Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Today (Wed 31st May 2017), two hundred years after the first stone was laid to build Dun Laoghaire Harbour, the President of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, officially launched the Dun Laoghaire Bicentenary Celebrations. In May 1817, the Lord Lieutenant of…

The Purcell Trophey 2017 was hosted by Greystones Sailing Club in their east coast new harbour and clubhouse at County Wicklow. After an hours wait on Saturday morning for the mist to clear the 26–strong GP14 fleet finally launched. Race…

There was to be no redemption for Artemis Racing at the start of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers Round Robin 2 stage, as they fell to a second defeat in as many days to Emirates Team New Zealand. Yesterday,…

Finding a lifejacket for your child is not difficult but it in terms of water safety it is important to know how to choose the right jacket and what features you should look out for. As part of its Lifejacket Awareness…

Welcome to my new series of MacSweeney Podcasts on Afloat, in which I’ll be reporting on sailing and all to do with the culture, history, tradition and development of maritime Ireland. These short Podcasts, about five minutes duration, will partner the…

21S - 1. BILLY WHIZZ (P SHANNON), 2. VENTUNO (R FOGARTY), 3. ISOLDE (B MULKEEN & J MARTIN) COMBINED CRUISERS TUESDAY - 1. Jalapeno (P Barrington et al), 2. D-Tox (P McSswinet et al), 3. Platinum Blonde (P Egan) CRUISERS…

Following the OSTAR skipper's Briefing on Saturday 27th, thoughts turned to weather routing and decisions on which of the main routes to take writes John Forde who is supporting solo Irish entry Conor Fogerty in the Jeanneau Sunfast 3600. It…

#IrelandMax- Afloat has further researched into the names of BG Freight Line’s newbuilds lo-lo ships under construction in China and can reveal BG Emerald is among them, writes Jehan Ashmore. The custom-built ‘Ireland’ Max containership with ‘green’ credentials is one…

Ireland will be represented by  County Meath sailor Tom Dolan in this year's Mini–transat, the race, that organisers say, remains, by far, the most international of single handed races. For the fortieth anniversary of the Mini Transat, there are no…

The President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, commemorated the Royal Canal's 200th Anniversary in the presence of Waterways Ireland, the Royal Canal Amenity Group and invited guests in Clondra, Co Longford on the 27th May 2017. The President unveiled a…

#ClassicYacht- An almost 90 year-old classic motor-yacht that docked in Dun Laoghaire Harbour for a week but for 'maintenance' reasons, departed yesterday to resume cruising Scottish waters, writes Jehan Ashmore. The 262ft long charter-yacht MY Talitha was alongside the harbour's…

#MCIB - The Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) will this week begin its inquiry into the sinking of a fishing vessel off Skerries last Friday (26 May) that claimed the life of a local fisherman, according to The Irish Times.…

Dublin Port is preparing to help some 100,000 visitors discover their sea legs this June bank holiday weekend at Riverfest 2017, Ireland’s premier sailing and maritime festival. Now in its fifth year, the three-day maritime event will provide an €1…

#FerrySale - Irish Continental Group has issued a statement yesterday to confirm the car ferry "Kaitaki" has been delivered to buyers KiwiRail of New Zealand. ICG agreed consideration of €45.0 million, payable in cash, has been received in full and…

#RNLI - Dunmore East RNLI rescued two divers who got into difficulty off Hook Head in Co Wexford on Sunday afternoon (28 May). The volunteer crew were requested to launch their all-weather lifeboat at 1.19pm following a report from the…

North Dublin boats from Rush Sailing Club and Howth Yacht Club have won class titles at Scotland's biggest sailing event that concluded on Loch Fyne this evening. Pat Kelly's J109 Storm from Rush in North Dublin (who also sails at Howth)…

#Angling - Sean Kyne TD, Minister of State with responsibility for Inland Fisheries, has officially opened a new fish counter facility in the designated spring salmon fishery on the River Lackagh. The project, which was devised and delivered by Inland…

#Rescue - Coastguard units from Ballycastle and Coleraine were tasked on Friday night (26 May) to the aid of a dog fell more than 30 feet off a cliff near the Giant’s Causeway in Co Antrim. The coastguard teams used…

#DLHarbour - Here’s a reminder for your calendar that President Michael D Higgins will officiate the opening ceremony of Dun Laoghaire Harbour’s bicentenary celebration. President Higgins will formally launch the programme of events celebrating the harbour’s 200 years — which…

#VolvoRegatta - Do you or someone you are sailing with in this summer’s Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta have an interesting story to tell about why and how you got into sailing? Maybe you have a health issue which makes sailing…