Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Bundoran RNLI rescued a swimmer who got into difficulty in challenging sea conditions off Main Beach on Wednesday evening, 19 August. The Irish Coast Guard requested the volunteer lifeboat crew to launch at 4.42 pm after a member of the…
Sligo Bay RNLI’s volunteer crew launched three times in four days after a pair of incidents off Aughris on Sunday, 16 August, followed by another callout near Sligo Port on Wednesday. The first alert came at 4.17 pm on Sunday…
A scoring update to the ISORA Viking Marine Irish Coastal Series has tightened the battle at the top of the 2026 standings, with the best three races now counting towards the overall result. Royal St George Yacht Club's J/122 Aurelia,…
Twenty-seven years after Ger Owens and Melanie Morris first began sailing together, the Irish pair have reached the top of the GP14 class, winning the 2026 World Championship on Belfast Lough — a victory Owens admits has made him feel…
Scottish Shipyard Ferguson Marine to Axe Nearly Quarter of Its Clydeside Workforce
20th August 2026 Shipyards
The Scottish Government-owned shipyard, Ferguson Marine, located on the Clyde at Port Glasgow, has announced plans to cut nearly a quarter of its workforce. Workers at the nationalised shipyard in late 2019 have been invited to apply for voluntary redundancies,…
Howth Yacht Club sailor Sienna Wright has won silver at the ILCA 6 Youth World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark, after an impressive campaign that included four race victories. Wright established herself among the championship leaders early in the series and…
Ballyholme Bay’s Emma West-Hurst has been crowned British National Female Champion while her younger brother Leo secured third overall after an outstanding showing at the Topper British Nationals in Weymouth. The Ballyholme junior sailors were among more than 100 young…
Bergin Takes Corinthian Lead as Irish Dragons Battle Through Windy Cowes Day
19th August 2026 Dragon
Ireland’s Denis Bergin has taken the lead in the Corinthian division of the 2026 Edinburgh Cup and UK Dragon Grand Prix after a strong second day off Cowes, while Martin Byrne remains firmly in contention in third. Bergin’s IRL161 Sir…
Twenty-seven Water Wags turned out for Wednesday evening’s AIB Dublin Bay Sailing Club race, which doubled as the Captain’s Prize for all three divisions of the historic one-design class. A westerly breeze of 10 to 14 knots greeted the fleet…
Irish Duo McWilliam and Carroll Celebrate Overall Victory with Pace in Round Britain and Ireland Race
19th August 2026 Rd Britain & Ireland
The Royal Ocean Racing Club confirmed on Wednesday, August 19, that no remaining competitor could better Pace’s IRC corrected time, securing the top prize for Vincent and his crew. The victory has a strong Irish connection, with Tom McWilliam and…
Irish Ferries Owner ICG Brings Forward Results to Give Shareholders More Time on MBO
19th August 2026 Irish Ferries
Maritime transport operator Irish Continental Group (ICG) is bringing forward the release of its financial results for the first half of this year, as shareholders consider a €1.2bn management buyout bid (MBO) for the company. ICG, which owns the ferry division, Irish…
The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) and Women’s World Match Racing Tour (WWMRT) Finals will be staged together for the first time at AMAALA Yacht Club in Saudi Arabia this November, with equal $200,000 prize purses announced for the two…
It may have been way back in 1963 that the 43ft S&S-designed sloop Clarion of Wight won the Fastnet Race, beating gallant many-season campaigner Adlard Coles in the prototype Nicholson 36 Cohoe IV (with Keith Hunt of Kinsale in his…
Promoted
North Sails Ireland is giving Afloat readers an early heads-up on a September promotion offering 15% off sails for Ireland’s One Design racing community. From Dragons and Fireballs to Flying Fifteens, GP14s, J24s, J80s, Puppeteers, Rankins and Wags, One Design…
Matt McNicholl and Barry Swanston claimed the 2026 Irish Multihull Northern Championships at Ballyholme Yacht Club after a high-speed weekend that also featured an unsuccessful North Channel record attempt. Ballyholme Yacht Club hosted three days of multihull action from August…
An Australian estimate that a single visiting superyacht will contribute almost AU$1.95 million to the economy of Cairns puts a striking figure on a marine tourism market that Ireland is already beginning to experience. The figure is the loose thread…
Scottish Fishing Vessel Ran Aground After Unwell Skipper Fell Asleep on Watch
19th August 2026 Fishing
A Scottish fishing vessel ran aground after its skipper fell asleep while on watch at night. A report by the British Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said that the crew of the 15.58m prawn trawler Silver Cloud II managed to…
Dooley Discusses Fisheries Innovation and Ocean Research at Nor-Fishing in Norway
19th August 2026 Fishing
Minister of State for Fisheries Timmy Dooley attended the Nor-Fishing Exhibition in Trondheim, Norway, as the international fishing industry event got under way on Tuesday. The exhibition, which runs from August 18-20, brings together hundreds of companies and organisations involved…
Five years after her last international ILCA campaign, Olympic silver medallist Annalise Murphy is back for a World Championship on home waters — but Dublin Bay will provide a far sterner test than last month's Irish Nationals. Murphy's return to…
A section of the 67-metre An Branán Mór sea stack at the Cliffs of Moher has broken away and fallen into the Atlantic in a dramatic example of the continuing erosion of the Co Clare coastline. The change in the…
