Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
The UK's second largest port group, Peel Ports Group, has appointed Nigel Kent as its first Head of Project Cargo as it strengthens its offering to meet rising demand across this sector. Nigel's appointment (follows another at Clydeport, Greenock) is…
Ferry operator, the Isle of Man Steam Packet, says its current estimate for the dry docking and repairs to its flagship, Manxman, is in the region of £5m. As ManxRadio reports, in an update from the company, owned by the…
A major multi-agency search and rescue exercise on Lough Corrib brought together rescue crews from across the west of Ireland on Saturday, October 3rd, including the Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 115. Hosted by Galway Civil Defence at Lisloughrey…
A mother and calf cetacean stranded near Camp in Co Kerry have been confirmed as True’s beaked whales. As Radio Kerry reports, shore walkers discovered the nearly five-metre adult and its calf on the coast early last week and raised…
Warm tributes have been paid to diver, diving instructor, underwater photographer, and DCU assistant professor Brian Stone, who recently died at the age of 67. Brian was a university lecturer and researcher at Dublin City University whose work brought together…
Fourteen Water Wags completed a nine-race end-of-season regatta on Lough Boderg, continuing a Shannon sailing tradition stretching back to 1903. Guy Kilroy's Swift emerged as the overall winner after a weekend that ranged from Saturday's light airs in the lake's…
Most Advanced and Highest Resolution Geomorphology Map of Ireland’s Seabed Now Available Online
6th October 2026 Marine Science
The new Irish Deep Seabed Geomorphological Map — now available in Ireland’s Marine Atlas — significantly expands the high-resolution mapping of the features of Ireland’s seabed, marking a major milestone in marine science. Geomorphology examines the physical features of the…
A proposal to broaden ISORA’s offshore programme with more north-south racing along the Irish coast is among the ideas being put forward for discussion at the association’s 2026 AGM. Barry O’Connor’s proposal suggests looking beyond ISORA’s predominantly east-west Irish Sea…
The Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association (ISORA) will hold its 2026 Annual General Meeting at the National Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire on Saturday, 14 November at 3pm, with the 2027 race programme and race-management arrangements among the principal items…
Just one month into the Golden Globe Race 2026, the fleet has clearly divided into two groups, with France’s Damien Guillou and Ireland’s Pat Lawless continuing to stretch their advantage at the front. The leading duo maintained speeds above six…
New Challenges Facing Seafarers to be Examined at Cork Maritime Conference
5th October 2026 Ports & Shipping
The increasing number of new risks and challenges facing seafarers is causing considerable concern. Earlier this year, the World Maritime University published a new report, In Search of a Sea-Life Balance in an Adverse Environment. It shed light on the…
Cotentin’s Final French Connection on Rosslare ‘Ropax’ Service to Cherbourg Ends
5th October 2026 Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries' freight-oriented (ropax) Cotentin, which is to be sold, completed its final Rosslare Europort round-trip crossings to its homeport Cherbourg today, ending an era for the French company, writes Jehan Ashmore. This afternoon (around 1530 French time), Cotentin arrived…
Pauline Courtois and her Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team have won a sixth consecutive World Sailing Women’s Match Racing World Championship after dominating the 2026 title decider on San Francisco Bay. The French skipper and crew Maëlenn Lemaitre,…
The 2026 EurILCA Master Series has concluded on Lake Garda just over a week after Ireland’s Roger Craig claimed the ILCA 7 Master European title in La Baule. Nearly 90 sailors from 11 nations contested the final event of the…
A record 222 athletes from 40 nations begin racing in Portugal on Monday, October 5th, at the 2026 World Sailing Inclusion Championships in Portimão. The six-day championship runs until Saturday, October 10, with medals to be decided across nine events…
Olympic silver medallist Annalise Murphy and Barry McCartin have been crowned Irish Sailing’s 2026 Dinghy Champions after winning a six-boat final on Dublin Bay on Sunday. Murphy and McCartin produced the strongest performance across three final races in the supplied…
Ballyholme's Leo West-Hurst Takes Topper Traveller Series Win at Royal Cork
4th October 2026 Royal Cork YC
Leo West-Hurst of Ballyholme Yacht Club produced three race wins to take the 41-boat Topper 5.3 division at the Topper Ireland Traveller Series meeting at Royal Cork Yacht Club on Sunday (October 4). Four races were sailed at Crosshaven, bringing…
When Damien Guillou of France and then Pat Lawless of Ireland exited the Bay of Biscay ahead of the rest of the Golden Globe Race fleet, it was becoming increasingly clear that a weather pattern was developing that might give…
The annual Irish Groundfish Survey (IGFS) off the Atlantic coastline of Ireland is now under way for 2026 and will continue to Wednesday 18 November, subject to operational and weather constraints. The IGFS is a demersal trawl survey carried out…
Conor O'Higgins' JPK 10.80 Rockabill VI has won the Leinster Boats 2026 Dún Laoghaire Motor Yacht Club Kish Challenge after a light-wind race in which she was the only boat to finish within the time limit. With the breeze variable…
