Afloat.ie Team
Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.
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Difficult Waters for Irish Sailing, Just 17,000 Registered Leisure Sailors in Ireland
24th February 2015 Island Nation
#irishsailing – There are just 17,000 registered leisure sailors in Ireland at present. There has been a decline in sailing, the level of activity has weakened, clubs are losing membership and several marinas have space available for the first time.…
#rorc – Video highlights from Day One of the RORC Caribbean 600, with incredible aerial footage of the high performance yachts in spectacular ocean racing conditions.
#sailing – A leading Cork sailing official who praises the reform of the Irish Sailing Association (ISA) has raised concerns over a new initiative to raise €2.7m for Irish Olympic and ISA pathway sailing. The comments follow a reader piece…
#rys – The promise of a spectacle of timeless classic versus cutting edge modern is emerging early in the year as the entries for the Royal Yacht Squadron's Bicentenary start to lay down the gauntlet for the summer of sailing…
#caribbean600 – 66 yachts started the 7th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 yesterday, with hundreds of race fans watching the impressive fleet from Fort Charlotte and Shirley Heights. Irish crews are racing in several boats across the fleet, details…
#fireballsailing – While the Frostbites of 22nd February were cancelled due to adverse wind conditions, though I spotted Shane McCarthy coming back in to the Coal Harbour through “hell’s gate” with a flogging main in his Solo, it may have…
#rorc – Records are predicted to tumble for the seventh edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 this week, which has one of the most spectacular line ups of high performance boats racing anywhere in the world. Interviews with participating crews…
Dublin Bay Laser Dinghies Go For 'One Night Stand' in Busy 2015 Sailing Season
23rd February 2015 Laser
#laser – As 40 Laser dinghies enter the last few weeks of typically close racing in the perennial DMYC Frostbite series, dinghy sailors are looking forward to the warmer months, especially after some subtle but significant changes by Dublin Bay…
#sailoroftheyear – That final decision on the ISA/Afloat.ie Sailor of the Year 2014 award will be announced at the Sailing Awards celebration in Dublin on the afternoon of Friday March 6th March at a ceremony which will also see each Sailor…
#dbsc – Although Kinsale's natural harbour may have provided the necessary protection for the penultimate round of the south coast town's Frostbite series yesterday, there was no such shelter from the winds on the east coast with both of Sunday's…
#kinsalesailing – The forecast for the penultimate day's racing of Kinsale YC's ASM sponsored Frostbite series indicated that there may not be any racing as winds of up to 40 knots were predicted. Many competitors failed to show up as…
Foil Boarding In New Zealand, Laird Hamilton Shows The Future for Surfing?
22nd February 2015 Surfing
#foilboarding – Notorious surfer Laird Hamilton is foil boarding at one of New Zealand's finest waves, the left-hand point-break at Raglan. The clip comes courtesy of The Ultimate Waterman, a forthcoming event to be held next month in New Zealand,…
Dun Laoghaire Flying Fifteens Announce Mitsubishi Motors Ireland as Fleet Sponsor
22nd February 2015 Flying Fifteen
#flyingfifteen – One of Dublin Bay's most popular one design keelboat classes, the double handed Flying Fifteen, has been boosted with news of a new fleet sponsor for the upcoming 2015 season. The Dun Laoghaire Flying Fifteen Fleet, which is…
University Sailors Head for Schull Team Race Championships Hosted By UCC Sailing Club
21st February 2015 Team Racing
#varsitysailing – The upcoming Irish University Sailing Association Intervarsity Championships will be hosted by the University College Cork Sailing Club next weekend. This team racing event will run from the 26th to the 28th of February in the Fastnet Marine…
The death has taken place of Commodore (Retired) Liam Brett, former Flag Officer Commanding the Naval Service. Commodore Brett was instrumental in the expansion of the Naval Service beginning with the L.É. DEIRDRE in the early 1970s. He was pivotal…
#olympicsailing – Water Rat's article: Is ISAF Alive To Sailing's Survival As An Olympic Sport? has raised the issue about the future viability of the Olympic sailing movement and brought reaction from readers, including Midshipman, who says it begs two interesting questions:…
IRC Handicap is the Choice Of State-Of-The-Art Yachts At RORC's Caribbean 600 Regatta
19th February 2015 Caribbean 600
#rorc – RORC Caribbean 600 that has a number of key Irish sailors participating is providing a mixed bag of IRC delights says RORC Rating Office Technical Manager, Jenny Howells. With many if not the majority of the most prestigious yacht…
#irishsailing – The Irish Sailing Association SRG (Strategic Review Committee) penultimate meeting of the series took place last evening at the Rochestown Park Hotel, Cork and drew an excellent attendance with a large number of representatives from southern clubs and…
#vor – China's Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier/FRA) were in no mood to celebrate Chinese New Year on Wednesday after being relegated to the back of the fleet for the first time since the Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 started. Caudrelier's…
#ilen – As previously reported by Afloat.ie, the good ship Ilen's whiskey plank was jointly nailed home by Minister For The Marine, Simon Coveney, Mrs Kate Jarvey of Ruth Lily Philanthropic Trust, Mr Gerry Boland of JP McManus Charitable Foundation,…
