Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Strangford Lough's Portaferry Prepares for Four-Day Festival of Sailing
14th June 2024 Northern Ireland Waters
Portaferry on the east shore of the Strangford Narrows at the mouth of Strangford Lough is preparing for a four-day Festival of Sailing, Water activities and Competitions from 5th till 8th July. The Narrows Series is one of the biggest…
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) has opened its entry list for eligible boats for the 2024 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. The 79th edition of the historic 628-nautical mile blue water classic will start on Sydney Harbour at…
Walsh's 'Peaky Blinders' Has Six Point Lead in Royal Cork National 18 June League
14th June 2024 National 18
Nick Walsh's Peaky Blinders leads after six races sailed in the National 18 Barry's Centra Crosshaven June League 2024 at Royal Cork Yacht Club. After one discard was applied in the 15-boat fleet, the noted ILCA master's champion Walsh had…
420 Duo Venner and Mapplebeck Lead Mixed Dinghy June League at Royal Cork Yacht Club
14th June 2024 Royal Cork YC
After two races sailed, 420 pairing Dougie Venner and Matt Mapplebeck lead Royal Cork Yacht Club's Mixed Dinghies June League in Cork Harbour. Racing under the Portsmouth Yardstick Handicap system, the duo has a third in the opening race and a…
Irish Offshore Survey Firm Green Rebel Deploys Wind Speed LIDAR Buoys off German Coast
14th June 2024 Power From the Sea
Irish offshore survey company Green Rebel has deployed technology off the coast of Germany to measure wind speeds, wave heights, and ocean currents in the North Sea. The project is a collaboration with TGS, a global provider of energy data…
Dun Laoghaire's 'Coastival' Maritime Festival Includes Grand Parade of Classic Sail
14th June 2024 Coastival
On Sunday, June 30th, from 12-2pm, the East Pier at Dun Laoghaire Harbour will provide quite the nautical spectacle with The Grand Parade of Classic Sail as part of Coastival 2024. The "synchronised sailing" format for the event is simple…
Cove Sailing Club's Annual Ballinacurra Cup Dinghy Race to Commemorate Rich Seafaring History in Cork Harbour
14th June 2024 Cove Sailing Club
The Ballinacurra Cup is among the oldest "All-In" dinghy racing handicap trophies. The Irish Naval Service presented it to Cove Sailing Club in 1947. In past times Ballinacurra, in the North/East corner of Cork Harbour was a major port for…
McDonald is Favourite for Windy 1720 Nationals in Baltimore But Murphy's Late Entry Maybe a Dark Horse
13th June 2024 1720
A 22-boat entry does not include defending champion Dave Kenefick for Friday's 1720 National Championships at Baltimore Sailing Club, and at least one late entry in West Cork is expected to have some Olympic firepower onboard for the three-day event.…
Dublin Bay Sailing Club's (DBSC) Thursday evening racing was cancelled tonight due to strong westerly winds. Winds measuring gusting over 20 knots meant the eighth Thursday race of the 2024 AIB summer season was scrubbed in all classes at Dun…
The Department of Transport has been advised that geotechnical and geophysical surveys are being undertaken in the Irish Sea on behalf of McMahon Design and Management. The survey work, which was scheduled to start on 1 June, will be completed…
Bangor Lifeboat Assists Two on Vessel With Engine Difficulty Near Groomsport
13th June 2024 RNLI Lifeboats
Bangor RNLI launched to the aid of two people on Wednesday evening (12 June) after their boat encountered engine problems near Groomsport. At 8.35pm, Bangor’s RNLI volunteers launched their Atlantic 85 class lifeboat Jessie Hillyard following a request from Belfast Coastguard…
Pete Smyth Shares on Race Strategy and More Ahead of Round Ireland 2024
13th June 2024 Round Ireland
Pete Smyth recently sat down with Simon Johnson for an exclusive interview ahead of the upcoming SSE Renewables Round Ireland Yacht Race. The noted Dublin Bay inshore and offshore sailor—known for strong results in his Sunfast 3600, Searcher—recently purchased the…
South Wales-Ireland Route's Controversial Ferry Norbay Departs Pembrokeshire for the Final Time
13th June 2024 Irish Ferries
On Irish Ferries route linking Pembroke and Rosslare, a controversial and passenger-unfriendly ferry that operated this winter has sailed out of the south Wales port for the last time, reports The Pembrokeshire Herald. P&O Ferries ‘economy’ ropax Norbay which had…
Five Irish fishing producing and processing seafood organisations have united to “demand change at national and EU level”. “Our objective is to work together on raising awareness of critical challenges impacting the sector at both national and EU level,” the…
Kinsale's Travers and O'Riordan Clinch South Coast Squib Championships at Baltimore Sailing Club
13th June 2024 Squib
Baltimore Sailing Club in West Cork was the host of this year's Squib South Coast Championships over last weekend. The event saw a strong turnout, with nineteen boats competing and participants travelling from various locations, including Lough Derg, Dublin, Howth,…
Traditional Currach Built in the Midlands in Aid of Mental Health Services and RNLI
13th June 2024 Currachs
Three Irish men have come together to build a traditional Currach in aid of two charities, Teac Tom Mental Health Services and the RNLI. Pat Comerford of Carlow Rowing Club, along with Pat Sweeney of Achill and Paul Palmer of…
EPA Reports Shows No Improvement Overall in Water Quality for Rivers, Lakes and Estuaries
13th June 2024 Marine Wildlife
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says there has been “no significant change in any of the water quality indicators for Ireland’s rivers, lakes, estuaries and groundwaters”. Results for 2023 show “no sign of improvement overall”, it says. “While improvements are…
Ireland's Marine Institute Presents at International Marine Data and Information Systems Conference
13th June 2024 Marine Science
Progress on the Marine Institute’s digital services development was presented at the 2024 International Conference on Marine Data and Information Systems (IMDIS) in Bergen, Norway. The conference showcased advances in marine data and digital programmes across the international community, which…
After nine races sailed, consistency pays for Belfast Lough debutante Coquine in the Musto Irish Sea Offshore Racing Association Series, where skipper Alan Hannon has a .3 lead at the top of the 34-boat fleet leaderboard. ISORA published the overall…
Wednesday night’s Dubin Bay Water Wag race was the National Yacht Club regatta race, a class fixture traditionally run inside Dun Laoghaire Harbour ahead of Saturday's main regatta programme. As there were issues with the committee vessel, Dublin Bay Sailing…