Betty Armstrong
Betty Armstrong is Afloat and Yachting Life's Northern Ireland Correspondent. Betty grew up racing dinghies but now sails a more sedate Dehler 36 around County Down
Strangford Lough in East County Down is the largest sea lough in the British Isles, and last week the lough's bottlenose dolphins were joined by a Scottish visitor called Squiggle, previously known as Tyler from Moray Firth. The dolphin with…
Northern Ireland Cruiser-Racers Join the West Highland Yachting Week Regatta Fleet
31st March 2023 Northern Ireland Waters
Two more Northern Ireland yachts have joined the 50-strong fleet for Scotland's West Highland Yachting Week, which celebrates 75 years in 2023 and runs from 29th July till 4th August. East Antrim Boat Club's Hydrology and Artemis from Larne Lough…
Time was, many years ago when the inlet known as the Long Hole beside Seacliff Road in Bangor on Belfast Lough was used as a harbour for small boats – those small enough, mostly fishing craft, to lie in the…
It’s one thing moving a start line because of say, a wind shift. But at the Cape Town start for Leg 3 of the The Ocean Race on 26 February, principal race officer Bill O’Hara was forced to work around…
Strangford Lough is Piloting Alternative Boat Mooring Systems to Stimulate Seagrass Growth
26th March 2023 Marine Wildlife
A pilot scheme on Strangford Lough, which is trying to stimulate seagrass growth on the seabed by testing alternative mooring systems, has been reported by BBC News NI. Last April, Afloat highlighted a project initiated by the Strangford and Lecale…
The sport of sailing in County Antrim is in fine form, with two sailors winning awards at the Sportsperson of the Year event run by the Mid and East Antrim Council. Calum Pollard from County Antrim Yacht Club in Whitehead…
Four Short Stories is Tom Jobling’s latest book. In it, he has moved a little way from his usual nautical fiction but still delivers a character-driven book of cringe-worthy humour balanced by tales perhaps too close to be comfortable. From…
Leonard and Flannigan Level in Ballyholme Yacht Club Icebreaker Series
14th March 2023 Belfast Lough
The Icebreaker Series has been running in the winter at Ballyholme Yacht Club on Belfast Lough since about the time the Laser dinghy was introduced to the Club by Ron Hutchieson and Trevor Millar in 1974. It was originally mainly…
The Antrim Boat Club Winter Series in north east Lough Neagh has been the premier event for the Club since 1969 and this year, with the blessing of the late Pat Kelly’s family, the club will award the Pat Kelly…
Insect Class Dinghy Mantis is Next of the Ballyholme Class for Restoration
8th March 2023 Historic Boats
The 14-foot clinker-built dinghy has XIV on the stern, and it was sold to Paddy Prunty, ex Manager of Kinnego Marina on Lough Neagh, as a Ballyholme Insect class dinghy. In 1953, Mantis was listed as number 14 in the…
The Turkey/Syria Earthquake Appeal prompted Bangor Marina on Belfast Lough in Northern Ireland to engage in a fund-raising effort by organising a raffle. The ticket holders proved very generous, and Harbour Master Kevin Baird was delighted with the response. "We're…
GP14s Gather at Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club for Belfast Lough Spring Series
1st March 2023 GP14
The 12-strong GP14 fleet managed four races last Sunday (26th) in the Royal North of Ireland Spring Series, sailed on Belfast Lough, after missing the previous weekend due to adverse weather. After a fourth in the first race, Ruan and…
Belfast Lough Yachting Conference Replaces NHC with YTC Rating System
27th February 2023 Northern Ireland Waters
Handicap systems are sometimes the stuff of controversy. So what will transpire when Belfast Lough Yachting Conference replaces the NHC system with the Royal Ocean Racing Club YTC (Yacht Time Correction) system remains to be seen. Cockle Island Boat Club…
1000 Years of the Strangford Ferry, Just One of Eleven Lectures at Bangor Maritime Heritage Conference
23rd February 2023 Historic Boats
A full turnout of Maritime Heritage enthusiasts from around Co. Down gathered last weekend in the Bangor City Hall Chamber for a Conference to hear eleven illustrated presentations on subjects ranging from 1000 years of the Strangford Ferry to new…
Just a Few Northern Ireland Boats Heading for West Highland Week and the Scottish Series
16th February 2023 Scottish Series
For many years, Northern Ireland has had several entries in West Highland Week, and hopefully, that will be the case this year. But so far (though the event isn’t till the end of July), of the fifteen listed entries, there…
Did you know that Shrove Tuesday was the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten fast and Pancakes is the perfect way to do this? Not that Kevin and the Bangor Marina staff on…
The Tall Ship Phoenix has been lying in Belfast Harbour for a year and is now offering the opportunity to take to the high seas on a famous old vessel, reports Belfast Live. Built in 1929 in Denmark, Phoenix carries…
Restoring Ballyholme Yacht Club's 70-Year-Old Insect Dinghies
15th February 2023 Northern Ireland Waters
Insect dinghies are like buses. You wait for ages (in this case, years), and then two (or more) turn up at once. The exciting aspect of this is that Insect dinghies are over seventy years old and a testament to…
East Down Yacht Club welcomes Impala and Sonata keelboats to a two-day combined racing event on the 27th and 28th of May. The club is situated near Killyleagh on the west side of Strangford Lough on a nine-acre site, including…
St. Ayles Skiff Racing at Skiffiefest 2023 Returns to Strangford Lough This Summer
5th February 2023 Coastal Rowing
A country park doesn’t readily come to mind as a venue for a weekend of St.Ayles Skiff racing, but Delamont lies on the shores of Strangford Lough near Killyleagh and has proved an ideal base for this activity in the…
