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Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Sailing as it is when true sailors like to watch, but only if they can’t be sailing themselves. The International 12 Metres in fleet racing mode. Their speeds may seem slow when compared to modern foilers, but it is the matching speeds and the skills needed to get an edge which attract the true aficionado
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 off the Dublin and Wicklow coast
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…
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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…
File image of Lock C4 of the Grand Canal’s Circular Line in Dublin city centre
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…
Aerial view of the Cork Container Terminal in Ringaskiddy
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…
Olympic Foiling Nacra17 duo John Gimson and Anna Burnett will arrive at Ballyholme for the North Channel record bid this weekend
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…
The App is very easy to use, and you do not need experience or knowledge of river health or environments. You only need a smartphone, the app, and 15 minutes to observe and complete the survey
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…
East Wall revealed as Adam Roche, 9, and Everly Whelan, 9, of St. Joseph’s Co-Ed Primary School launch Dublin Port Company’s new venue the Substation with Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe TD. The Substation allows the public to view through a glass floor the 18th-century sea wall, which gives the East Wall its name. The display is the latest addition to Dublin Port’s distributed museum, a key part of Masterplan 2040’s strategic objective to integrate the Port and the City
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 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…
Irish Olympic canoeist Robert Hendrick has qualified Ireland in Canoe Slalom for Paris 2024
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…
Peter O'Leary and Stephen Milne (bow number 53) in the first race start of the Star World Championships in Tuscany, Italy
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…
A tight start for the RC35 class - in 2023 there were five different winners for the RC35 events and eight different models of yachts competed
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…
Frank Whelan's Elliott 57 Opal is one of eight starters in Friday night's  ISORA Race  from Dun Laoghaire Harbour
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…
Sean Flood as a Naval Reserve Lieutenant at the helm of the first Asgard in her original form in the early 1960s

Sean Flood RIP

21st September 2023 Howth YC
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 sailing at Monkstown Bay Sailing Club in Cork Harbour
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…
After days of no wind in Portoroz, Slovenia, the Fireball European Championships on day four were sailed in champagne conditions - warm winds of 18 knots and gusting
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…
The ILCA/Laser fleet passes Blackrock Castle in the Blackrock to Crosshaven passage race run by the Royal Cork Yacht Club
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…
RS400s racing at Killaloe Sailing Club on Lough Derg
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…
British yachtswoman Pip Hare, who turned 46 in 2021, made history by becoming the eighth woman to complete the Vendée Globe non-stop around-the-world yacht race
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 hosted the grand finale of the ILCA summer sprint series on Sunday 17th in Cork Harbour
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…

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