Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine

SCORA Will Provide a Platform for More Offshore Racing Says Commodore
22nd January 2023 Tom MacSweeney
The Commodore of the South Coast Offshore Racing Association (SCORA) says it has a number of aims for the season ahead – getting more boats off the marinas and out racing, creating links between dinghy sailors and keelboat racing and…

The annual South Coast Offshore Racing Association (SCORA) AGM was held on Friday, January 20th, in the Royal Cork Yacht Club, attended by a large body of the sailing fraternity representing south coast clubs. Commodore Daragh Connolly reported on a…

Courtmacsherry’s New Lifeboat Arrives into Cork Harbour Ahead of Today's West Cork Welcome for 'Val Adnams' Shannon Class
21st January 2023 RNLI Lifeboats
Courtmacsherry’s new lifeboat which is scheduled to arrive home at the West Cork harbour this Sunday, January, 22nd was welcomed into Cork Harbour hours earlier on her delivery voyage home from Poole in Dorset. The new Shannon Class lifeboat arrived in Crosshaven…

150th Anniversary of Lifeboat Tragedy Will Be Remembered by Skerries RNLI at Ceremony Next Month
21st January 2023 RNLI Lifeboats
On Sunday 5 February, RNLI volunteers past and present will gather at Skerries lifeboat station in north Co Dublin to lay a wreath at sea and remember six of their colleagues who were lost while on a service in 1873.…

Loughs Agency Retains Existing Tag Allocation in Effort to Conserve Atlantic Salmon
21st January 2023 Angling
The Loughs Agency will retain salmon carcass tag numbers for licence holders for the 2023 season in line with the policy followed in the previous two years. Based on the information collected in 2022, a continual fall in salmon numbers…
Promoted

Jeanneau expands its DB Yachts line with the new DB/37, which had its world premiere at boot Düsselforf on Saturday 21 January. Benefiting from all the savoir-faire and creativity of Jeanneau, the DB/37 is available in inboard and outboard versions…

The Ocean Race veteran Pablo Arrarte has led WindWhisper Racing Team to victory in the first stage of the inaugural The Ocean Race VO65 Sprint on Saturday afternoon (21 January). The Polish-flagged team battled hard on the opening 48 hours…

Team Holcim-PRB Lead Into Cabo Verde to Win First Leg of The Ocean Race 2022-23
21st January 2023 Ocean Race
French skipper Kevin Escoffier led his Swiss-flagged Team Holcim-PRB to victory in Leg 1 of The Ocean Race 2022-23 in the early hours of Saturday morning (21 January). It marked the end of an intense and challenging opening to The…

You can tell a lot about someone’s personality through the way in which they react generously – or not – to the fact that for 2022, the Post-Pandemic Year in which Life Afloat With All Its Apres Sailing Ashore Was…

Capsize of Three Rowing Boats on Fast Flowing Corrib Prompts Call for Dedicated River Rescue Craft
21st January 2023 Rowing
The University of Galway says it is inquiring into a recent incident on the river Corrib where up to ten people were rescued after their rowing craft were swept towards the salmon weir. The university says no one was injured,…

Lough Derg Lifeboat Assists Three on Speedboat Adrift Near Portumna
20th January 2023 RNLI Lifeboats
Lough Derg RNLI’s inshore lifeboat was called out on Thursday evening (19 January) to assist three people on a 16ft speedboat adrift at the most northern part of the lake near Portumna. Valentia Coast Guard requested the launch following reports…

Topping the Cape 31 class at Florida's 2023 Southernmost Regatta this week is Irish champion Antix, skippered by Anthony O'Leary. After eight races sailed, the Royal Cork crew scored 1 - 1 - 1 - 2 - 2 - [5]…

Port of Cork 2023 Cruise-Liner Schedule is Set to Top Pre-Pandemic Levels
20th January 2023 Port of Cork
The Port of Cork Company (PoCC) looks forward to welcoming the return of cruise ships this spring in Cork Harbour as it announces its Cruise Liner Schedule for 2023. Anticipating a strong year, PoCC sees bookings return to pre-pandemic levels,…

Bangor Waterfront Development will receive £40 million in funding as part of the Belfast Region City Deal. Ards and North Down Borough Council welcomed the news a year after the UK and NI Executive Ministers signed the first-ever City Deal…

Conor O'Brien Book Donated to Foynes Yacht Club as €1,000 Raised for RNLI at Presentation Night
20th January 2023 Conor O'Brien
Following Vincent Murphy's presentation on the life of circumnavigator Conor O’Brien at Foynes Yacht Club on the Shannon Estuary last Friday evening, Professor Patrick Frawley, a member of the Club, and a native of Foynes donated an unedited version of one of…

The results of the Irish Cruiser Racing Association’s (ICRA) national survey of members to get their views about racing are being compiled. They are expected to be completed and released within the next week. The survey has been carried out…

The North Western Waters Advisory Council (NWWAC) is seeking “well-informed” and “sustainably minded” organisations to join its members. In “an unpredictable political landscape and with the effects of climate change underway, the range and complexity of marine and fisheries management…

A County Down swimmer has broken a world record and claimed two gold medals at the ice swimming world championships, reports The Belfast Telegraph. Grace McLaughlin from Bangor defied freezing temperatures to triumph at the International Ice Swimming Association’s (IISA)…

2023 RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy IRC Overall Winner is France's Teasing Machine
20th January 2023 RORC Transatlantic
Thursday, 19 January, Grenada West Indies: RORC Vice Commodore Eric de Turckheim, racing his NMYD 54 Teasing Machine (FRA), is the overall winner under IRC for the 2023 RORC Transatlantic Race. While 10 boats are still racing, none of them…

The Highway South: The Ocean Race Fleets Charging Towards Finish Line in Cabo Verde
19th January 2023 Ocean Race
The leading IMOCAs in Leg 1 of The Ocean Race 2022-23 are expected to arrive in Cabo Verde overnight Friday night (20 January) and into Saturday morning as the fleet eats up the miles on ‘the highway’ south. Sailing fast,…