Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

#DublinBay - Dublin Bay was we know it today looked very different three centuries ago, as TheJournal.ie highlights with a selection of enlightening historical maps. As reported yesterday on Afloat.ie, this week marks the 300th anniversary of the decision to…

#GalwayBay - A new mackerel-themed maritime festival has been proposed for Galway Bay this autumn – as the latest industry figures show tourism in the region is heavily concentrated in the summer months. The Connacht Tribune reports on the 'Mackerel…

#dbsclaser – The first DBSC Tuesday Laser dinghy race drew a really encouraging turnout of 15 boats, 14 of which were Full rigs (more Radials expected post exams). Race Officer Ian Matthews wisely kept the fleet inside Dun Laoghaire Harbour…

#dbsc – CRUISERS 3 Tuesday - 1. Wynward (W McCormack), 2. Grasshopper II (K & J Glynn), 3. Pamafe (M Costello) Ensign - 1. INSS (K Rumball), 2. INSS 2 (G Williams), 3. INSS 2 () FIREBALL Race 1- 1.…

#Rio2016 - Annalise Murphy, James Espey, Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern are already Rio-bound - but could their sailing venue at the 2016 Olympics be moved out of Guanabara Bay? That's what the sport's world governing body has threatened to…

#CoastalNotes - The video above is not a coastal distress flare, but a 'fireball' from space burning up as it enters the atmosphere far above Ireland. A flurry of reports from concerned members of the public received by the Irish…

#biodiversity – Students from Kilfinane National School gathered along the banks of the River Loobagh in Limerick yesterday (Monday) as part of a new environmental education initiative being administered by Limerick City & County Council. 'StreamScapes Loobagh' is aimed at…

#ConferenceKetch – The Irish Whale & Dolphin Group's ketch, Celtic Mist previously owned by former Taoiseach Charles Haughey is to call to Dublin quays tomorrow as part of the Dublin Bay Conference, writes Jehan Ashmore. Three hundred years ago this…

#hyc – The 2015 sailing of Howth Yacht Club's one-hundred-and-eleven-year-old annual Lambay Race will see a new major sponsor in the form of Davy Stockbrokers. And for the first time in many years, its date of Saturday 6th June has…

#lambayrace – Howth Yacht Club's annual Lambay Race has developed over the years into the premier sailing celebration of the coast of Fingal writes W M Nixon. Indeed, there are few places in Ireland which can offer such a beautifully straightforward…

#LondonGatewayUASC – The London Gateway, the UK's newest deep-sea hub port as previously reported on Afloat.ie, has this month seen the United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) start services on the South America 2 service (SAM2). The UASC offering is part…

#DublinPort - Three hundred years ago this week, the decision was made by the Dublin City Assembly to build an embankment from Ringsend into Dublin Bay, in an effort to solve the centuries-old problem of silting in the main channels…

#gp14 – The GP14's kicked off the season with the Riocard O'Tiarnaigh Challenge sailed at Swords Sailing Club on the weekend of the 18th and 19th of April. A total of 20 boats turned up to compete for the championship…

#sb20 – There was not much enthusiasm on the SB20 dock Saturday morning due to the wet and dreary climate. The breeze of 20 to 25 knots in the first race soon brightened up everybody's mood once the kites went…

#sb20 – Stephen Lee (SB20 - 3484) went overboard at the SB20 sportsboat Eastern championships in Howth at the weekend. Here he describes the lessons learnt from his early season 'salt water bath' on Saturday. Firstly, let me make it absolutely…

#Rescue - Independent.ie reports on the dramatic rescue of six young sailing trainees after their dinghy overturned in a gust in Dun Laoghaire harbour yesterday afternoon (Sunday 26 April). One of Dun Laoghaire RNLI's lifeboats spotted the children in trouble…

#fireball – Having had their boats re-weighed in accordance with a change in Fireball Class rules last weekend (18th), the Irish Fireball fleet had a weekend of honing their boat-handling techniques this past weekend under the expert eye of World…

#loughderg – A new trail showcasing the rich natural heritage of Lough Derg has been developed in time for the 2015 summer season. Lough Derg (on the Shannon) Nature Trail is produced by the County Councils in Clare, Galway and…

#CANOEING: Noel and Robert Hendrick narrowly missed a podium finish at the Junior and Under-23 Canoe Slalom World Championships in Brazil. The twin brothers, competing in a Junior C2 (Canadian canoe), finished fourth behind French, Czech and German pairings. The…

#vor – The Volvo Ocean Race fleet has slightly converged in the past 12 hours as they approach the corner of the South American continent, where the Brazilian coast sketches a right angle at the end of the most easterly…