Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine

Two Legs of Irish Anglerfish and Megrim Survey 2022 to Be Carried Out From This Month
1st February 2023 Fishing
The first and second legs of this year’s Irish Anglerfish and Megrim Survey (IAMS 2022) will be carried out from Saturday 11 February to Tuesday 7 March. Surveys will be conducted to the West, Southwest and South Coasts of Ireland…

Dubarry Nautical Crossword: Win A Pair of Commodore X LT Deckshoes in Our Online Competition HERE!
1st February 2023 Nautical Crossword
Afloat.ie in association with Dubarry brings you a bi-monthly nautical crossword competition (No. 201). Win a pair of Dubarry Commodore X LT or Sailmaker X LT deck shoes! Complete the crossword below and add your details below and the first…

Melges 15: A New Double-Handed Dinghy Fleet to Arrive for the 2023 Dublin Bay Sailing Season
31st January 2023 Melges 15
The Melges 15 dinghy, a new double-handed dinghy taking the US by storm, is due to launch in Europe this summer, with its first European fleet set for Dublin Bay. Leading the class launch is John Sheehy of the Royal Saint…

The Ocean Race’s IMOCAs Are Racing Into the South After Doldrums Dilemma
31st January 2023 Ocean Race
As January comes to a close, so does one chapter of Leg 2 of The Ocean Race 2022-23. The IMOCA fleet has burst into the southern hemisphere, crossing the equator overnight and escaping the calms of the doldrums. GUYOT environnement…

Caroline Bocquel has been named CEO of Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland's Seafood Development Agency. Marine Minister McConalogue welcomed the selection of the new CEO and said, "I am delighted to announce that Caroline Bocquel has been named as BIM's…

Ballycotton RNLI Lifeboat Goes Country with Wild West Themed Fundraiser
31st January 2023 RNLI Lifeboats
The Ballycotton RNLI fundraising calendar 2023 kicks off in style with a ‘Wild West’ entertainment-filled evening at the Blackbird, Ballycotton on Friday 3rd February from 7.30 pm until late. Dust off your cowboy hat and pull on your dancing boots…

Kirsten Neuschäfer, the Only Woman Competitor in the Golden Globe Race, Takes the Lead
31st January 2023 Golden Globe Race
149 days ago, on Sept 4th 2022, 15 men and one woman set out from Les Sables d’Olonne. Their dreams and aspirations were to circumnavigate solo in the extreme Golden Globe Race. In 1968, nine set out on the first…

Ewan McMahon and Robert Dickson/Sean Waddilove Among Early Irish Entries for Bumper Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca
31st January 2023 Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing
More than 560 crews from 54 countries have already pre-registered for the 52 Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mallorca. In the history of Mallorca's classic Olympic class regatta, this is already an unprecedented level of interest in the showcase regatta, which runs…

In the third quarter of last year, Irish Ports handled tonnes of goods which increased by 4% compared with the same period the year before, according to Central Statistics Office (CSO) data. Of the seven main ports, some 3,202 vessels arrived, however…

Silver for Britain's Sills in Dramatic Olympic Circuit Opener
31st January 2023 Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing
British windsurfer Sam Sills scooped a silver medal in a thrilling finale to the first Olympic class regatta of 2023. Sills, 29, from Launceston in Cornwall, dominated the opening round of the iQFOiL Games in Lanzarote but had to settle…

Cork Harbour's Ocean to City race is taking entries from February 15th for its 19th annual event on June 3rd. Over 500 people participated in last year’s event, which returned after a two-year break due to Covid-19. The all-inclusive rowing…

It took her just over sixty days, covering more than 800 miles on skis while pulling a 350-pound sledge. Five years ago, in January 2018, Norwegian adventurer and oncology nurse Astrid Furholt became the first woman to ski to the…

This year will see the welcome return of the annual Dunmore East RNLI Open Water Swim in County Waterford, which will take place on Sunday, 28th May 2023. Hundreds of swimmers will be taking to the water starting from the…

Fifty Skiffs, River Outriggers, Kayaks, Canoes, Dragon Boats and Currachs Smash 1,000km Target to Eaise €20,000 for RNLI Lifeboats and the Irish Underwater Search & Recovery Unit
31st January 2023 River Liffey
The All In A Row Liffey Challenge was held in early December on the capital’s River Liffey with the challenge for the rowers to smash a 1,000km target in eight hours. Fifty skiffs, kayaks, canoes, dragon boats and currachs were…

Tall Ships Voyages Awards Ceremony Recognises Sail Trainees at the Mansion House
31st January 2023 Tall Ships
Trainees who made outstanding contributions to the Tall Ships voyages organised in 2022 by the charity Sail Training Ireland were recognised at the Annual Awards Ceremony at the Mansion House, courtesy of Lord Mayor Caroline Conroy (on Saturday, 28th January…

Barrow Navigation: Navigation and Trackway Reopening During New Phase Bridge Construction in Athy
30th January 2023 Inland Waterways
Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels and waterways users on the Barrow Navigation that the construction of the Athy Distributor Road Bridge has progressed to stage three with the bridge deck installation. Resulting from this, new navigation and pedestrian…

Fast and Furious at the Viking Marine DMYC Dinghy Frostbites in Dun Laoghaire Harbour
30th January 2023 DMYC
With “Frostbites Director” Neil Colin off on a sporting holiday, the decision on whether to race yesterday fell squarely on the shoulders of the day’s Race Officer, Cormac Bradley, and while I had been monitoring the weather as early as…

The Ocean Race: Tensions Run High as Wind and Boat Speeds Hit New Lows in Unusually Large Doldrums
30th January 2023 Ocean Race
It’s been a difficult 24 hours for The Ocean Race fleet as the five IMOCA teams become fully engulfed in the Intertropical Convergence Zone, better known as the doldrums. The light, fickle winds, random storm cells and clouds that bring…

Whatever about weather extremes being experienced elsewhere in the world, Howth is apparently in its own little magic microclimate. January has served up four Sunday mornings on the trot with good racing for the MG Motor "Sailing Club of the…

Celtic Freeport Among Bidders Could Generate 16,000 Jobs In Wales
30th January 2023 Ports & Shipping
The granting of a freeport status to two ports in Wales would generate billions of pounds say campaign backers. Among the three bidders is Celtic Freeport which hopes to see the south Wales ports of Milford Haven and Port Talbot…