Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

#mavisafloat – The renowned John B Kearney-designed-and-built 38ft yawl Mavis of 1925 vintage was launched in her restored form at Camden in Maine over the weekend writes W M Nixon. While the weather was not as summery as forecasters had…

#kinsale – Kinsale Yacht Club is a hive of activity this week ahead of the arrival of the Laser fleet for the Cantor Fitzgerald sponsored Laser Leinster Championships. The Yacht Club are delighted that so many local boats have entered…

#Diving - A diver was airlifted to hospital yesterday (Sunday 19 July) after going missing off Rathlin Island, as the News Letter reports. RNLI crews from Scotland joined lifeboats from Portrush and Red Bay along with Irish Coast Guard teams…

#Fishing - Irish Water Safety chief executive John Leech presented the report of the Working Group on Safety, Training and Employment in the Irish Fishing Industry to Marine Minister Simon Coveney in Castletownbere, Co Cork earlier today (Monday 20 July).…

#antixfinger – When you play in the big boys game, then you play by the big boys' rules writes W M Nixon. And you take it like a man. That seems to be the attitude of the amateur crew who…

#Fishing - Marine Minister Simon Coveney today (Monday 20 July) announced that he was moving ahead with detailed design of a major pier extension and an upgrade of the shipyard facilities on Dinish Island in Castletownbere. The new plans follow…

#TallShips - "An Atlantic legacy for future generations" is how the Atlantic Youth Trust describes its concept for a proposed new tall ship that would bring young people from both sides of the border for sail training voyages. The €17.2m…

#P&Oboost - P&O Ferries has reacted to strong demand in the English Channel ferry market by bringing a sixth-ship back into service on the Dover-Calais route. According to Lloyds Loading List, the ferry operator's 23,000 ton European Seaway which has…

#Surfing - Irish-Australian surf pro Mick Fanning has become a viral sensation after video of him fighting off a shark attack during a surfing contest wowed the internet. As the Irish Examiner reports, Fanning was taking part in the final…

#optimist – Spain made the biggest impact as their sailors won no fewer than six of the first 15 races of the 2015 Magic Marine Optimist European Championships at Plas Heli, Pwllheli in North Wales today (Sunday 19 July). In…

#annalisemurphy – A black flag and a 21 scored in the opening rounds of the Laser Radial European Championships in Denmark is a disappointment for the former 2013 European Champion but Annalise Murphy, believes with five more days to go…

#NiamhMedRescue – LÉ Niamh (P52) has successfully conducted a Search and Rescue (SAR) Operation of almost 100 refugees on Saturday. The operation took place 76 nautical miles north-west of the Libyan capital Tripoli. The SAR of 98 migrants in the…

#rorc – Anthony O'Leary's Antix crew from Royal Cork fought back hard on the last day of the British IRC championships on the Solent yesterday in a bid to overcome gear failure and a retiral on Friday. In the end it…

#420worlds  – Ireland has two entries among 330 sailors representing 21 nations gathered in Castle Karatsu Bay, Japan for the 2015 420 dinghy World Championships this week. Malahide's Lizzie and Cara McDowell from Malahide Yacht Club and Douglas Elmes and Colin O'Sullivan…

#MarineWildlife - Whale watchers will be jostling for position to snap shots of a rare albino humpback whale spotted off Baltimore in West Cork last week, according to Joe.ie. The incredible sight of the Moby-Dick-like 40ft ocean giant was allegedly…

#coveathome – Cove Sailing Club were one of the lucky event organisers this year so far to be blessed with a truly splendid sailing day for their At Home 2015 writes Claire Bateman. The sun shone, the sea sparkled, the…

#Kayaking - A young Baldoyle man who lost his life in a kayaking tragedy in Wicklow last year had been paddling in fast flowing rapids, an inquest into his death has heard. As previously reported on Afloat.ie, 21-year-old Shane Murphy,…

#sb20 – "God was a sailor" according to a boatman at the Circolo De Vela yacht club in Torbole, Lake Garda writes Daragh Sheridan. Why do you say that we ask? "Because here you can sail downwind all day". Heading…

#flyingfifteen – Team Mulligan, Ben and Mary Jane, won both Flying Fifteen DBSC races yesterday, sailing Thingamabob, as blustery winds on Dublin Bay showcased the strength both of the Flying Fifteen keelboat design and of DBSC organization. Holiday absences, perhaps the…

#Coastguard - The Irish Coast Guard were involved in two rescues on opposite sides of the country yesterday (Saturday 18 July), coming to the aid of a woman who fell from cliffs on Howth Head and two teens who got…