Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

In an intense battle of the Half Tonners, Michael Wright's Mata briefly overtook Class Two overall leader Nigel Biggs's Checkmate XVIII in the closing races of the O'Leary Life Sovereign's Cup in Kinsale today. As Afloat predicated here, Half Tonners dominated the 19-boat IRC Two…

Around 300 passengers enjoyed spectacular views of the Isle of Man’s coastline on this year’s Ben-my-Chree round-the-island cruise which was held last Saturday following Midsummer's day.  The ropax which the IOM Steam-Packet operates on the route to Heysham, England, departed…

Despite a disqualification (DSQ) in the penultimate race of the five-race series last night, Richard Colwell and John Murphy's new J109 campaign from Howth Yacht Club held the lead in Class One of the O'Leary Life Sovereign's Cup to take overall victory…

George Sisk's new XP40 Wow sailed to success in the O'Leary Life Sovereign's Cup today beating bigger sistership the XP50 Freya on her home waters off Kinsale in the Regatta's Coastal Class. The Royal Irish Yacht Club crew led the regatta from the…

With five wins from five races and discarding a first place in her overall score tally, the Greystones Sailing Club's Grand Soleil 44 'Eleuthera' made a clean sweep of Class Zero of the O'Leary Life Sovereign's Cup off Kinsale today.   It marks…

The third phase of the Shannon Blueway has been opened by Michael Ring, Minister for Rural and Community Development, in the company of Waterways Ireland’s acting chief executive John McDonagh and Leitrim County Council Cathaoirleach Enda McGloin. The project has…

Baltimore RNLI launched yesterday morning (Friday 28 June) after a yacht became propped on a pot buoy two miles south of Mizen Head off the coast of West Cork. The all-weather lifeboat launched at 10.03am following a request by the…

TheJournal.ie is reporting along with other news outlets that a teenage girl has died after getting into difficulty swimming off a Co Louth beach yesterday (friday 28 June). The 14-year-old girl was reportedly pulled out to sea by a rip…

The weather might have thrown four seasons at the O'Leary Life Sovereign's Cup this week but it was no match for the organisers or competitors who successfully completed the penultimate days racing albeit in fog off Kinsale today.  It leaves…

#Rowing: A good selection of Irish crews made it through the Qualifiers for Henley Royal Regatta on Friday – a number of them in the difficult ‘open’ events.  In the Hambleden Pairs – an open event – Natalie Long of…

Day Three of the Sovereign's Cup in Kinsale today started in the harbour for both of the White Sail fleets in low mist and drizzle. Former Kinsale Yacht Club Commodore and veteran Irish Paralympian John Twomey was the leader of Class 2 on Shillelagh…

PhD student Catherine Jordan will bring her research on phytoplankton blooms to the third annual Soapbox Science even in Galway tomorrow afternoon (Saturday 29 June). She will be among 12 female scientists standing on their soapboxes to talk about their…

The restoration to original condition of X-79 #1, the first X-Yachts model produced some 40 years ago, has been completed by X-Yachts founding member Birger Hansen. As reported in March, Birger and Lars Jeppersen travelled to the Channel Islands last…

Marine Minister Michael Creed yesterday (Thursday 27 June) helped launch the public consultation process on the draft Climate Change Adaptation Plan for the agriculture, forest and seafood sectors. “I am very pleased to launch this public consultation on adaptation planning,”…

Aran Islands RNLI rescued two sailors after their 38ft yacht got into difficulties off Gorumna Island in Co Galway yesterday morning (Thursday 27 June). The station received the shout at 7.27am and the lifeboat David Kirkaldy launched under coxswain Tommy…

It is 1200 nautical miles across the Atlantic from Loop Head at the north side of the long Shannon Estuary to Cape Farewell, the southernmost point of Greenland, writes W M Nixon. While the originally 1926-built ketch Ilen of Limerick…

The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) held its annual conference last month at the Port of Livorno, Italy. The gathering of European port and maritime industry marked the 16th edition of the ESPO Conference held in the impressive Girondi Theatre.…

Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) has renewed its appeal to angling enthusiasts and the general public to be vigilant and report the presence of any Pacific pink salmon encountered in Irish river systems over the coming months. In 2017, this non-native…

After Storm Emma wrought extensive destruction through the seven Howth Seventeens stored in their much-damaged shed on Howth’s East Pier at the beginning of March 2018, it was feared that several of the boats – which since 1898 have been…

A tie-up of two ships in port indefinitely is planned by the Naval Service due to a deepening manpower crisis. Of the three services in the Defence Forces, the naval service is suffering the most from a haemorrhage of personnel…