Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

#opti – The Irish European Optimist team return home later today (Monday) from the 2013 European Championships on Lake Balaton, Hungary, an event that had its fair share of light winds. The team - RCYC's Richard McGinley and Rebecca O'Shaughnessy, NYC's…

#isora – A fleet of 18 ISORA boats left the start line at Holyhead on Friday evening, 5th July, for the Lyver Race to Howth writes Peter Ryan. Of the 18 boats, 10 of them were ISORA boats. The low…

A Donegal based Redbay 6.1m RIB, Deep Six (the 'welcome wagon') along with another RIB from Belfast ran out to the Kish lighthouse on Dublin Bay on Saturday to escort a 10–boat RIB fleet from Wales up the river Liffey and…

#WorldUniversityRowing: Monika Dukarska finished fourth in the women’s single sculls at the World University Summer Games at Kazan in Russia today. The A Final was won by Natalia Dovgodko of the Ukraine in six minutes 13.76 seconds. Dukarska, who is…

#rnli – Ballycotton lifeboat launched at 17:15 this evening to a 30 ft Irish registered vessel with mechanical difficulties 12 miles east of Ballycotton. The vessel with two persons on board ran into difficulties and sought assistance. The Ballycotton lifeboat,…

#SydneyWorldCruise – Tomorrow is Australia Day and the Port of Cork will welcome up to 1500 from Down Under as well as 400 Kiwis to Cobh as part of their Sydney to Sydney World Cruise on board Princess Cruises Sea…

#PreservedTUG - Brocklebank, a preserved Liverpool based tug which is still in sea-going condition is to visit Dun Laoghaire Harbour next Monday (8 July), writes Jehan Ashmore. The tug is to make an afternoon arrival and subject to tides, the…

#ClubMedCruise – As previously reported on Afloat.ie, Club Med's impressive five-masted cruiseship Club Med 2 (1992/14,983grt) docked into Cork Harbour this morning, writes Jehan Ashmore. She had sailed overnight from Brest and her presence alongside Cobh will make for a…

#wayfarer – As one dinghy class, the RS 400s, can boast about record turnouts this season another class has been forced to scrub its Irish nationals, due to lack of interest. Such is the ebb and flow in the Irish dinghy and…

#vdlr – The waterfront in Dun Laoghaire wears its history lightly. In observing it, you're immediately aware of the elegant pavilions which are the classically-designed premises of the three senior yacht clubs, places which are redolent of a long history.…

#Dingle - The Minister for Transport, Tourism & Sport has officially opened a newly upgraded section of the main road to one of Ireland’s most popular coastal towns. Minister Leo Varadkar opened the new section of the N86 road outside…

#fishing – The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Simon Coveney T.D. & The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport Leo Varadkar,TD willl launch an enhanced safety package for fishermen at the pier  in Union Hall, Co Cork next Monday (July 8) at 12 noon. 

#laser – Ryan Glynn in the Radials with straight firsts was the stand-out performance at last weekend's Laser Leinster Championships in Wexford Harbour Boat Club. Conditions were 5-15 knots and shifty on Saturday then blowing stink Sunday, all in a fantastic…

#Diving - An Irishman who set a world record for long-distance SCUBA diving is preparing to double that incredible feat. Christopher Healy set the Guinness World Record for the fastest SCUBA dive over a distance of 10km in October 2011…

#Opti – Organisers at the European Optimist championships in Lake Balaton, Hungary where an Irish team is competing are struggling to complete races in just five knots of breeze.Only about half of the scheduled races have been sailed up to lunch…

#CruiseTallShips – An unprecedented number of cruiseships also equipped with sailing masts are to visit Irish ports this season, starting with the arrival of the five-masted Club Med 2 to Cork Harbour tomorrow, writes Jehan Ashmore. Club Med's impressive 637-foot…

#TrawlerDetained – According to The Irish Times, the Naval Service CPV LÉ Orla (P41) detained an Irish-registered fishing vessel yesterday about 50 nautical miles off Hook Head, Co Wexford. The detention was in relation to an alleged breach of fishing…

#HenleyRegatta – California Rowing Club beat Commercial by one and a quarter lengths in the Prince Albert for quadruple sculls at Henley Royal Regatta this morning. The big American crew flew into an early lead: they were in front by…

#moth – Irish Moth sailors, including London Olympian Annalise Murphy, joined the 30–knot club last weekend at the biggest ever UK Moth National championships held in Weymouth. The foiling class, introduced into Dublin Bay by Jon Chambers in 2011 is attracting something…

#MarineWildlife - Wildlife enthusiast Karl Grabe has posted on YouTube video of newborn seal pups rescued by the Dingle Wildlife and Seal Sanctuary last week. Named by staff at the sanctuary as Salt, Pepper, Sugar and Cocoa, the four are as…