Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
The “Drogheda Sail Training Bursary” was once again highlighted at the Annual Sail Training Ireland Awards Ceremony last week in the Mansion House. The CEO of Sail Training Ireland, Mr. Darragh Sheridan acknowledged the Drogheda bursary scheme as the first…
Shipyard Harland and Wolff in Belfast Harbour has secured a £2m (€2.35m) asset backed term debt facility. Funds raised writes Independent.ie, will be used for working capital purposes, according to a statement from InfraStrata, the company which agreed to buy…
Multi-billionaire Bill Gates has not commissioned an eco-friendly luxury superyacht that’s powered entirely by liquid hydrogen, the boat’s creators insist. First unveiled at last autumn’s Monaco Yacht Show, the futuristic Aqua is a 370ft, five-deck mega-yacht with room for 14…
Former Skellig Michael Site Manager Says Star Wars Film Shoot Was ‘Inappropriate’
10th February 2020 Island News Skellig Michael’s former site manager has expressed his misgivings around filming for the Star Wars movie franchise at the Unesco World Heritage site. As the Irish Examiner reports, Grellan Rourke — who recently retired from his role after 41 years…
Last week the Loughs Agency visited local primary schools in the Foyle and Carlingford areas as part of the Salmon Ambassadors programme. The programme, which forms part of the legacy of 2019’s International Year of the Salmon, will see the…
Galway Harbour Master Pays Tribute to Church Role as Navigational Aid & "Safe Haven" for Mariners
10th February 2020 Galway Harbour Galway’s harbourmaster Capt Brian Sheridan has paid tribute to the “safe haven” offered by the city’s St Nicholas’s medieval church as it marks its 700th anniversary writes Lorna Siggins The illuminated clock tower was an aid to navigators, and the alignment…
It started in August last year when Northern Ireland man Jon Medlow noticed the amount of rubbish floating downstream while kayaking in the River Bann near Portadown. Just a few months later, as BBC News reports, and he’s removed almost…
On Saturday 8th of February, a handful of Cork sailing fanatics converged on the Sandquay, to race the fourth day of the 2020 Monkstown Laser Frostbite league in Cork Harbour. The morning dawned with a black, rainy sky blanketing the…
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UK Sailmakers Upcoming Talks at Kinsale Yacht Club and Foynes Ahead of Busy Season
9th February 2020 UK Sailmakers Ireland Busy UK Sailmakers Ireland loft in Cork Harbour is preparing for another hectic season afloat while Loft manager Barry Hayes is also out and about meeting sailors on all four coasts of Ireland. Last Thursday night, Hayes led a talk at the…
No Racing on First Day of 49er Worlds in Geelong, Two Irish Skiff Teams Competing
10th February 2020 Tokyo 2020 A day of waiting for two Irish Olympic 49er teams disappointingly ended without any racing at the 2020 world title for the 49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 classes in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. The Race Committee monitored conditions on Corio Bay…
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Demo Nautitech 46 Open Catamaran For Sale - For Immediate Delivery
9th February 2020 J Boats & Grand Soleil Irish Key Yachting agent Mark Mansfield now has a New (demo model) Nautitech 46 Open Catamaran available for immediate delivery for the coming season. This is a high-specified model, with sails, instruments included in the package including Code 0 equipment.…
Although the mystery of how a Goblet inscribed Royal Ulster Yacht Club, dated 1869 and awarded to a Mr Foster Connor, ended up in Melbourne (Read Afloat's earlier report here) has not been resolved, the trophy has been bought by…
National Yacht Club Lift-In For Large Keelboats Set For Saturday 4 April
9th February 2020 National YC The National Yacht Club has scheduled its lift-in day for large keelboats stored on the hard this winter on Saturday 4 April, as the following weekend coincides with the Easter Bank Holiday. Smaller keelboats boats on trailers will be launched…
RYANI Seeks Expressions Of Interest For 2020 Women On Water Festival
9th February 2020 Northern Ireland Waters The RYANI is calling on sailing clubs across Northern Ireland to bid to become host of the 2020 Women on Water Festival. Following the success of the first-ever Women on Water Festival at Strangford Lough Yacht Club as part of…
Amongst my most pleasant memories of sailing are racing my Sigma 33 in whitesail across Cork Harbour with a crew of four all under the age of 15. I had ‘managerial supervision’ to ensure no untoward happenings for Scribbler, but…
Racing in Dublin Bay, Kinsale Harbour, Belfast Lough, Dun Laoghaire Harbour have been cancelled today due to Storm Ciara. In fact, such was the extent of the deteriorating weather forecast many of the regatta organisers gave early notice to scrub…
Only a handful of spots remain for youth sailors in spring training programmes for Optimist, Topper and RS Feva sailors organised by the National Yacht Club for the 2020 season. Spring training for Oppys runs for five Sunday afternoons beginning on…
SB20 Update: Bád Enjoys Cascais, Shakedown On Lough Ree, Calendar Changes & More
8th February 2020 SB20 SB20 Ireland president John Malone offered his congratulations to team Bád — Stefan Hyde, Jerry Dowling and Jimmy Dowling — who travelled to Cascais for last month’s Winter Series event, competing against 40 boats from 10 nations. Two more weekend…
The Strange Story of the Life & Death of Ireland’s Department of the Marine
8th February 2020 W M Nixon With Storm Ciara battering the country on this General Election day to remind us all of who is really the boss in Ireland during an average February, it’s timely to reflect on the longterm effect of the choices we make…
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O’Sullivan’s Marine Now Distributing Polymarine for Care & Repair of RIBs in Ireland
8th February 2020 O'Sullivan's Marine When it comes to expertise in RIBs and Inflatable boats, O’Sullivan's Marine can not only offer the best value in boats, and complete boat packages. The County Kerry firm has now strengthened their partnership with Polymarine Ltd, the market leaders…
