Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

The Irish-led scientific expedition aboard the RV Celtic Explorer has discovered a previously uncharted field of hydrothermal vents along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. http://afloat.ie/resources/business/marine-science/ As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the team includes geochemists, marine biologists, marine geologists, marine geneticists and technicians…

Dublin Gardaí are still appealing for information on the drowing of a Co Tyrone man in the River Liffey last weekend. RTÉ News reports that Aiden Mullen, 35, had been socialising in the city after the All-Ireland Football Championship match…

Holly Nixon gave Ireland a first ever medal at the World Rowing Junior Championships this morning. The 17-year-old from Enniskillen produced another brilliant display to take silver in the lightweight single scull at Dorney Lake in England, pushing Germany’s Anne…

Ireland's leading fishing port of Killybegs, Co. Donegal, this morning received the 226 passenger yacht-like cruiseship Le Diamant, writes Jehan Ashmore. The 8,282 tonnes Le Diamant had sailed overnight from anchorage in Galway Bay and prior to visiting the 'City…

The programme at the World Rowing Junior Championships at Dorney Lake in England was brought forward again this morning because of concerns about the weather. The A Final of the junior women’s single scull, with Holly Nixon taking part, is…

The second leg of the four stage La Solitaire du Figaro race starts tomorrow from Caen in Normandy to Dún Laoghaire harbour just outside Dublin in Ireland. The 47 solo sailors will set off at 16:00 local French time on…

George Sisk's J111 WOW led a tightly packed bunch of cruisers in to Scotsman's Bay to escape the flood tide after the start of this afternoon's Dublin Port sponsored Dublin Bay Sailing Club (DBSC) race. It was a tactic that…

Ireland will send four crews to the World Rowing Championships in Bled, Slovenia, which begin on Sunday, August 28th. The women’s double of Lisa Dilleen and Sanita Puspure and the lightweight women’s double of Siobhan McCrohan and Claire Lambe will…

Because of worries about weather conditions tomorrow (Sunday) the programme of the World Rowing Junior Championships at Dorney Lake in England has been changed. The women's junior single scull A Final, which features Holly Nixon, is now scheduled for 11.30…

Paul O’Donovan and Holly Nixon won their single sculls semi-finals and moved confidently into the A Finals of the World Rowing Junior Championships at Dorney Lake in England today. O’Donovan, as has been his pattern in his two races so…

The 32nd edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race is just under three months away. Entries for the 606-nautical mile classic are beginning to stack up, and the Royal Malta Yacht Club (RMYC) is contemplating another bumper crop of international…

The National Yacht Club beside Dun Laoghaire's much walked East Pier will be a blaze of red, white and blue for two massive sailing events in August. On Wednesday 10th the NYC will host the first ever stop in Dublin…

Ireland's aim of a medal at the Olympic test event got off to a shaky start in Weymouth yesterday when the first of Ireland's six teams took to the water. Annalise Murphy posted a 22 and a 15 to place…

Martin Byrne of Dun Laoghaire is the Irish Independent/Afloat.ie Sailor of the Month after his superb final race to clinch the Edinburgh Cup, one of the most significant events in the International Dragon Class' annual programme in Europe. In a…

The exotic French Trimaran Veolia Environnement was in Dalkey Sound this morning. The high speed craft circled around the island in modest north westerly winds and returned into Dublin Bay for what appeared to be a helicopter publicity-photoshoot. According to…

The first race in the Royal Cork O'Leary Insurances League" was a bit cooler than previous Thursdays but it was still a pleasant one for the Cork harbour cruiser fleet writes our Cork Harbour Correspondent. The breeze was coming from…

Paul O’Donovan won his  quarter-final at the World Rowing Junior Championships at Dorney Lake in England today. The Skibbereen man, who won his heat on Thursday, again showed cool intent in the closing stages of this race, passing long-time leader…

On the eve of the Word Championships on Dublin Bay an Irish Sailor leads the Topper British National Championships in Scotland. Laura Gilmore, from Strangford Lough, who has already won the Ulster Championships now leads the top British event going…

In the Cruisers One Division Tony Fox's A35 Gringo was first home in blustery conditions in tonight's Dublin Bay race. The DBSC Commodore beat the Corby 33 Contango (Barry Cunningham) for IRC honours. Third home was the J109 Jedi (Sarratt/Austin/McGuinness).…

Over the course of the first leg there is the sport of sailing and competition on the water to talk about.  There is however, a life at sea we only find out about once the sailors relax and are back…