Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Fethard RNLI Name Lifeboat Naomh Dubhán in a Ceremony with Strong Emphasis on Community
1st July 2018 RNLI Lifeboats
Volunteers with Fethard RNLI gathered at the lifeboat station over the weekend (Saturday 30 June) for a naming ceremony and a service of dedication for their new lifeboat Naomh Dubhán. In glorious sunshine, operations crew, fundraisers, station management, friends and…
In a series led from start to finish, Strangford Lough Olympian Peter Kennedy, sailing with Stephen Kane and Hammy Baker, was the winner of the SB20 National Championships at the National Yacht Club on Dublin Bay. The former Flying Dutchman crew…
A Round Ireland Race favourite, Riff Raff, the canting keel Cookson 50, has retired 'due to gear failure'. All on board are safe and the British entry is heading for port in Cork Harbour. Racing for the 55 boats continues…
Goacher Wins Flying Fifteen British Nationals in Cut–Short Strangford Lough Event
1st July 2018 Flying Fifteen
In a four day series dramatically reduced to one day of racing due to lack of wind, former world champion Steve Goacher and Tim Harper were crowned Flying Fifteen Champions of the British Isles at Strangford Lough with a minimum of…
In the days leading up to the Volvo Round Ireland Race start at Wicklow yesterday, there were predictions of boats being delayed by calms, struggling for sea breezes by day and land breezes by night writes W M Nixon. But…
Sunday 1 July, at 12:00 local time in Les Sables d’Olonne France, Irishman Gregor McGuckin crossed the starting line of the Golden Globe Race onboard his very ordinary looking 33-year-old yacht, Hanley Energy Endurance. All going to plan, Gregor will…
Slow-Speeding Regulations Under Consideration In Norway's World Heritage Fjords
1st July 2018 Cruise Liners
#CruiseLiners - Limitation on speed in the Norwegian World Heritage fjords is one of several measures the Norwegian Maritime Authority (NMA) is considering in order to limit pollution from ships in these areas according to Cruise Europe. DNV GL carried…
Only Place to Be: On the Water Activities At Foyle Maritime Festival
1st July 2018 Maritime Festivals
#MaritimeFestivals - How often have you admired the River Foyle but wondered what the walled city must look like from out on the water? Whether it’s swimming across it, flying above it or sailing along it, your options are endless…
Day 2 of the Volvo Round Ireland Race 2018 finds the fleet enjoying freshening offshore breezes along the south coast to provide drag racing conditions and good speeds writes W M Nixon. But enjoyment is muted by the knowledge that…
Big Turnout for Royal Irish Yacht Club Regatta as New Sponsor Unveiled. Results & Photos Here!
1st July 2018 Royal Irish Yacht Club
2018 marked a big year for the Royal Irish Yacht Club's Regatta with the announcement that Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin has come aboard as title sponsor of the event, a shot in the arm for the waterfront regatta scene at…
It’s said that the boat which has made the best start is not always the one which seems first over the line, but rather it’s the boat which is in the lead five minutes after the kick-off writes W M…
#ClipperRace - It’s been a bumpy time for many of the Clipper Race teams as they braced themselves for a second day on the ‘rollercoaster’ Gulf Stream. The competition remains tight on Saturday 30 June, day four of Race 12:…
Olympic sailor Peter Kennedy from Strangford Lough continues his overall lead at the SB20 National Championships on Dublin Bay after six races sailed. Download overall results below. The National Yacht Club hosted event has attracted 16 entries for the three–day sportsboat contest. Today's three championship races,…
Turn The Tide On Plastic Take Sixth Place Overall In Volvo Ocean Race With Final In-Port Comeback
30th June 2018 Ocean Race
#VOR - It took until the final in-port race, but Dee Caffari’s Turn the Tide on Plastic moved off the bottom of the overall leaderboard this afternoon (Saturday 30 June) after securing sixth place in the Volvo Ocean Race. The…
The Sun is Shining and We have a Winner! - ‘Great Lighthouse, Great Fun’ Photography Competition
30th June 2018 Lighthouses
#Lighthouses - It is more than eight weeks ago when Bobby Kerr, Chair of Great Lighthouses of Ireland helped kick off summer in fine style when he announced the ‘Great Lighthouse, Great Fun’ photography competition. The competition was held to…
#VOR - After nine months, 45,000 miles of offshore racing and 10 in-port races, the Volvo Ocean Race fleet is preparing to take the final start of the event at the Brunel In-Port Race in The Hague this afternoon, Saturday…
There was a stunning start to the 20th Round Ireland Yacht Race today when the Volvo race favourite blew a spinnaker moments after the 700–mile race began off Wicklow Harbour. See Race tracker here. It only added to the drama of…
Yachtswoman, Tracy Edwards MBE, is reuniting her legendary ‘Maiden’ crew for the first time since 1990 when they became the first all-female team to sail around the world and into the record books. Th crew includes Dun Laoghaire sailor Angela…
Olympic sailor Peter Kennedy from Strangford Lough leads the SB20 National Championships on Dublin Bay after three races sailed. The National Yacht Club hosted event has attracted 16 entries for three–day sportsboat contest. Kennedy, who sailed in the Flying Dutchman…
Flying Fifteen sailors are bearing the brunt of the high-pressure weather system over Ireland. In what is being described as 'unprecedented' for a Flying Fifteen Championships of the British Isles, the third day of racing was lost on Strangford Lough,…