Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

#islandnation – This week on THIS ISLAND NATION .... coastal communities beat Coast Guard management for the second time; when will the Government realise the economic value of sailing; sea snails have an acidic message; shipping emotion; seafood is doing…

#national18 – The National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire will be hosting the National 18 Irish dinghy sailing Championships, the first time since the mid 1960's that this exciting trapeze class will hold their Championships in Dublin. The event will…

#fishing– Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine warned the Council of Fisheries Ministers in Brussels today, that the over reliance on pelagic stocks for the annual exchange in fishing opportunities with Norway is having a detrimental effect…

In the four weeks to date, Dun Laoghaire's DBSC Turkey Shoot sailing series has had nearly 60 different non-sailors taking part. Boats that have taken non-sailors racing have benefitted with a handicap discount, a new DBSC initiative. The start times…

#RNLI - The Southern Star reports that Castletownbere RNLI in West Cork has a found a permanent home with the construction of a new station and pontoon. Coxswain Brian O'Driscoll told the paper that the new station was "a long…

#ON THE TV - Tonight's episode of Ear to the Ground on RTÉ One will feature a report on bass angling in Ireland, and the commercial fishing sector's efforts to re-open bass fisheries. Among those interviewed for the feature were…

#COASTAL NOTES - Coastwatch Ireland has urged for the plastic bag levy to be applied to sanitary products, balloons, lighters and other disposables that can be harmful to Ireland's marine wildlife. The Irish Times reports on the call from the…

#rnli – Last night at 8.40pm, as the Crosshaven RNLI lifeboat was returning from exercise, information was received from Valentia Coast Guard Radio of a distress flare sighted about 1 miles South of Gyleen. Further information received was of a…

#COASTGUARD - BreakingNews.ie reports that the coastguard stations at Malin Head and Valentia will remain open, following a statement to the Dáil by the Minister for Transport this evening. Coastal communities in Donegal and Kerry had been protesting against plans…

#FESTIVE CRUISE – A Christmas Party Night Cruise with resident DJ playing your favourites from the 70's to the present day will be a night out with a difference, as you set sail onboard Mersey Ferries. The Royal Daffodil, which…

#MANX FERRY – Sailings between the Isle of Man and Merseyside resumed service once again for the winter season, writes Jehan Ashmore. The Isle of Man Steam Packet Co.'s ro-pax Ben-My-Chree started Douglas-Liverpool (Birkenhead) sailings this month and the vessel…

#SB20 – A remarkable season for the 'Sharkbait' crew of Ben Duncan, Brian Moran and Joe Turner has seen them dominate the top of the SB20 Ireland Sportsboat ranking ladder. Full ranking ladder available to download below as an Excel…

#ANGLING - The Ireland Angling Show will be back at the National Show Centre in Swords for its 14th year on the weekend of 16-17 February 2013, bringing a host of big names to the capital to share their fishing…

#HYC - Howth Yacht Club's Sailing Committee has secured the Irish Sailing Association's Sailfleet J80 keelboats for Howth for the entirety of the 2013 sailing season, according to the club's website. The eight boats in the J80 fleet will available…

#dbsc -  Rebellion, a Nicholson 58, was the winner of last  Sunday's light air Turkey Shoot race, the fourth in the series on Dublin Bay. In a tie for second place was the Grand Soleil 40 Orna with Rubicon, a…

#SURFING - Here's a little something festive with four weeks to go till Christmas, as Afloat alum Markham Nolan highlights this wonderful photo of Santa Claus riding the waves on a stand-up paddle board via surfing website Magicseaweed. The shot…

#SEAFOOD AWARD – Sponsors of the Seafood Exporter Award Bord Bia have awarded Donegal based Errigal Seafoods at the Irish Exporter Association's (IEA) Industry Export Awards. The award recognises companies in the seafood sector that have made significant progress in…

#SHIPPING AWARD – Hapag-Lloyd was awarded Deep Sea Shipping Company of the Year Award at this year's Irish Exporters Association's Export Industry Awards. The category was sponsored by the Port of Cork Company which recognises the strategic role that deep…

#FERRY AWARD – At the annual Irish Exporters Association's Export Industry Awards, among the categories was for the Short Sea Shipping Company of the Year 2012, which was awarded to Stena Line in Rosslare, Co. Wexford. The award, sponsored by…

#rssailing – Following the success of the 2012 season where the Dun Laoghaire and Cork based Fevas joined the big sisters' RS200/400 regattas at a joint Nationals, the class hope to introduce the younger Northern Irish sailors to the thrill…