Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Irish Lights Tender to Carry Out Fresh ROV Search Operations off Black Rock
21st July 2017 Lighthouses
#Rescue116 - The Commissioners of Irish Lights aids to navigation tender ILV Granuaile is to carry out a four-day ROV search operation beginning this weekend at the site of the Rescue 116 helicopter crash off Black Rock Lighthouse. The ILV…
Back in June I asked if there was sufficient joined-up thinking about the project for a new Irish tall ship – and why the Naval Service hasn’t taken a more active role in Irish sail training over the years, with…
The giant trimaran Spindrift 2 that was en route to Dun Laoghaire to start a Round Ireland Record attempt has had to scrub the bid due to strong winds off Lands End. Afloat.ie reported earlier the trimaran was due to…
B21S - 1. MARISSA XIV (FRANK ELMES), 2. BILLY WHIZZ (P SHANNON), 3. YIKES (P CARROLL) B21S - 1. MARISSA XIV (FRANK ELMES), 2. BILLY WHIZZ (P SHANNON), 3. YIKES (P CARROLL) BENETEAU 31.7 - 1. Levante (M.Leahy/J.Power), 2. Fiddly…
Cork sailor Mark Mansfield has just finished the Tattinger Regatta on the Isle of Wight as tactician on John Smart's J109 Jukebox where the team won the J109 Class and the overall regatta with straight wins. Mansfield, a distinguished Olympic…
Five Irish young people from Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon and five Syrian refugee young people also living in Ballaghaderreen, nominated by UNHCR Ireland, are currently taking part on a life-changing sailing voyage on board of the Spirit of Oysterhaven, Ireland’s largest…
#WaterSafety - The dangers of boating without proper safety equipment have been raised by a report into the death of an angler who went overboard from his vessel off West Cork last summer. The body of Michael O’Brien was recovered…
#ports&shipping - It was a special day for the English north-west port of Barrow-in-Furness as the Cumbria town last Sunday was filled with a colourful parade to mark the 150th anniversary of the port, writes Jehan Ashmore. The Port of…
Massive French Trimaran Spindrift in Round Ireland Speed Record Bid – Tracker HERE!
20th July 2017 News Update
The massive French trimaran Maxi Spindrift 2 is en route to Dun Laoghaire from France to attempt to beat Phaedo's Round Ireland Speed Sailing Record set in a time of 36 hours and 52 minutes in August last year. The…
Last weekend saw the annual Skerries Regatta take place over Saturday and Sunday the 15th and 16th of July. With an ambitious six races planned (3 per day), an impressive fleet of 18 Mermaids took to the water, completing 5…
#Rowing: David O’Malley and Shane Mulvaney won their repechage at the World Under-23 Championships in Plovdiv in Bulgaria today and qualified for the A Final of the lightweight pair. The UCD men led the field through the race, with only…
Former Guinness Tallship Also Set to Visit Cork City Quays for Public Tours
20th July 2017 Tall Ships
#tallships – The impressive historic tallship Belem (1896), once the private yacht of the Guinness family, which opens to the public in Galway (see report) will also welcome on board those when docked in Cork on 28 July, writes Jehan…
#ports&shipping - Growth in exports from the Republic to the UK, which accounts for €7.5 billion, slowed to 2% last year compared with 12% in 2015, according to the National Competitiveness Council. As The Irish Times reports the NCC in…
#ferry - The Scenic Carlingford car ferry service reports the Dundalk Democrat after many months of anticipation and a short delay will commence operations this Friday. According to the company's Facebook page everything is ready for the big launch. "This…
#Vandalism - Vandals have caused an estimated £800 (€900) worth of damage to an RNLI lifeguard unit at Whiterocks on the Causeway Coast. Following two of the busiest days of the summer season so far in Northern Ireland, the RNLI…
#Rowing: Jake and Fintan McCarthy won their heat of the lightweight double sculls at the World Rowing Under-23 Championships in Plovdiv in Bulgaria this morning. Poland led out the crews and held the lead at halfway. But the twins from…
Just like their junior Laser counterparts at the 4.7 Worlds in Belgium this week, Irish girls are off to a flying start at the Laser Radial Under–21 Women European Championships in Douarnenez, France. Ireland holds the top three places after…
The National Yacht Club's Clare Gorman is off to a great start having posted a ten and a four to be tenth overall in the Ladies division of the Laser 4.7 team sailing in the World Championships which began yesterday…
#MCIB - Lack of safety management contributed to an incident in which two people fell into the water while disembarking from a ferry at Inis Oírr Pier last summer. That’s according to the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) report on…
Carrybridge RNLI Respond to Gas Explosion on Vessel on Upper Lough Erne
19th July 2017 RNLI Lifeboats
Carrybridge RNLI in County Fermanagh launched this morning in response to a report of a gas explosion on a vessel at a marina in Carrybridge. The volunteer lifeboat crew was requested to launch both their inshore lifeboat and Rescue Water…