Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
If anyone in the Royal Ocean Racing Club's suite of race offices was bothered by the thought that the 2021 change of course in the club's core event, the biennial Fastnet Race, was going to have a detrimental effect on…
Red notices have been issued by Interpol for the captain and owner of the ship (MV Rhosus) that carried the chemicals which devastated Beirut in an explosion in August, killing 200 people, Lebanon’s state media said, according to Reuters. As…
Jim Dempsey, one of the sailing greats from Skerries passed away last night. He had been unwell for the last few years but he did not allow his illness to adversely impact on his good humour and his ability to…
New Boat Models Can be Viewed in Ireland, Boot Dusseldorf Cancellation 'Not Unexpected', Says Irish Marine Trade
21st January 2021 Marine Trade
The Irish Marine Trade has been giving its reaction to today's cancellation of the giant German Boat Show, Boot Dusseldorf that was scheduled for April and a key show for the Irish industry. As Afloat reported earlier, the world’s largest…
The 2021 eSailing World Championship will be launched today as the race to win this year’s title – and a prize of USD $10,000 – officially begins. Launched in partnership between World Sailing, the International Federation for the sport, and…
Differences in policy between north and south on travellers arriving at ferryports and airports have been discussed by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and his Northern Ireland counterpart Robin Swann. The different strategies, reports RTE, mean there are gaps in…
Minister Ryan has announced significant funding of €1,764,000 for the Irish Environmental Network and its members in 2021. This is an increase of €704,000 on the level of funding provided in 2020. The Irish Environmental Network is made up of…
The Marine Institute’s 2020 Stock Book is now available online and via an interactive online application. Every year the Marine Institute produces an overview of scientific assessments and advice on 74 key fish stocks of interest to Ireland. The Stock…
Boot Düsseldorf 2021 Cancelled, Now to Run in January 2022
21st January 2021 Coronavirus and Boating
Germany's Boot Dusseldorf that originally postponed from January to April due to COVID-19 has now been called off for 2021. The world’s largest indoor boat show fell due to the ongoing high infection numbers across all of Europe. The massive…
Why Native Oysters Have Returned to Belfast Lough After a Century (Podcast)
21st January 2021 Marine Science
“Good news everyone”, the natives have returned...” It’s not your average title to a scientific paper, but this one has reason to celebrate - hailing the return of native oysters to Belfast Lough after a century. The paper by Bangor…
Youghal RNLI Volunteer lifeboat crew were paged and tasked at 5.57 am this morning by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) to a report of a missing person in Youghal Harbour. Launching at 6.08 am in freezing conditions, the lifeboat…
In less than two weeks since registration opened for the O'Leary Insurance Group Sovereign's Cup 2021, 30 entries were received. The speed at which the entries have come in is best exemplified by Denis and Annamarie Murphy's entry of Nieulargo…
Anchovies, Blue Tuna, Sardines & Marine Tourism; Do State Agencies Talk to Each Other?
21st January 2021 Tom MacSweeney
"Someone needs to bang the table and bang heads together. Do State agencies talk to each other?" That blunt statement caused me to think a lot this week when I am still disappointed at official attitudes towards the marine sector.…
The race at the front of the Vendée Globe Race is electrifying. None of the eight previous editions has ever witnessed a race finish as open and intense. Right now the leading skippers are trying to get their heads around…
New Legislation Provides for National Regulatory Regime for Smaller Passenger Vessels
20th January 2021 Ferry
The latest Marine Notice from the Department of Transport draws attention to the Merchant Shipping (Passenger Ship) Rules 2020 which were made law by Statutory Instrument on 15 December. This new legislation provides a national regulatory regime for passenger ships…
The head of the organising committee for the London Olympics in 2012 has said the Tokyo Games scheduled for this summer look “unlikely” to go ahead. As the Guardian reports, Sir Keith Mills told the BBC he “would be making…
The Royal Ocean Racing Club in London has published new dates for its 2022 ORC/IRC World Championship The second edition of this biennial event will be held from 23 June to 1 July 2022 in Porto Cervo. After consultation between…
Andrew 'Hammy' Baker Elected New Irish Flying Fifteen Class President
20th January 2021 Northern Ireland Waters
The Flying Fifteen Association of Ireland (FFAI) hosted their delayed AGM on the Zoom platform last Wednesday night (13th Jan) with a virtual attendance from Dun Laoghaire, Strangford Lough and Dunmore East and, refreshingly, Galway, where there is a significant…
American Magic's withdrawal from racing in the last two round robins of the America's Cup Challenger Selection Series means a revised schedule of racing on Auckland's Waitemata Harbour this week. Following New York Yacht Club American Magic informing the Regatta…
"How To Go eRacing" Will Be Revealed on Wednesday Evening by Ireland's Champion of the eSailors
19th January 2021 Howth YC
It's arguably the case that the best way through lock-down is to assume it's all going to last a bit longer – maybe a lot longer - than most people think. Thus the most effective way to negotiate your way…
