Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Ireland's Paris 2024 representative in the ILCA 6 class, Eve McMahon, is leading the 2024 Women's U21 European Championships after three races sailed in Spain. The Howth Yacht Club ace is the top boat in the 65-boat fleet at the Reial Club Nautic Port…

Wicklow RNLI rescued three fishermen on Monday, March 18, after their boat suffered mechanical failure. The all-weather lifeboat RNLB Bridie O'Shea, under the command of Coxswain Alan Goucher, was called to the scene at 12.19 pm, 11 nautical miles northeast…

Trade unions in the UK have called for proper legal protection for seafarers on the second anniversary of the P&O Ferries mass sudden sackings scandal, warning that government ministers have “done nothing” to stop other ferry firms from following suit.…

The Viking Marine DMYC St Patrick’s Day Frostbites saw the lowest turnout of boats in Series 2 thus far, twenty-nine, due probably to a combination of factors – the day that was in it when family activity might be a…

Baltimore RNLI in West Cork successfully rescued Dixie, a terrier mix dog, after she fell from the cliff at the Beacon on Tuesday morning. The Irish Coast Guard requested the launch of their inshore lifeboat shortly before 10 am, after…

The first newbuild ferry of two to serve Scottish west coast islands, Islay and Jura has been successfully launched at a shipyard in Turkey. At the Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard in Yalova, the MV Isle of Islay was launched on…

The Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) is a Division within the Irish Maritime Directorate of the Department of Transport. Its mission is to deliver a world-class search and rescue, maritime casualty, and pollution response service. The IRCG currently have vacancies for…

LÉ George Bernard Shaw, the sole operational ship of the Naval Service, was unavailable to take part in a large drug search off the Cork coast this weekend as it formed part of St. Patrick’s Day festivities held in Dun…

Sail training enthusiasts and maritime history buffs are in for a treat in Dublin this March. Hugh Byrne, a renowned sailor and expert, will deliver an illustrated lecture on "the Sail Training Vessel Brian Boru" at Poolbeg Yacht and Boat…

Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association (ISORA)  Chairman Peter Ryan is urging crews to enter for next month's first race of the Viking Marine Irish Coastal Series 2024 so class rating splits can be evenly prepared. "Now that rugby is over,…

Irish renewable energy developer Simply Blue has joined a North Sea consortium working on a commercial scale seaweed farm located within an offshore wind farm. The “North Sea Farm 1 Project” involves ten hectares of water off the Netherlands coast,…

The Frank Godsell March League 2024 for mixed cruisers at Kinsale Yacht Club was cancelled on Monday, March 18, due to 'adverse wind and sea conditions'.  Although racing under IRC and ECHO, the White Sails division is attracting the most…

The Navy's LE George Bernard Shaw was one of the first arrivals of the season to use the new ship fender installation at Dun Laoghaire Harbour's Carlisle Pier.  As regular Afloat readers recall, the installation in August 2023 of nine new…

Irish Cruiser Racing Association (ICRA) has announced the rules for its 2024 Boat of the Year (BOTY) competition with the introduction of a new ECHO trophy for the first time. The BOTY competition is based on a boat's performance in the…

Crosshaven in Cork Harbour is getting another sail loft. Cork sailor ‘Nin' Nicholas O’Leary has announced that the former ‘Old Sunday Market’ building across the road from the Royal Cork Yacht Club in the village will be his base. This…

The 13th edition of the Superyacht Challenge Antigua (SYCA) was held in fantastic conditions off the South Coast of Antigua with Tradewinds ranging from 13-20 knots. Five days of racing were held rounding deep water and inshore marks, making full…

There was a strong maritime presence for the rebirth of Dun Laoghaire's St Patrick's Day Parade, which attracted up to 30,000 people to Ireland's biggest boating centre in the spring sunshine. Among the 46 groups participating was the Irish Navy,…

Irish sailors are currently participating in the 2024 Etchells World Championships in Fremantle, Western Australia. The event has attracted a star-studded 42-boat fleet, which includes America's Cup veteran John Bertrand and Dragon Gold Cup champion Lawrie Smith of Glandore Harbour…

The European Commission is consulting the public about improving ways to protect and manage sharks and related marine ecosystems. The consultation aims to gather the public's views to ensure an informed follow-up to the 2023 European citizens’ initiative ‘Stop Finning…

Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels on and users of the Shannon Navigation that all locks and bridges within the North Shannon region will be closed for one day on Thursday 21 March to facilitate mandatory staff training. The cross-border…