Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
National Yacht Club's 'Prospect' Retains Beneteau 31.7 National Title on Dublin Bay
4th September 2023 Beneteau 31.7
With three wins in a five-race series, defending Beneteau 31.7 champion Chris Johnston sailing Prospect was the clear winner at the Royal St. George hosted 2023 National Championships on Dublin Bay on Sunday. Racing in light sea breezes of up…
Water Quality and Marine Score Lowest In Report Card on Government Climate Commitments
4th September 2023 News Update
Water quality and the marine scored the lowest in a “report card” commissioned by Friends of the Earth on Government progress on its own climate and environmental promises. This year’s grading of “C plus” represents “moderate progress” and is a…
Discover the Maritime History of Groomsport with New Self-Guided Walking Tour Map
3rd September 2023 Belfast Lough
Groomsport is a small village on the North Down coast about two miles east of Bangor but in no way overshadowed by the larger town. It and its inhabitants have always had strong maritime links. The original Gaelic name for…
Ballyholme Yacht Club Dominates RS Feva Northern Ireland Championships
3rd September 2023 RS Sailing
Fourteen boats with a mixture of duos and family crews took part in the East Down Yacht Club hosted RS Feva Northern Ireland championships over the Bank Holiday weekend. The club is situated on the sheltered shores of Holm Bay…
Tom Dolan Makes Solid Start in the Second Leg of La Solitaire du Figaro at Kinsale, Despite Dropping to 20th Place
3rd September 2023 Figaro
Tom Dolan, the Irish solo sailor who won the first leg of the 54th La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec, has made a solid start in the second stage of the competition. The leg, which covers over 500 miles from Kinsale…
With seven top-two finishes (and four race wins) from eight races sailed, Ger Owens & Mel Morris took the GP14 National dinghy title in style in a tricky light air championship on Dublin Bay. Three races on Friday were followed by…
Marine Institute Biotoxin Team Wins International Sustainability Award
3rd September 2023 Marine Science
Marine Institute chemists who specialise in biotoxins have won a significant international sustainability award for their work. The Biotoxin Chemistry team who work within the Marine Environment and Food Safety Services (MEFSS) section of the Marine Institute were recently awarded…
Additional Public Meeting in Mullingar for Consultation on Revised Canals and Shannon Navigation Bye-Laws
3rd September 2023 Inland Waterways
Waterways Ireland has scheduled an additional public meeting on proposed revisions to the Shannon Navigation and Canals Bye-Laws for Thursday 21 September in Mullingar. As previously reported on Afloat.ie, members of the public and interested parties are invited to have…
Marine Notice: Geophysical Survey for Sceirde Rocks Windfarm Project
3rd September 2023 Power From the Sea
The Department of Transport has been advised by Fuinneamh Sceirde Teoranta (FST) that a geophysical seabed survey will take place in the Western Coastal Area (Connemara/Outer Galway Bay/Atlantic Ocean) between Tuesday 5 September and the end of October, subject to…
Irish Rowers Impress on Day One of 2023 World Rowing Championships in Serbia
3rd September 2023 Rowing
Skibbereen rower Jake McCarthy is into the repechage of the men's lightweight scull after a fifth place finish in his heat on day one of the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Serbia. Right up until the final 200 metres McCarthy…
The ICRA Cruiser-Racer National Championships at Howth Yacht Club, which incorporates the J24 National Championships, is gearing up to be a strong event, with over 70 boats expected to participate. Organisers have now revealed the class bands for the three-day…
Irish Sailor Tom Dolan Wins Stage 1 of French Solo Offshore Race and Plots Safe Strategy for Light Wind Leg 2
2nd September 2023 Figaro
Tom Dolan, the winner of Stage 1 of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec, has been making waves in the sailing world as the first Irish skipper to win a leg of the French solo offshore race in 25 years. The…
National Yacht Club's Johnston Leads Beneteau 31.7 Nationals on Dublin Bay
2nd September 2023 Beneteau 31.7
Defending Beneteau 31.7 champion Chris Johnston sailing Prospect leads after the three races sailed at the Royal St. George hosted 2023 National Championships on Dublin Bay. Racing in a sea breeze of up to ten knots and with strong spring…
National Yacht Club's Mathews and Poole Lead at the Flying Fifteen National Championships
2nd September 2023 Flying Fifteen
Saturday, 2nd September, dawned windless on Belfast Lough for the second day of the Irish Flying Fifteen National Championships at County Antrim Yacht Club. It stayed that way sufficiently long for the Race Officer to fly a postponement flag ashore.…
Sunday, September 3, marks the beginning of the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. This is the first opportunity for the rowers to qualify Ireland for the 2024 Paris Olympics. This year, Rowing Ireland has 28 athletes competing across…
West Cork Lifeboat Station to Unveil New Shannon Class Lifeboat 'Val Adnams' in Honour of Lifelong RNLI Supporter
2nd September 2023 RNLI Lifeboats
An historic West Cork lifeboat station is set to officially name a new Shannon class lifeboat 'Val Adnams' during a ceremony at 1:45 pm on Saturday, September 9. The guest of honour on the day will be Val Adnams herself,…
With a remarkable skill and determination display, the Irish Water Safety team made a big splash at this year’s European Junior Lifesaving Championships. Ireland won five gold medals, ten silver medals and nine bronze medals at the championships. The European…
Wexford-based Business Atlantis Seafood to Launch Ireland's First Fish Pet Food with BIM's Support
2nd September 2023 BIM
Atlantis Seafood, one of the most reputed seafood businesses based in Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford has partnered with Killiney-based pet food company, Harley & Marley, to create a new range of pet food made wholly from fish. The new pet…
New French Operator Makes Irish Debut With Anchorage Visit off Dun Laoghaire Harbour
2nd September 2023 Cruise Liners
A new French cruise operator, Compagnie Française de Croisières, made its first presence in Irish waters when their Renaissance arrived to anchor off Dun Laoghaire Harbour, writes Jehan Ashmore. The Marseilles based CFC Croisières has just a single cruise ship,…
Ponds Better for Biodiversity Than Rivers and Lakes - An Taisce Publication
2nd September 2023 Marine Wildlife
Creating and managing a pond for wildlife is the theme of a new publication by An Taisce. Ponds are a “low cost” and “straightforward tool” to tackle biodiversity loss and improve local environments, it says. The pamphlet/poster has been drawn…