Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

#jacquesvabre – British co-skippers Ned Collier Wakefield and Sam Goodchild are safely in Muros, NW Spain with their Class 40, Concise 8 this morning, having confirmed their abandonment from the 2013 Transat Jacques Vabre double-handed race from Le Havre to…

#FerryDisruption – According to IsleofMan.com, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company says bad weather this week may mean travel disruption for ferry passengers. Near-gale force winds in the Irish Sea are forecast for later tonight (Wednesday) and early tomorrow,…

#teamracing – The results of the 2013 Irish Team Racing Association Irish Team Racing Nationals could inspire a strange feeling of déjà vu. Yet again the final was sailed between visitors Wessex Exempt and local team the George Knights. Once…

#newships – Arklow Marine Services, the shipbuilding yard owned and managed by the Tyrrell family, is celebrating the successful completion of a €2.3m order with the launch of a vessel for use in the development of UK offshore wind farms.…

ISAF has announced the winners of the 2013 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards are (Male) Mathew Belcher (AUS) (Female) Jo Aleh & Polly Powrie (NZL) Having being nominated twice before in 2010 and 2012, it proved to…

#TURKEYSHOOT – Deja Vu was the winner of the second Rathfarnham Ford sponsored DBSC Turkey Shoot race last Sunday in light conditions on Dublin Bay. A photo gallery from Aidan Tarbett is available below and results are downloadable as a…

#EmerNIGERIA – The former Naval Service OPV L.E. Emer took the short journey between the Naval Base on Haulbowline Island to Cork Dockyard Ltd today for upgrading work for her new owners, writes Jehan Ashmore. The 65m vessel was brought…

A report into a collision at Rosslare Europort between the "MV Stena Europe & MV Oscar Wilde" has been published recently by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board. On 26th October 2012 the passenger car ferry M/V "Stena Europe" was berthing…

#Ports&Shipping –The latest IMDO Weekly Shipping Market Review includes the following stories as detailed below. Irish Economy: Increased Industrial Production - The Investec Irish Manufacturing PMI reached a 14-month high in September with a figure of 52.7. This figure was…

#QEaircraftcarriers - On Armistice Day the massive hull of the Royal Navy's newbuild 65,000 tonnes aircraft-carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, was finally completed with the 'ski-ramp' slotted into place at Rosyth Dockyard, writes Jehan Ashmore. The facility on the Forth of…

#watersafety – Thirty-seven rescuers from twenty-two dramatic near-death incidents will receive recognition at Irish Water Safety's National Awards Ceremony at City Hall on Tuesday 19th November 2014, from 3pm to 5pm. Thirty-six lives were saved from drowning through the brave…

#NewTUGS - The tug Masterman was named at a ceremony in Belfast Port last week, the event marks the second tug for SMS Towage Ltd which launched a new towage service in early October, writes Jehan Ashmore. The entry of…

#lasersailing – The return of Brazilian sailing legend Robert Scheidt to Laser competition after nine years in the Star class has raised the stakes among the 2016 Olympic Games contenders at the Laser Standard Men's World Championships 2013 starting in…

#flares – US marine writer Joan Wenner saw Afloat.ie's story on the RYA's position on distress flares. Flares have outlived their usefulness in an age of modern water safety technology, says theRoyal Yachting Association - which is urging British authorities to drop the requirement for flares…

#squib – The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) has cancelled a licence for the building of the Squib keelboat in the UK, according to a report on its website, leaving the class – that has a strong following in Ireland –…

#rorc – The Royal Ocean Racing Club based in London is world renowned for the organisation and support of the most prestigious offshore yacht races around the world, including its signature events the Rolex Fastnet Race, the Antigua based RORC…

The Flying Fifteen Association of Ireland has published its calendar of championship fixtures for 2014. Provisional dates are as follows: 17/18 May Northern Championships – Cushendall SC 14/15 June Southern Championships – Carlingford YC 22-24 Aug Championship of Ireland – Portaferry…

Courrier Vintage, MC34 Patton, co-owned by Sam Marsaudon and long time RORC member and supporter Géry Trentesaux is the RORC Yacht of the Year. The IRC Overall prize has gone to Piet Vroon's Ker 46, Tonnerre de Breskens 3 With the Rolex Middle…

Minister for Natural Resources, Fergus O'Dowd, today announced the timing and outline of the next Atlantic Margin Oil and Gas Exploration Licensing Round. The full detail of the Round will be announced after a review of oil and gas fiscal…

#fireball – Twelve Fireballs, up 50% from last week's entry, were part of a record 78-boat fleet for the 2nd round of the 2013/14 Frostbite Series in Dun Laoghaire. An e-mailed survey during the week canvassed opinion from the entrants…