#BOATS FOR SALE – Irish yacht brokers MGM Boats are having a pre-season stock clearance sale of Jeanneau power and sail boats. Prices on a range of new boats have been generously discounted with prices quoted including Irish VAT, delivery and commissioning. For example a 32–foot Sun Fast 3200 sailing boat was priced at €147,000 but is now on sale at €89,000 with 'no hidden extras'.

The brokerage firm headquartered in Dun Laoghaire has been active over the winter period at key international boat shows and attended the Dubai Show in the United Arab Emirates last weekend. More here.

Six of the discounted craft now on offer in the Spring stock clearance sale are shown below. The boats are also advertised in the Spring issue of Afloat and a PDF of the current advertisement is available to download below.

 

A Jeanneau Merry Fisher 695 with a 150HP Volvo diesel engine with only 450 hrs (approx.) has been posted this morning on Afloat's Boats for Sale site. The 7–metre boat also comes equipped with a Garmin plotter, VHF, fishfinder, marine toilet etc. She is in nice condition. 'Cracker Jack' has had two 'caring owners' from new. The boat's for sale through Crosshaven Boatyard here. See the rest of Crosshaven's Boats for sale on the afloat site here.

Irish Offshore Sailing, a new yacht training centre based in Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin is now launching its autumn winter calendar, having had a very busy first season, despite the current economic climate.

The school is an RYA and ISA recognised yacht training centre and was set up by Corkman Rónán Ó Siochrú in January 2011. The school runs liveaboard sailing courses onboard a 2002 Jeanneau Sunfast 37 called "Desert Star".

Sailing school Principal, Ronan O Siochru attributes much of the schools success to date to holding onto a set of core values throughout each course: A commitment to professional, affordable sail training in a 'warm friendly Irish atmosphere'. "We have come into the market under no illusion as to the difficulties in the tourism and leisure sector in a recession, but we have priced our courses in a way that reflects realistically what people can afford to pay for a sailing course.

The most important key to our success, has been a driven campaign to bridge the gap between the large number of people who have never set foot on a sailing boat, and a liveaboard sailing course! We offer evening and afternoon 2 and a half hour sails at €30 per person on the days when the yacht is not working on a practical course. This has worked extremely well for us in getting clients to take that leap of faith in booking onto a weekend liveaboard sailing course, and in spreading the word that we are a new training centre and are here to stay!

I have always had a personal commitment, to help break down this notion that sailing is a sport for the elite, having spent two years living in France, I saw how the French promote sailing in their country in the same way the GAA promote hurling and football."

Irish Offshore Sailing also offer sailing courses through Irish and French. This is a niche in the market and is certainly likely to take off over the coming year. Despite running a few very successful courses, it has had to sit on the back burner this summer, due to the business of the summer season and a lack of time to generate an effective marketing campaign. Irish Offshore Sailing are also looking forward to next season in getting an offshore racing campaign off the ground.

O' Siochru skippered a Sunfast 37 in the Round Ireland Yacht Race to a 23rd place overall with a crew of novice sailors.

When asked, how do you handle skippering a yacht offshore with the kite up in the dark with a bunch of beginner sailors he smiles......" its amazing what yacht crews can do when they just do some training, and iron out problems with each manoeuvre!" "We come across quite a lot of sailors in this country who become so eager to be boat owners that they miss out on that important learning process of being onboard yachts with experienced sailors to learn from. It was amazing even during the boom, how some people could fork out over €100,000 for a yacht and yet, be unwilling to part with €650 to learn how to use it!

The height of the summer season is starting to come to an end, but it looks like Irish Offshore Sailing has become established as a sailing school on the East Coast, with bookings filled into the end of October and over 1,000 hits per month on their website.

"I cannot believe it has worked out so well for us, I sailed Desert Star into Dun Laoghaire on the 22nd of April, maxed out on all credit, without a penny in the bank, but with a lovely yacht ready for work, a good website and a burning ambition to see it succeed...... and I think we have done okay! Most importantly, I've made a job for myself that I like.... I love sailing, I like working outdoors, I love teaching and (despite its headaches) I like working for myself!

Up to 40 yachts form the backbone of the Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association fleet (ISORA).  Although the 2011 entry list (below) shows a large number of Beneteau models it also reveals a wide range of other marques, largely between 30 and 50 foot. Prominent types are J109s, Sigma 33s and a number of Jeanneau yachts too.

ISORA 2011 Racing Fleet

Boat Name	Sail no	Hull / Mast Col	Model
Lancastrian	GBR7682T	White	Starlight
Yahtzee	IRL 1068	White/Gold	Oceanis 41
Rebellion	IRL 6001	Blue/Silver	Nicholson 58
Miss Scarlett	IRL 4763	White/Gray	Sunfast 40.3
Orna	IRL532	Blue	40C
Mistral of St Helier	K8337	White	3800D
Poppy	GBR4183	Red/White	Contention 33
Dinah	IRL 3508	White/Aluminium	Jeanneau
Raging Bull	IRL 9666	White/Silver	Sigma 400
Tsunami	IRL 4007	Grey/Silver	First 40.7
GFT Adventurer	GBR 23161	White/Silver	First 45
Jedi	IRL 8088		J109
English Mick	GRB 4771R	Blue/Silver	First 47.7
Galileo	IRL1944	Blue	First 47.7
Lula Belle	IRL3607	White	Beneteau 36.7
Finnigans Wake	IRL2008	White	37B
Obsession	IRL 4513	White/Aluminium	Sigma 3300
Katanca	IRL 31310	White/Aluminium	Elan 31
Just Enough	GBR6912T		J92
Big Hillie Style	IRL 3208	White	Sun Fast 3200
Adelie	FRA 9631	White/Black	First 34.7
Mojito	IS 36L	White/Aluminium	Bavaria
Calypso	IRL 5643	White/Silver	Oceanis E51
Legally Blonde	IRL 3175	Grey/Aluminium	Beneteau
GWAWR	GRB 8330	White/Aluminium	Sigma
First of September	IRL 8581	White/Silver	First 435
Rollercoaster	IRL 9109	White/Aluminium	J109
Quite Correct	IRL 5405	White/White	Jeanneau D5 54
Sarnia	IRL 2260	White/Gold	36
Sailing West Intuition	GBR 9383R	Blue/Aluminium	Reflex 38
Sailing West One Life	GBR 3708R	White/Silver	Sunfast 37
Temper Tantrum	6909T	White	40
Wennol 3	GBR1347R	White/Black	First 34.7
African Challenge	IRL 2649	White/Silver	Fast
Windshift	IRL37737	White/Aluminium	Sunfast 37
Oystercatcher	IRL 1177	White/ Silver	Gib'sea 37
Aztec 3	IRL29832	White/Silver	A35

Fancy a pre-season boat bargain? It may well be on offer later this month at a 'liquidation sale of boats' due to take place in County Cork with a selection of unused and used power boats. The sale is by order of Mr. Barry Donohue, KPMG, Liquidator, HM Yachts Ltd (In Voluntary Liquidation).

Unused Jeanneau Cap Camarat 715wa Motor Boat with a Hallmark Double Axle Trailer with Winch and Rollers, White / Blue.

Unused Jeanneau Cap Camarat 515 Style Motor Boat with a Suzuki 50HP Four Stroke Engine, Model DF50, Plus a Hallmark Single Axle Trailer with Winch and Rollers, White / Beige.

Unused Jeanneau Merry Fisher Legenda 585 Motor Boat with Enclosed Cabin with an Indspension Roller Coaster Single Axel Trailer with Winch and Rollers, White / Blue.

2006 Maxum 2400 SC3 26ft Motor Boat with 300Hp Petrol Inboard Engine with Double Axle Trailer, White / Blue.

2005 O'Sullivans Marine 710 23ft Fishing Boat with Cabin, Yanmar 27hp Diesel Inboard Engine, White / Blue, Name Mary-Linda.

For further details, please contact E-Auctions T: +353 45 883 554. More HERE.

The 2011 Dublin Boat Show is going on the water in 2011 if a new approach to promote boating in Ireland takes off. The Irish Marine Federation (IMF) aims to include as many boating activities as possible in the national boat show line up next May in Malahide.

An attendance of up to 17,000 are expected at the Malahide marina venue from May 20 to 22. It will be the first time the national event has taken to the water in its 50 year history.

The world's biggest boat builders Beneteau, Jeanneau, Sea Ray and Sunseeker among others have already signed up for the North Dublin event, according to the IMF.

The organisers are partnering with leading Irish boating organisations to demonstrate the many different aspects of the sport on the water with a weekend schedule of live commentary.

BJ Marine, MGM Boats, Western Marine, HM Yachts in Cork and Viking marine of Dun Laoghaire and Shannon Castle Line in County Clare are among the first of the Irish firms to express interest in the new format as exhibition details circulate through the industry this week.

The aim is to get as many class associations on the water as well as small powerboat racing such as Zzapcats, kayaking and match racing fans to stage short, sharp events on the estuary directly in front of the marina. A timetable of events will be published shortly. 

Coastguard and Lifeboat demonstrations are also planned. Technical demonstrations such as glass fibre repairs and engine maintenance are also in the line up.

Despite the coastal setting Ireland's Inland waters will feature prominently too through the Irish Boat Rental Association who will be promoting holidays on the river Shannon and Erne.

Visitors are also expected from Wales and across the Irish Sea region and special offers to both show-goers and exhibitors are being made through an Irish Sea Inter­Reg programme.

The Malahide exhibition site will feature a marine village ashore with over 500 square meters of undercover exhibit space. Show goers will get the chance to talk to the leading lights in the sport before going afloat on the marina where over 100 berths will be available.

"It's a pretty unique site that gives us the best chance to show off the marine leisure industry afloat and ashore. Because its just off the M50 and M1 motorways it means it's also so easy to get to from anywhere in the country. This will be a great day out." said the Federation's Steve Conlon.

More information from Steve Conlon on 087 6472746. Updates here on afloat.ie as the show takes shape.

MGM Boats of Dun Laoghaire will sponsor Dublin Bay Sailing Club's (DBSC) Cruiser Challenge 2010 sailing taking place at the last weekend of August.

Racing for Cruisers 0,1, 2 the Sigma 33 and First 31.7 will start late afternoon on Friday 27th. Racing runs until Sunday the 29th over a selection of courses on the Bay. The event is hosted this year by the Royal Irish Yacht Club.

MGM Boats say they are committed to developing the capital's end of season regatta and along with DBSC are exploring the idea of introducing a Jeanneau Cup in 2011 along with the inclusion of the popular Class 5 or white sails division on a separate course during the regatta. The aim is  enjoyable, top quality racing that will suit all Cruiser fleets on Dublin Bay, according to the firm's Ross O'Leary. Enter to this year's event now by downloading entry forms from www.dbsc.org

One of the most popular sports cruisers in the country, Jeanneau's Merry Fisher 695 has just been added to Afloat's boats for sale site.  This boat has been lightly used and is in excellent condition for a 2001 model. There are 176 hours on the clock and all the details including photos and asking price are HERE.