Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine

The GP14 Ireland Committee has drafted a provisional calendar for 2021 (outlined below) and is also working on ideas and options for the 2022 event calendar. The exact dates for the Irish hosted 2022 World Championships (rescheduled from 2020 and…

With less than one month to go until entry opens for the 49th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race, the RORC Race Team are concerned there will be a repeat of the 2019 rush to enter when the race became…

Ballyholme Yacht Club's Junior Icebreaker Sailors Get Racing on Belfast Lough
15th December 2020 Youth Sailing
Saturday 12th December saw an early Christmas present for Ballyholme Yacht Club junior sailors as racing returned for the first time since the end of the summer. A steady 10-12 knots from the West allowed a windward-leeward course to be…
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Nautitech 40 Catamaran Owner Describes 'Perfect Space' For Living Aboard
15th December 2020 J Boats & Grand Soleil
Mark Mansfield, Nautitech Catamarans agent for Ireland is highlighting a new video interview with a Nautitech Catamaran client who has decided to spend a considerable period aboard his new Nautitech 40 Catamaran. Key Yachting spoke to Rowan Gormley in Grenada…

Thomas Ruyant Leads the Vendée Globe, Top Three Boats Within Ten Miles of Each Other
15th December 2020 Vendee Globe
After race leader for more than three weeks Charlie Dalin reported damage to his port foil system on APIVIA yesterday evening and has been slowed to less than six knots dealing with the issue as best he can it is…

Cork Harbour's Green Rebel Marine Buys Aircraft for Aerial Surveys off the Irish Coast
15th December 2020 Crosshaven Boatyard
Green Rebel Marine with a base at Crosshaven Boatyard in Cork Harbour has announced the €1.5 million purchase of a DA42 multi-purpose aircraft to conduct aerial surveys off the Irish coast. Thousands of square miles of ocean are due to…

Damaged Foil on Dalin's Apivia as Bestaven's Maître CoQ Closes in on Vendee Globe Lead
14th December 2020 Vendee Globe
The leader of the Vendée Globe since 23rd November Charlie Dalin has this evening reported damage to his port foil system, a situation that may well cost him the overall lead over the next few hours. Second-placed Yannick Bestaven's Maitre…

What's Wrong With Ineos Team UK as America's Cup World Series Begins?
14th December 2020 America's Cup
All eyes are on Ineos Team UK as it struggles to compete in at least one trial race before the World Cup Series starts on Thursday in New Zealand. So far it has been anything but plain sailing for Ben Ainslie…

Connemara Gaeltacht Harbour Could Become Hub for Marine Renewable Energy
14th December 2020 Power From the Sea
Ros an Mhíl/Rossaveal could become a hub for marine renewable energy projects, if plans by Údarás na Gaeltachta come to fruition. The board of the Gaeltacht authority has recently approved funding to plan the development of a 30-acre site it…

Top Vendee Globe Trio Surf Towards the Pacific, Race Midpoint Beckons
14th December 2020 Vendee Globe
Day 36 - Leader 620 miles to the longitude of Tasmania - The three leaders of the Vendée Globe, Charlie Dalin, Thomas Ruyant and Yannick Bestaven now have the potential to open up a meaningful distance on the group which has…

Ronald Surgenor is a Project Officer with the Ulster Wildlife Trust and has been awarded the Marsh Volunteer Award for Marine Conservation. As well as caring for nature reserves and peatlands, Ronald is a dedicated volunteer sea-angler for the shark…

Northern Ireland Assembley Can Request UK Royal Navy to Protect Fishing Waters
14th December 2020 Fishing
The UK's Royal Navy will only deploy vessels to protect fishing waters surrounding Northern Ireland if requested to do so by the Stormont Executive, the British Government has said. It was revealed the UK had "run live exercises" that involve…

A new video featuring five of the most dramatic RNLI rescues of 2020 has been released today as the lifesaving charity braces itself for another busy Christmas: Figures for the last 10 years for the festive period (Christmas Eve to…

Noise of Bottom Trawling Disturbs Marine Mammals, NUIG Study Finds
14th December 2020 Marine Science
Whales are known to be disturbed by the noise of ships and oil and gas drilling, but now a new study says that bottom trawling can also upset marine mammals. As the Irish Independent reports today, scientists at NUI Galway’s…

New Film Shows How Tree Went From Oak to Boat in Iron Age Replica Project
14th December 2020 Historic Boats
An oak tree’s transformation from trunk to replica iron age boat on Connemara's Lough Corrib has been filmed as part of a University College Cork (UCC) project. Entitled "A New Logboat for Lough Corrib: The Pallasboy Project", the film was…

Dublin Port Completes Major Road Works & New Traffic Management Measures in Advance of Brexit
14th December 2020 Dublin Port
With just over two weeks to go before the re-introduction of border controls on goods arriving from Great Britain, Dublin Port Company (DPC) has today announced: The completion of works to increase the capacity of Dublin Port’s internal road network;…

Last week Jersey Coastguard was asked to go to the aid of a man dressed in red who reported that he had fallen out of his sleigh during a routine test flight and was stranded on a sandbank. Both RNLI…

RNLI Lifeboat volunteer Carol Flahive has received a long service badge in recognition of 20 years' dedicated service to the community. Carol joined Wicklow lifeboat in November 2000 and over the years has been in charge as the Helm on…
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Running Rigging: What Type of Rope to Use for Cruiser Racing & Where to Get It?
13th December 2020 Quantum Sails
Mark Mansfield, Professional sailor and agent for Quantum Sails goes through what options are available on rope and which to use in various circumstances Rope is one of the most used items on race boats, along with sails. Rope material…

Day 35 at Cape Leeuwin - As if to prove to that his slow speeds were indeed down to a prolonged dose of light winds and not any technical problems, Vendée Globe race leader Charlie Dalin lit the afterburners on…