Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine

Sanita Puspure, in the women’s single scull, and Niall Kenny, in the under-23 lightweight single scull, landed second place finishes in the early finals at the Huegel Rowing Regatta in Essen. Peter Hanily finished fifth in Kenny’s final. Claire Lambe…

Holly Nixon and Paul O’Donovan gave Ireland a fine start to the International Junior Rowing Regatta in Munich by winning their single sculls heats and qualifying for today’s A Finals. Three other crews – the men’s pair and double scull…

Britain's shadow transport secretary has branded a "shambles" plans to reform the UK coastguard service that could see the closure of Northern Ireland's only dedicated search and rescue base. The Belfast Telegraph reports that Labour's Maria Eagle questioned Secretary of…

Kinsale Yacht Club (KYC) held an information meeting last Tuesday to discuss the situation of its aging clubhouse ahead of a planned EGM later this month. Structural problems were previously discussed at a club meeting last November, at which a…

Developing marinas on the Cork coastline is a top priority for county manager Martin Riordan. Speaking to the Evening Echo recently, Riordan outlined plans to exploit tourism for job creation, focusing on Cork Harbour and the county's 680 miles of…

In The Irish Times on Thursday, Tim Sweetman from Islandbridge writes that steam trains could add a touch of old-fashioned glamour to the Tall Ships Races in Waterford this summer. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/letters/2011/0505/1224296146080.html "Perhaps Irish Rail and the Railway Preservation Society might…

A marina on the banks of the Shannon in Co Offaly could be yours for €1.5 million. Shamrock Marina, just downstream from Banagher, offers mooring space for around 100 boats during the summer months, but has the potential and space…

ISAF Council voted keelboats out of the Olympics today when the slate, previously adopted by the Events Committee, achieved a majority(19/37) of the votes cast. The news that the Star keelboat would be dropped had been feared for some time. …

In what amounts to a dress rehearsal for Schull's staging of the ISAF world team racing championships this August, Ireland's Royal St. George Knights have won three of six matches sailed and lie sixteenth overall after yesterday's first day of…

One of the best known RIB makes in the world, the Avon Searider, with hundreds in service with schools, clubs and commercial organisations around Ireland, and literally tens of thousands with similar organisations all over the world, has been treated…

The National 18 ft Class is the largest one design senior dinghy sailing class racing in Cork Harbour writes Kieran O'Connell. It is a three person single trapeze boat. Originally designed in the 1930's by the legendary Uffa Fox, its…

Drogheda Port Company successfully managed to navigate the global economic downturn with an improved and solid performance for 2010, delegates where informed during its annual report released yesterday, writes Jehan Ashmore. Traffic levels for the port in 2010 increased indicating positivity…

There was a 10% growth in employment in the International Shipping Services sector in Ireland last year according to the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO). In a recent analysis of the sector the information is based from companies that have…

Ireland's team for the ISAF Youth World Championships in July does not include either a 420 Boys team or a SL16 catamaran campaign because the Irish Sailing Association qualification standards were not met. The team for Croatia was announced on…

Next month's Fireball World Championships at Sligo Yacht Club has announced Irish boating shoe manufacturer Dubarry as title sponsor. The event is expected to attract up to 100 boats from 13 countries. Dun Laoghaire's Noel Butler is expected to lead…

Ann Kirwan sailing Ruff'n'Ready made the most of 15–knot south easterly breezes on Dublin Bay to beat a 13-strong DBSC Ruffian fleet tonight. It was a fleet race that remained tightly packed for the duration of the one hour competition.…

Today at ISAF's world sailing mid-year meeting in St Petersburg, Russia, the ISAF Events Committee passed a vote recommending that ISAF Council select the following events/equipment for the 2016 Olympic Games. Event Men Women Mixed Board and Kiteboard Board and/…

Irish crews compete in Essen and Ghent this weekend and in the Munich Junior Regatta. Keep up with the news and results here at Afloat.

A UK Sailing technology firm has developed a new innovative gripping device that enables quick rigging and rapid adjustment of ropes to pre set knotted positions along their length. The uniquely designed rope grip device holds pre-knotted ropes even when…

Ferry companies operating throughout Britain and Ireland are gearing-up for the third annual National Ferry Fortnight which is to run between 14-28 May, writes Jehan Ashmore. The fortnight is to highlight the advantages of sea, rather than air travel and…