Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

#VOR - Dongfeng Race Team was able to fend off a late charge by Vestas 11th Hour Racing and Team Brunel to secure a second-place finish on Leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race from Cape Town to Melbourne on…

#VOR - The Spanish Volvo Ocean Race team MAPFRE has won Leg 3 from Cape Town to Melbourne, a 6,500 nautical mile dive into the fierce challenges posed by the Southern Ocean. For the second consecutive leg, MAPFRE needed to…

#Sailing - With sailing being included as Physical Education is added to the Leaving Certificate next September, Irish Sailing is encouraging parents to urge their schools to apply for the first phase of the new curriculum. Participating schools have three…

#Fishing - Northern Ireland’s Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute reminds that the rewards for reporting tagged Irish Sea cod have been increased. Earlier this year it was reported that the project would award €25 for every cod captured with a red…

#Kitesurfing - Tributes have been paid to the Irishman who died in a kitesurfing accident in Thailand last week. Jonathan Wogan, 43 and originally from Co Louth, was a keen kitesurfer and a regular on the waves near his home…

National Yacht Club members braved the chilly waters of Dublin Bay this morning in aid of Simon, the charity that prevents and addresses homelessness. The Christmas Eve dip that raised over €2,000 was organised by the NYC's John Corcoran who was first…

#StarWars - Tourism chiefs’ “cultural rebranding” of Skellig Michael on the back of its appearance in the new Star Wars film threatens to push visitor numbers to “unsustainable levels”, says An Taisce. According to The Irish Times, Ireland’s national trust…

#IMERC - Documents seen by the Irish Examiner show that the Naval Service was against the shutting of the Irish Marine and Energy Research Cluster (IMERC) earlier this year. A joint marine research initiative of CIT’s National Maritime College of…

Westport’s rising sailing star Joan Mulloy visited her home town of on Wednesday December 20th with legendary sailing veteran Enda O’Coineen, and delivered a fascinating talk at the invitation of Mayo Sailing Club reports Afloat.ie’s Clew Bay Correspondent. Seeking sponsorship,…

#P&O@180 – Before another year sails by, it should be highlighted P&O's 180th anniversary took place during this year, with celebrations marking the world famous shipping company that was founded in 1837, writes Jehan Ashmore. Operating 20 ferries and employing…

#Training - A marine notice issued earlier this year on accreditation for seafarers qualifications has “no legal basis” and must be quashed, says the High Court. According to The Irish Times, the court has also directed Transport Minister Shane Ross…

#VOR - With just over 400 nautical miles to go to the finishing line off Melbourne, MAPFRE is on a final push to draw first blood on the double-point scoring Leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race. Before they can…

#RNLI - A man who slipped into the water alongside Wexford Quay was rescued by Wexford RNLI after clinging to the quay wall for several hours. The man, in his late 30s, was spotted by gardaí before 4am on Friday…

Ireland has a direct connection to the fastest and most modern super–maxi yacht in the world, thanks to its new owner Jim Cooney, a fourth generation Australian of County Meath descent.  Cooney, who hails from the town of Ballivor in…

It is one of the world’s classic offshore races. And its timing plumb in the middle of the Christmas holidays make it an essential safety valve for serious sailors being smothered in festive cheer in the Northern Hemisphere. For although…

#ShippingCentre -According to Irish Maritime Development Office, there is a proposal to create a world-class cluster of international shipping services orientated companies (ISSC) based in Cork Docklands. The proposed maritime cluster would also be a major urban regeneration scheme led…

#BullochPlans - Today, new plans are to be filed for a residential and commercial development in picturesque Bulloch Harbour, Dalkey, 10 months after a similar, controversial scheme was refused permission. As The Irish Times writes, Bartra Capital Ltd, founded by…

#CoolRoute - The growing superyacht market is a target audience of the new Cool Route initiative, which is pitching the string of coastal marinas between Ireland and Norway as a top-tier cruising destination. But is the project’s research up to snuff?…

#MarineWildlife - Four marine wildlife organisations will share in €2.56 million in funding for animal welfare throughout the State, as announced yesterday by Marine Minister Michael Creed. Seal Rescue Ireland in Courtown, Co Wexford receives €12,000 for its efforts in…

#Watersport - Canoeing, rowing, angling and waterskiing are beneficiaries in regional allocations under the 2017 Sports Capital Programme. Sport Minister Shane Ross and Minister of State for Sport Brendan Griffin announced €4m in allocations for regional projects yesterday (Thursday 21…