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Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.
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Charlie Dalin Leads & Louis Burton Carries on to the North West in Neck & Neck Vendee Globe Race
19th January 2021 Vendee Globe
The Vendée Globe remains wide open. A leading group of nine skippers form the vanguard with a slight advantage for two skippers, Charlie Dalin and Louis Burton. The skipper of Bureau Vallée 2 continues his more westerly route and all…

Johannes Schwarz’s Volvo 70 Green Dragon crossed the finish line of the 7th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race at 04:53 UTC in an elapsed time of 9 days, 18 hours, 53 mins and 40 secs. Green Dragon wins the…

Dublin Bay diver Rory Golden will join the 2021 Titanic Survey Expedition starting in May going back to the wreck after a gap of 16 years, and taking part in a “sea bed” breaking scientific expedition. Golden has over 44…

'Nautical Tourism' is New Focus for ICOMIA & European Boating Industry in Partnership to Develop Global Boating Industry
19th January 2021 Marine Trade
European Boating Industry (EBI) and ICOMIA have entered a new partnership with mutual benefits for both EBI and ICOMIA members and an increased focus on the further development of nautical tourism. European Boating Industry (EBI) represents the European recreational boating…

Fast Burton & Consistent Dalin’s Northwards Vendee Globe Duel in Trades
19th January 2021 Vendee Globe
After more than 25,000 miles of racing this Vendée Globe hangs in the balance. Who will win? At the head of the fleet now Charlie Dalin (Apivia) has been in first place 178 times since November 8th when the race…

Waterways Ireland advises that Portora Lock on the Erne System near Enniskillen will be closed to boat traffic on Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 January to accommodate essential maintenance works to the lock gates. Masters of vessels on this inland…

Howth RNLI launched the all-weather lifeboat to rescue a 21-foot fishing boat with two people onboard after it suffered mechanical failure just off Rush Co. Dublin The RNLI pagers sounded at 2.52 pm on Monday 18th January to reports of…

Beneteau has launched the seventh generation of its First range small sailing cruisers and dayboats under the strapline: "Big boats bring the glory, but small boats make the sailors". The First 24 and 27 are exciting sports cruisers, while First…

A second UK-based Ker 40 will race in July's Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta's Offshore class adding extra spice to Ireland's biggest IRC regatta of the year. Today's entry of US-based German skipper Christian Zugel's 'Tschuss' sailing under the burgee of…

American Magic's AC75 Survives Crash, Damage & Near-Sinking (Press Conference Video)
18th January 2021 America's Cup
After racing into a squall, crashing, capsizing, incurring significant damage and coming close to sinking, American Magic's AC75 racing yacht, PATRIOT, made it back to shore at 10:45 PM NZDT after a herculean effort to save the boat. The arrival…

This Wednesday's GP14 AGM will hear an update on the rearranged World Championships for Skerries, North Dublin in 2022. After a 2020 season that was severely affected by COVID-19, (that included the cancellation of the 100-boat Skerries Worlds) the dinghy class…

The Doldrums did not give up the Vendée Globe leaders as easily as was initially predicted but first placed Charlie Dalin (Apivia) appears to have skirted round the worst of a dynamic cloud system and emerged this afternoon with his…

2020 was a record season for the Dublin Bay Laser Class, and by all accounts, they’re expecting an even bigger season in 2021. While continuous sailing has been difficult for all fleets since the start of the pandemic, the single-handed…

First Rescue of 2021 for Skerries Lifeboat as Razor Boat is Towed to Safety
17th January 2021 RNLI Lifeboats
Skerries RNLI carried out their first rescue of the new year in the early hours of yesterday morning (Saturday 16 January), towing a razor fishing boat with two men on board to safety. Shortly before midnight on Friday, Dublin Coast…

Double World and European rowing champion Sanita Pušpure has won the latest Cork Person of the Year award. Sanita, 39, who was born in Latvia but now lives in Ballincollig, is considered a favourite to take a gold medal in…

American Magic's Dramatic Capsize on Day 3 of the Prada Cup (Team Statement)
17th January 2021 America's Cup
The America's Cup is living up to its high drama billing in Auckland at the PRADA Cup, with all the support teams now battling to save NYYC American Magic's AC75 'Patriot' after a spectacular capsize. Local reports from the race…

Flying Fifteens Push for Big Entry into Volvo Dun Laoghaire One Design Regatta
17th January 2021 Volvo Regatta
Dun Laoghaire's buoyant Flying Fifteen class is getting behind the new format Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta 2021 One Design event scheduled for July With two boats already entered five months before the event, Class Captain Neil Colin of the DMYC is…

Kayakers in Trouble, People on Rocks; Youghal RNLI Tasked Twice in One Evening
16th January 2021 RNLI Lifeboats
The volunteer crew of Youghal RNLI were tasked this evening (16 January 2021) to reports of people seen on the rocks near Easter point, while conducting the search they were tasked to reports of kayakers in trouble near Capel Island.…

(Day 70, Leaders just past Fernando de Noronha) ‘Considering the speed that phenomena evolve in the Doldrums a little luck is always needed’ - Vendée Globe meteo adviser Christian Dumard annexes his prediction for the Vendée leaders’ passage of the…

Ainslie's Team INEOS UK Continue Winning Streak in Prada Cup Day Two
16th January 2021 America's Cup
A tricky and yet revealing day for the Challengers competing in the America's Cup PRADA Cup Round Robins due the to the tricky light wind conditions that frequently forced the AC75’s off their foils. A positive day for the Challenger…