Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
![The changing waterfront scene of the old Verolme dockyard in Rusbrooke, Cork Harbour as the cranes are dismantled this week.](/media/k2/items/cache/b69c7ea67fea315cc521cb4cdf1c9967_L.jpg)
#CorkHarbour - A pair of historic cranes which have loomed large over Cork Harbour for six decades are being dismantled. The cranes the Evening Echo writes, were used for building ships at the Verolme Dockyard at Rushbrooke, which closed in…
![Catherine Pourre's French Class40 Eärendil sets a new Class40 race record in the RORC Caribbean 600](/media/k2/items/cache/a91c9ba6219ff9aefea94081ee9b5713_L.jpg)
French Skipper Catherine Pourre Wins Class 40 Division for RORC Caribbean 600
22nd February 2018 Class40
French skipper Catherine Pourre, racing Eärendil has won the Class40 division for the RORC Caribbean 600, setting a new record for the 600-mile race around 11 Caribbean islands. Eärendil took line honours for the eight-strong Class 40 Division in an…
![Pata Negra cresting it. Despite wholesale spinnaker destruction, thank to experiencing a lot of miles on this point of the sailing, the Howth-chartered boat has been able to hold second place in Class 1 in the RORC Caribbean 600](/media/k2/items/cache/99aaf9a651ab863f4eccd35ca70f0ff6_L.jpg)
Spinnakers May Help Irish Boats in RORC Caribbean 600, But in These Winds it Seems They’re Not Essential……..
22nd February 2018 Caribbean 600
When the wind is warm you maybe don’t notice too much when it spikes up to between 30 and 40 knots, but light offwind sails certainly do writes W M Nixon. In this boisterous RORC Caribbbean 600 2018, with its…
![The late Larry Duggan at his “hobby” of traditional boat-building. The skilled use of sawn frames to fit exactly with clinker construction was one of his specialities](/media/k2/items/cache/447d9a2784d200f3e214216e2b06ff82_L.jpg)
Larry Duggan, who has died this week at the age of 90, was one of the best-known and most popular figures in Wexford, and internationally renowned in the maritime world as a versatile builder of wooden boats of many kinds,…
![Bam in the RORC Caribbean 600 2018. “A gallant little boat, raced by a determined skipper and his crew of amateur shipmates and friends”](/media/k2/items/cache/975bcbbf8b740a1aa582a02a000549f7_L.jpg)
With the third dawn of the RORC Caribbean 600 arriving on this Thursday morning, the annual warm water classic is settling into its final stages writes W M Nixon. While the successful heavy metal may be long since back into…
![MJM Group director Naoimh McConville](/media/k2/items/cache/3bb9aab626232c3043b5c7ac73d9ae2a_L.jpg)
#CruiseLiners - Fit-out firm MJM Group has said it will be looking increasingly to China after completing its first dry-dock project there. As the Business Telegraph writes the group's director Naoimh McConville says she hopes the company's recent deal to fit-out an…
![Turn the Tide on Plastic picks up the pace on day 15 of Leg 6 to Auckland](/media/k2/items/cache/1398fa2c2c7f51baa22a7a35dddd3a8c_L.jpg)
#VOR - Turn the Tide on Plastic became the new leaders of Leg 6 of the Volvo Ocean Race on Wednesday (21 February) as the sprint from Hong Kong to Auckland moved inside 1,500 miles. Dee Caffari’s talented young sailors…
![An artist's impression of the redeveloped baths in Clontarf](/media/k2/items/cache/6b1ebb6dda855a1362760402501a1a9a_L.jpg)
#Clontarf - The seawater baths on Dublin Bay in Clontarf will reopen next week more than two decades after their closure, as RTÉ News reports. The news followed the granting of a seven-day publican’s licence for the bar and restaurant…
![The new NMD 43 Albator from France looks to have the Class 1 win in the bag in the current RORC Caribbean 600, but boats of Irish interest have been battling for the second and third slots](/media/k2/items/cache/727c1b3f9c0c4e07436a0ce848560585_L.jpg)
Rambler 88 Scores Treble Success in RORC Caribbean 600 as National YC & Howth Battle for Class Podium Places
21st February 2018 Caribbean 600
George David’s mighty Rambler 88 has repeated her Volvo Round Ireland 2016 treble in the current RORC Caribbean 600, taking line honours, the new course record, and overall victory in IRC, all in the one fell swoop writes W M…
![Brian Britton was most recently managing director of Oriel Windfarm](/media/k2/items/cache/416ee3395897e1f1c362fca9e73f41b9_L.jpg)
The death has occurred of Irish surfing pioneer and renewable energy businessman Brian Britton, as The Irish Times reports. A member of the renowned Britton surfing family, Brian and his brothers Conor, Willie and Barry — father of Easkey Britton…
![Map of the Owenriff catchment and location of electrofishing sites and lakes surveyed in 2017](/media/k2/items/cache/06bc4160fd89c93f89704bb2c71b0ebf_L.jpg)
Plan Published For Recovery Of Salmon & Trout Stocks In Owenriff Catchment
21st February 2018 Angling
#Angling - Inland Fisheries Ireland has published its 2017 fish stock survey for the Owenriff catchment as well as its rehabilitation plan for the system to promote the recovery of brown trout and salmon in its lakes and rivers. The…
![Tough conditions at the start of the RORC Caribbean 600](/media/k2/items/cache/d99260b77f8809e3fdcdcf03f6f1749f_L.jpg)
George David’s magnificent Rambler 88 has added further lustre to a career of remarkable success by taking line honours and setting the new course record for the RORC Caribbean 600 by a margin of more than two hours this morning…
![J109 Joker II was Sunday's race winner on Dublin Bay](/media/k2/items/cache/c214418422a4b5ea91c073047c3200e3_L.jpg)
In John Maybury's absence, Maurice O'Connell, from one of the DBSC Spring Chicken sponsors North Sails Ireland, helmed his J109 Joker II to a race win in the second race of the Rathfarnham Ford sponsored six week series. Another J109,…
![Roseann McGlinchey was a total novice before setting out on the Clipper Race around the world](/media/k2/items/cache/5567a52a3f3cf5ee76bf579befe05ac0_L.jpg)
Irish Novice Sailor Nears Halfway Mark of Clipper Race Circumnavigation
21st February 2018 Clipper Race
Before setting sail from Liverpool on August 20, 2017, Clipper 2017-18 Race round the world crew member Roseann McGlinchey’s total sailing experience only consisted of three levels of Clipper Race training. Seven months and over 20,000 nautical miles later, it’s…
![Rambler 88 breaks RORC Caribbean 600 Monohull Record](/media/k2/items/cache/3c05f057c069fb9bdfdcd2fac00b2b4e_L.jpg)
George David's American Maxi Rambler 88 crossed the finish line in Antigua on Wednesday 21st February at 01:21:45 AST in an elapsed time of 1 day 13 hours 41 minutes and 45 seconds, setting a new monohull race record. Meanwhile, Paradox,…
![In a quick report from aboard BAM, Anthony Doyle said the HYC crew were enjoying a leisurely reach past Simpson Bay in St. Martin, all is good aboard, plenty of breeze perhaps too much at times, spirits are good and trying to keep the pressure on for the rest of the race. Now for the beat up past Aguila and then the long fetch down to Guadeloupe](/media/k2/items/cache/7a1a26361ac297e54ebe304c43f0d95d_L.jpg)
There are sailors from the National YC in Dun Laoghaire, and sailors from Howth, and they’re on the other side of the Atlantic to race against boats from many nations on a 600-mile course writes W M Nixon And yet…
![Catching up to Brunel puts a smile on Skipper Dee Caffari’s face on board Turn the Tide on Plastic earlier today](/media/k2/items/cache/51087384898af638387a2a5454478828_L.jpg)
No Pain, No Gain For Volvo Ocean Race Fleet As Doldrums Take Their Toll
20th February 2018 Ocean Race
#VOR - The Volvo Ocean Race fleet is facing another 48 hours of excruciating sailing as the teams plugged deeper into a massive expanse of windless ocean on Tuesday (20 February). Lying ahead of them is a 400-mile gulf that…
![Cruising To Europe? Be Sure To Have An International Certificate for Operators of Pleasure Craft](/media/k2/items/cache/7c17b4a865f557bea5ea54defb3ce659_L.jpg)
Cruising To Europe? Be Sure To Have An International Certificate for Operators of Pleasure Craft
20th February 2018 Cruising
#Cruising - The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS) wishes to draw attention to the fact that some European Union member states require the operators of pleasure craft operating within their territorial waters to hold an International Certificate for…
![A well set–up Beneteau 31.7 racing on Dublin Bay. There are good gains to be made in adjusting the rig regularly – read how how to set up the mast and sails for best performance upwind in different wind conditions below](/media/k2/items/cache/4d7445a1bd4c09f5353bdd91673d616a_L.jpg)
Mark Mansfield, Racing Consultant for UK Sailmakers Ireland, previously wrote about tuning a fractionally rigged mast. In this latest article, in association with ICRA, the four time Olympian describes how to set up the mast and sails for best performance upwind in…
![The newest addition to Arklow's expanding mixed flagged cargoship fleet, the Arklow Viking which at time of writing was only launched just hours ago!](/media/k2/items/cache/eef88cd5b0a85f46054fed6dacb94e26_L.jpg)
Ninth Out of 10th Ship Takes on 'V' Name for Arklow's Dutch Newbuild Launched Today
20th February 2018 Arklow Shipping
#Ports&Shipping - The newest cargoship launched for Arklow Shipping took place this morning at the Dutch yard of Royal Bodewes which so far has completed eight sisters, writes Jehan Ashmore. Arklow Viking, yard No. 729 was launched at 10.00hrs and…