Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine

INEOS TEAM UK stays unbeaten after what was probably the closest race seen so far on the AC75s, with nine lead changes throughout the nail-biting race against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. With that result, Sir Ben Ainslie’s team won their…

Royal St George Yacht Club to Host IODAI Optimist Trials in May
23rd January 2021 Dun Laoghaire Harbour News
The Royal St George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire Harbour will host the IODAI Optimist dinghy Trials on the May Bank Holiday Weekend, 1st – 3rd May 2021. The trials event is a great opportunity for younger sailors to compete…

EU Member States Must "Share Burden" of Brexit Fisheries Loss, Industry Leader Says
22nd January 2021 Fishing
EU coastal states “haven’t taken the same hit” as Ireland in losing access to British fishing grounds and “must burden share”, an industry leader said. The fishing industry is “not interested” in financial compensation, and wants to ensure it “gets…

The Maritime Mile is an initiative developed by Maritime Belfast Trust and is a curated experience that connects and celebrates Belfast's vibrant heritage waterfront. It was set up originally to deliver the Titanic Belfast Visitor attraction and now includes many…

After a year in the planning, Royal Cork Yacht Club has launched a new offering for its youth sailors for 2021. The pathway is intended to complement our existing entry points into sailing in the club across dinghies and keelboats.…

Atlantean Series Part of Online Film Festival Extended Through February
22nd January 2021 Galway Harbour
Galway Film Fleadh has confirmed it is extending its online film festival which includes the Atlantean series of documentaries by film-maker Bob Quinn. The documentaries explored Quinn’s theory that our maritime links were part of a common “Atlantean” culture extending…

Dublin Port Chief Executive Eamonn O'Reilly told RTE One's Nationwide programme this week that the capital's port will reach capacity in 2040. The CEO said the port, that handles almost 50% of all trade in the Republic of Ireland, faces a…

Ireland-Scotland Bilateral Review Advocates Marine Co-operation - But No Mention of Rockall
22nd January 2021 Scottish Waters
A newly published Ireland-Scotland bilateral review advocates economic co-operation in areas including the marine and renewable energy. However, the issue of Rockall is not mentioned, although access flared up as an issue in early January when a Donegal vessel was…

‘Ireland’s Blubber Book’ — A New Educational Resource for Young & Aspiring Marine Biologists
21st January 2021 Marine Wildlife
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) has announced a new educational resource for young and aspiring marine science experts. Ireland’s Blubber Book: Flukes Junior Vol 1 is a comprehensive workbook on cetaceans – the marine wildlife family comprising whales, dolphins and…

Fisheries Officers Investigate Pollution Incident in Westport River Known for Brown Trout
21st January 2021 Angling
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) investigated a pollution incident that occurred last weekend on the Carrowbeg River in Westport, Co Mayo. IFI received a number of calls to the hotline number and had a report from the landowner where the pollution…

‘Istanbul Convention’ Should Apply for UK Boats With Red Diesel Cruising in EU Waters, CA Says
21st January 2021 Cruising
Marine red diesel is still on sale to leisure vessels in the UK despite Westminster’s pre-Brexit plans to phase it out, the Cruising Association says. As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the British Government made clear its intention to legislate for…

A former Royal Navy frigate was sunk in spectacular fashion during a live-fire exercise off Pakistan, as Mail Online reports. HMS Active was commissioned in 1977 and saw active duty in the Falklands War among other missions before being sold…

CSO Figures Show Goods Handled in Main Irish Ports Marginally Down in Q3 of 2020
22nd January 2021 Irish Ports
Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures show a marginal decrease in the volume of goods handled in six of the seven Irish ports in the third quarter of 2020. Six of the main Irish ports - Bantry, Dublin, Drogheda, Cork, Shannon…

If anyone in the Royal Ocean Racing Club's suite of race offices was bothered by the thought that the 2021 change of course in the club's core event, the biennial Fastnet Race, was going to have a detrimental effect on…

Red notices have been issued by Interpol for the captain and owner of the ship (MV Rhosus) that carried the chemicals which devastated Beirut in an explosion in August, killing 200 people, Lebanon’s state media said, according to Reuters. As…

Jim Dempsey, one of the sailing greats from Skerries passed away last night. He had been unwell for the last few years but he did not allow his illness to adversely impact on his good humour and his ability to…

New Boat Models Can be Viewed in Ireland, Boot Dusseldorf Cancellation 'Not Unexpected', Says Irish Marine Trade
21st January 2021 Marine Trade
The Irish Marine Trade has been giving its reaction to today's cancellation of the giant German Boat Show, Boot Dusseldorf that was scheduled for April and a key show for the Irish industry. As Afloat reported earlier, the world’s largest…

The 2021 eSailing World Championship will be launched today as the race to win this year’s title – and a prize of USD $10,000 – officially begins. Launched in partnership between World Sailing, the International Federation for the sport, and…

Differences in policy between north and south on travellers arriving at ferryports and airports have been discussed by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and his Northern Ireland counterpart Robin Swann. The different strategies, reports RTE, mean there are gaps in…

Minister Ryan has announced significant funding of €1,764,000 for the Irish Environmental Network and its members in 2021. This is an increase of €704,000 on the level of funding provided in 2020. The Irish Environmental Network is made up of…