Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine

Sailor of the Year Eve McMahon Takes 12th in First Race of ILCA 6 Europeans
13th March 2023 Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing
Irish Sailor of the Year Eve McMahon of Howth Yacht Club finished a promising 12th in fickle conditions in her first race in the yellow flight of the ILCA 6 European Championships in Andora, Italy. Both ILCA 6 Women’s groups were…

Two Cork men have been fined a combined €4,000 over an incident in June last year which resulted in the seizure of a 500-plus-metre net and eight illegally caught salmon. Frank Sheenan of Dursey Sound, Co Cork and Denis Healy…

Ports Group ABP Wins ‘Employer of the Year’ and ‘Maritime 2050’ Categories at Maritime UK Awards
13th March 2023 Ports & Shipping
The UK’s largest ports group, Associated British Ports (ABP) has won in two categories at the prestigious Maritime UK Awards. The ceremony was recently held in Hull, the Yorkshire port on the North Sea, which also is fittingly home to…

A year ago, the world of classic boats in Ireland was on a high with the news that maritime polymath Hal Sisk of Dun Laoghaire had been acclaimed as International Classic Boater of the Year, while Steve Morris of Kilush Boatyard…

A&P Falmouth Completes Refurbishment of Largest Passenger Ship to Facility in More than 60 Years
13th March 2023 Shipyards
The dockyard of A&P Falmouth in south-west England has completed a multi-million-pound programme of works on the largest passenger ship to visit the facility in over 60 years. Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ flagship MV Bolette which carries up to 1,338…

Light Dues from Ships Calling to UK and Irish Ports to Increase for 2023 to 2024
13th March 2023 Lighthouses
Light dues from ships calling to UK and Irish ports which are paid by the shipping industry are to increase following an announcement by the British Government's Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport. Transport secretary, Baroness Vere last week…

The early bird entry discount for Ireland's largest regatta at Dun Laoghaire closes on March 31st As an added incentive, the Volvo Dun Laoghaire Regatta organisers will raffle off a great high-capacity Duffel Bag between all paid-up entries received before…

The 1720 sportsboat crew of Optique, skippered by Colin Byrne of the Royal Irish Yacht Club, were the overall winners of the 2023 AIB DBSC Spring Chicken Series at the National Yacht Club today. A final light race decider on…

Ban on Trawling Inside Six Nautical Miles Declared Invalid by Court of Appeal
13th March 2023 Fishing
Two fishermen have won an appeal over a ban on trawling inside the Irish six-mile limit. A judgment issued by the Court of Appeal has ruled that the Government policy directive introducing a ban on trawling inside the six nautical-mile…

The Ocean Race: Team Holcim-PRB Score Maximum Points at Leg 3 Scoring Gate
12th March 2023 Ocean Race
Two weeks after the start of The Ocean Race 2022-23’s third stage in Cape Town, skipper Kevin Escoffier and his crew mates on Team Holcim-PRB have collected maximum points, leading the IMOCA fleet through the Leg 3 scoring gate at…

Finn Lynch Gets Off to a Top Five Start at ILCA 7 Europeans in Andora
12th March 2023 Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing
The National Yacht Club's Finn Lynch took a top-five result in his flight in the opening race of the ILCA 7 European Championships at Andora, Italy. The race was sailed in a breeze of only three to five knots with…

Marine Notice: Geophysical Reconnaissance Survey for Proposed Mac Lir Offshore Wind Far
12th March 2023 Power From the Sea
Mac Lir Offshore Wind Limited (MLOWL) is undertaking a geophysical reconnaissance survey within an area of survey off the coast of counties Wicklow and Wexford for a proposed offshore wind energy project. The survey was expected to commence Sunday 12…

Waterfront Home in Kinsale’s Exclusive Summercove Could Be Yours for €2.5
12th March 2023 Waterfront Property
Two-and-a-half million euro could snag you a stunning home right on the waterside in the Summercove area of Kinsale. The Anchorage dates from the Victorian era when it was home to a British navy admiral. In more recent times, Hollywood…

The Irish Optimist Dinghy Association will continue with its coaching arrangements in 2023, IODAI President Paddy Ryan has confirmed. Dennis Paaske, Soren Laugesen and Thomas Chaix will resume their roles from the successful National Training Week on Lough Derg last November.…

Following last week's ICRA announcement that the 2024 Cruiser Nationals will return to the Royal Irish Yacht Club in September, ICRA Commodore Dave Cullen has confirmed the Dun Laoghaire dates as 6th-8th September. As Afloat previously reported, the RIYC hosts the ICRA's for the third…

Elan 40 'Chancer' Wins First Race of Kinsale Yacht Club Cruiser-Racer March League
12th March 2023 Kinsale
The Kinsale Yacht Club’s 2023 cruiser-racing season kicked off on Sunday, March 12th, with the first race of the Frank Godsell-sponsored March League. On a damp misty day, five boats came out to race on a course set by Race…

Swimmers ‘Getting Ill’ From Northern Ireland Beaches, Activists Claim
12th March 2023 Northern Ireland Waters
Water quality activists have alleged that people are “getting ill” after swimming at beaches in Northern Ireland, as BelfastLive reports. Campaign group Surfers Against Sewage suggests that the public is being let down by NI’s water testing system, which currently…

An attempt on the doublehanded Round Ireland speed sailing record is imminent. UK sailors Ross Hobson and Adrian Banks from Northumberland are on their way to Dun Laoghaire Harbour and will be on standby for the record bid as soon as…

It all came down to the final race in the battle for the 96th Bacardi Cup in Miami on Saturday, with eight teams theoretically in the running for the trophies. After two general recalls, the elite of Star sailing embarked…

It’s been a record-breaking day in The Ocean Race as the four IMOCAs racing through the south are pressing hard to gain position — and points — at the Leg 3 scoring gate. Conditions have certainly been favourable for making…