Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

#BigBeachClean - Clean Coasts’ Big Beach Clean is happening this weekend 20-21 September. And once again Clean Coasts is teaming up with the International Ocean Conservancy for the International Coastal Cleanup event. Last year 645,015 volunteers in nine countries removed…

#EnglishChannel - DFDS Seaways plan to close Portsmouth-Le Havre route later this year, the announcement follows partners LD Lines which closed services also from another UK south coast port to Spain just over a week ago, writes Jehan Ashmore. According…

#UNCTADsigning - The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary General Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, will lead the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the UNCTAD, Dublin Port Company and the Port of Cork company. The signing…

#Ports&Shipping –The latest IMDO Weekly Shipping Market Review includes the following stories as detailed below. Irish Maritime Regulation: Directive 2012/33/ EU on Sulphur Emissions in the Maritime Industry- Air pollutant emissions from maritime transport can be transported over long distances…

#VOR - It's been a whirlwind few weeks for Team Vestas Wind, the seventh and final entry in the next Volvo Ocean Race, which sets sail around the world in just 18 days' time. And it's been no less hectic…

#rssailing – The Royal Cork Yacht Club was buzzing at the weekend, with what was a great precursor to next year's dinghy week. The RS fleets were in town for their final event of what has been a bumper Irish…

#dragon – Defending champion Markus Wieser  has retained the Dragon Gold Cup. The professional sailor, competing for the United Arab Emirates, was in the lead of the 70th Dragon Gold Cup the whole week, but didn't get it all his own…

#santander2014 – Only the 49er yellow fleet were able to get racing in on the fourth day at the Santander 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships as light, teasing winds played havoc across the seven race courses. The 470, 49er, 49erFX,…

#IslandNation - Readers of this blog have been kind in welcoming me back to the airwaves, for which I am grateful. Community radio on which I now broadcast is quite a big operation about which I did not know a…

#Fireball - As previously reported on Afloat.ie, Royal St George pair Barry McCartin and Conor Kinsella were triumphant at the Irish Fireball Nationals on Lough Ree yesterday (14 September), needing two win only one of two races sailed on the…

#MarineScience - The national research vessel RV Celtic Explorer has become a ‘floating university’ for 14 postgraduate students from seven countries – including Ireland – who have a unique chance to study cold water coral systems in their living environment…

#MarineWildlife - Clet the dolphin, previously spotted in West Cork after migrating across the Celtic Sea from France, has moved to the waters off Kerry in close proximity to Dingle's friendly resident Fungie. As previously covered on Afloat.ie, the Irish…

#sb20 – 11 SB20s battled it out for honours in the final Sunday Series on Dublin Bay in a shifty force 3 easterly breeze yesterday. After 4 races in series 3, Manamana (Graham, Ronan and Katie) were tied with Should…

#fireball – Barry McCartin & Conor Kinsella only needed one of the two races sailed yesterday, to win the Irish Fireball National Championships writes Cormac Bradley.Winning the eighth race of the series meant they could not be beaten and for the…

#Lectures- It's that time of the year again as the Maritime Institute of Ireland's Autumn/Winter lecture programme starts next week (Thursday 18 Sept). The inaugural lecture of the season titled 'Rochsay Castle shipwreck-the Dublin Connection 1831' is to be presented…

#Santander2014 - Not one to rest on his laurels after securing his place at the Rio Olympics – the first Irish sailor to do so – Belfast Laser helm James Espey made the most of Day 3's light winds to climb…

#southamptonboatshow – In addition to the boats on display and that of the tallship Pheonix visiting the PSP Southampton Boat Show will be the Royal Navy's HMS Severn (P282), which too will be open to visitors albeit for one day.…

#ROWING: The Ireland lightweight women’s double scull finished fourth at the World University Games in Gravelines in France today. Poland and Britain comfortably took the gold and silver medals, while Ruth Morris and Orla Hayes pressurised Mexico, who held third.…

#NaomhEanna - Naomh Éanna a former CIE Aran Islands ferry due to be scrapped earlier this year as previously reported, has been acquired by the Irish Ship & Barge Fabrication Company, effectively securing the heritage vessel, writes Jehan Ashmore. There…

#VOR - The last team to be confirmed for the next Volvo Ocean Race proved their 'dark horse' label all too true as they sailed to victory in Leg 0 in Alicante. In the final significant test of the new…