Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
#Rescue - A cruiser with four on board was aided by the Irish Coast Guard after it suffered engine trouble and snapped its anchor line in poor weather on Lough Derg yesterday (Sunday 2 July). As BreakingNews.ie reports, the alarm…
Irish Fleet Could Face UK Ban With Britain’s Withdrawal From Longstanding Fisheries Agreement
3rd July 2017 Fishing
#Fishing - Irish trawlers could soon be banned from fishing within 12 nautical miles of the UK after its exit from an agreement to share its waters with other European maritime countries. According to The Irish Times, Britain announced at…
Irish Sail Training Ship Hopes Given Boost by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at Galway Seafest
3rd July 2017 Tall Ships
The up-beat mood of the weekend’s Galway Seafest was moved several notches higher by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, when he revealed at Galway Port that his government is broadly in favour of the concept of an all-Ireland sail training ship, which…
The Great Lighthouses of Ireland Partnership, the all-island tourism initiative developed by the Commissioners of Irish Lights, has announced Insomnia Chairman, Entrepreneur and TV and radio personality Bobby Kerr as the new Independent Chairperson to support the project’s development. A…
Royal Cork's Nin O'Leary Wins Round the Island Race on Saturday, Returns for Dinghy Fest Duty on Sunday
3rd July 2017 Royal Cork YC
Nicholas 'Nin' O'Leary has had a successful weekend on and off the water in two countries. The Royal Cork ace organised this weekend's successful Dinghy Fest Regatta for over 100–boats in Crosshaven but in Cowes, UK, he also took Adam…
Alex Barry and Richard Leonard successfully defended their RS400 Southern Championship crown this afternoon at Royal Cork Yacht Club. The dinghy duo were just one of many winners at the second edition of the multi–dinghy championships in Cork Harbour that…
The Courtmacsherry RNLI All Weather Lifeboat was called out at 12.16pm this afternoon to go to the aid of a 17–foot pleasure boat that got into difficulties off Coolmain, east of the Old Head of Kinsale in West Cork. The…
#BlueEconomy - The ‘blue economy’ is outperforming Ireland’s general economy, according to Galway’s Socio-Economic Marine Research Unit. Figures from the fourth SEMRU report released for the Our Ocean Wealth Summit on Friday (30 June) show that the direct economic value…
Another day of big breeze for the centreboard classes competing at Royal Cork's DinghyFest 2017 that has attracted over 100 dinghies from foiling Moths to RS 200s, 400s as well as National 18s and 420s. Photographer Bob Bateman was afloat…
B21S - 1. VENTUNO (R FOGARTY), 2. BILLY WHIZZ (P SHANNON) B21S - 1. VENTUNO (R FOGARTY), 2. BILLY WHIZZ (P SHANNON) BENETEAU 31.7 - 1. Extreme Reality (L Balfe), 2. Levante (M.Leahy/J.Power), 3. Fiddly Bits (Timmins/Quigley/Murray/Breen) BENETEAU 31.7 -…
In the final instalment of his three-part series, Vendee 2020 Vision solo sailor Andrew Baker emphasises an often neglected but crucial element in training for any performance sailing activity: recovery. We all can appreciate the importance of training hard. Most…
#Foiling - Orders are flying in for a new design foiling catamaran, according to its French makers. Easy to Fly is the brainchild of solo sailor Jean-Pierre Dick, who placed fourth in the most recent Vendée Globe, and Guillaume Verdier,…
Round The Island Race Record Set by Multihull MOD70 Concise 10, Beating Phaedo3 By One Minute
1st July 2017 Racing
It was an absolutely flying start from the MOD70 Concise 10. Yesterday evening nobody thought that the course record set by another MOD70, Phaedo3, last year would fall. But their fast time to the Needles and rapid progress down the…
Yesterday’s report on Afloat.ie of the major changes shaping up in the ownership structure of the UK/McWilliam Sailmakers business in Crosshaven clearly rings a bell with many in the sailing community at home and abroad. The remarkable response has reinforced…
The 2017 Dinghy Fest opened today at Royal Cork Yacht Club. A delayed start due to high winds saw 420s and RS200s race at 3pm. Bob Bateman captured the Cork Harbour action. Racing continues tomorrow
#Seafest - Thousands of visitors turned up in Galway yesterday for the first day of SeaFest. If figures are anything to go by and forecasts are right, this year's SeaFest is set to be 'the biggest and most spectacular' sea…
Seatruck Ferries Sign 10 Year Extension Agreement with Warrenpoint Harbour Authority
30th June 2017 Warrenpoint Port
#ContractExtended - Seatruck Ferries an Irish Sea freight-only operator have signed a 10 year extension to their agreement with Warrenpoint Harbour Authority. The agreement underlines the operators commitment to the port at a time of growing volumes on the Warrenpoint-Heysham…
With only days to go, the countdown towards the Topper Irish National Championships - now in its 30th year - has started in earnest. East Antrim Boat Club are the hosts and the leading LED signage and marketing company Blazin…
#Rowing: Commercial made their exit from Henley this morning in a tightly fought quarter-final of the Wyfold Cup for club fours. The Dublin crew took a lead early over Thames and retained it to beyond halfway. The English crew pushed…