Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Waterways Ireland has confirmed that work has been completed at Camus on the Lower Bann Navigation with the installation of 20 metres of floating jetties. The jetties which will open to the public from beginning of April 2009 will add…

Irish surf documentary, Waveriders premieres in cinemas across Ireland today.The film includes scenes of the biggest swell ever ridden in Ireland and the British Isles, which hit the north-west of the country in December '06, as well as footage of…

North Sails have launched their dedicated Irish website, www.northsails.ie, Irish reps Maurice O'Connell and Nigel Young have announced. The new site contains regular news from North in Ireland, starting with a J109 training weekend run in tandem with Dun Laoghaire…

Tralee Bay Sailing Club is participating in the national pastime of 'keeping costs down' by extending the reduced entry deadline for the ICRA nationals until April 14th. The West of Ireland Offshore Racing Association and the Irish Cruiser Racing Association…

Ireland’s marine leisure industry cannot hold out against unfair VAT rates and weak Sterling without significant job losses, a representative organisation has warned. Highlighting the difficulties now facing an industry in which 5,000 people are employed, the Irish Marine Federation…

The newly elected Olympic boat class Elliot 6m celebrates its Match Race debut in Kiel. Once again the sailing world is looking at Germany, especially the female sailors pin their hopes on Kieler Woche (20 - 28 June) which will…

US President Barack Obama wants the carbon zero benefits of sailing taken into consideration when business grants are being doled out in a bid to strengthen the failing marine industry.

Afloat has learned that the government is considering including sailing and boating equipment in a new ‘luxury’ VAT bracket during the next budget. As much as 45% could be tagged on to items relating to what are perceived as ‘exclusive…

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) announced today that the Women's Match Racing events and new Elliott 6m equipment have been confirmed for the final events of the 2008-2009 ISAF Sailing World Cup but so far there there has been no…

The volume of shipping traffic through Irish ports declined by as much as 20 percent in the second half of 2008, according to the latest edition of the Irish Maritime Transport Economist, which was unveiled at an industry briefing in…

Following the news that the tanks in the centre of the Galway docks area are to be moved, Lets do it Galway have issued the following statement:

At a time when well known boat builders are experiencing major difficulties, one West Cork based boat builder has launched a new business. Roeboats based in Ballydehob Co. Cork, in the heart of the irish riviera has just announced the…

The thirty-first running to the Tribesmen Head of the River in Galway this past weekend ended up with a curtailed programme due to unpredictable squalls which rendered early racing unsafe in the opinion of the organising officials.

If you read yesterday's Sunday Times then you'll know we're all about to disappear down the plug hole. If you'd rather not one option is to spend the early Summer in paradise. Far-fetched? Not any more thanks to the Seychelles…

30ft Dufour Classic: Crosshaven Boat Yard have now reduced the price from Euro 49,950 to Euro 44,950 – great value! Located at Crosshaven, it’s got a fibreglass hull and 19hp Volvo engine. More details here

It may have been a grey start but the 2009 season is underway with Kinsale's April League sponsored by Des McWilliam's One sails. Afloat's Bob Bateman was there to capture the action. The conditions were lively with a 20kt southerly…

Green Dragon crossed the finish line off Rio de Janeiro at 18.59.40 GMT today, cheered on by crowds of locals that lined the shore to the marina. After over 40 days at sea the Chinese -Irish boat has dropped to…

America's Cup winning skipper Ed Baird will present the prizes tomorrow night at the Royal St. George champions dinner. Baird, 49, of St. Peterburg, Florida reached the pinnacle of his long sailing career last July 3 when he held the…

Tonight's RTE Seascapes radio programme asks why motorboats are becoming more popular than yachts? In a separate item on Tom MacSweeney's show, he interviews the only men in Ireland who are to be prevented by law from going to work…

Brazilian skipper Henrique Haddad and Lucy Macgregor of Great Britain earned the two remaining semi-final places at the Grand Final of the 2009 ISAF Nations Cup in Porto Alegre. The event follows the successful round held in Kinsale late last…