the reported positions of nine limestone boulders placed on the seabed in the southern North Sea by Greenpeace. The advisory, issued on Wednesday, 4th November, follows Greenpeace's deployment of…
Italy’s Andrea Rossi and his Mela crew have won the 2026 RS21 World Championship in Cannes, France, following four days of closely contested racing from 28 to 31 October. The Yacht Club de Cannes hosted a fleet described by organisers as 40 teams from…
The European Commission's new EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy has been welcomed by the European Boating Industry (EBI), which says the proposals represent significant progress on two longstanding issues for recreational boating: the mutual recognition of boating licences and investment in marina infrastructure. Published…
