Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Newbies to the Ballyholme suburb of Bangor on Belfast Lough tend to call the shops at a crossroads The Village, and now there is another village at Ballyholme – at the Yacht Club –  the ILCA 6 Euros Competitors' Village…

Belfast Lough Sailability is a non-profit organisation run entirely by dedicated volunteers. It exists for sailing and boating to disabled and disadvantaged people across Northern Ireland. Operating from Carrickfergus Marina on the north side of Belfast Lough, it has a…

An exhibition celebrating the 200th Anniversary of the RNLI is currently running in the Long Gallery at the North Down Museum in Bangor on Belfast Lough. Over the years, the charity’s volunteers have answered the call to rescue day or…

Jessika Robson from Hillsborough has won the annual Open House Festival Pickie to Pier Swim in Bangor on Belfast Lough for the third time. Previously winning in 2022 and 2021, Jessika was pipped to the post at last year's event…

The crew of Merryjack defied their age at last week's Bangor Regatta on Belfast Lough competing in Class six YTC and taking third overall. Crew man and poet Glen McMahon on the Oceanis 37 might never be Poet Laureate but…

Belfast Harbour based maritime technology company Artemis Technologies (ATL) has announced a new partnership with UK domestic ferry operator Red Funnel, which operates between Southampton and the Isle of Wight. The partnership between the green high-tech boatbuilder located in Queen's Island…

Belfast Harbour has announced strong financial results for 2023, showing an increase in annual turnover and operating profits despite a challenging global trading environment. The Harbour's annual turnover reached £82.9 million, marking a 7% increase from the previous year, while…

A UK towage company, SMS Towage of Hessle, Hull, England, which has operations including Belfast Harbour, has been acquired by Boluda Towage, a division of Boluda Corporación Marítima of Valencia, Spain, writes Jehan Ashmore. Boluda Towage has signed an agreement…

A new Atlantic 85 class inshore lifeboat has officially gone on service at Bangor RNLI in Northern Ireland. The Ruby Robinson arrived at the Co Down station on Tuesday afternoon (25 June) and replaces the Jessie Hillyard, which has been…

It certainly wasn’t champagne sailing last weekend for the Ridgeway RS Feva Northerns at Royal North of Ireland YC in Belfast Lough. The persistent strong on shore winds gusting 29 knots at times didn’t let up on Day 1 so…

Bangor RNLI launched to the aid of two people on Wednesday evening (12 June) after their boat encountered engine problems near Groomsport. At 8.35pm, Bangor’s RNLI volunteers launched their Atlantic 85 class lifeboat Jessie Hillyard following a request from Belfast Coastguard…

The Squib Northern Championship went right down to the wire last weekend when the far travelled Ian Travers and Keith O’Riordan in Atomic from Kinsale Yacht Club won the final of five races to knock Dick Batt and Gordy Wright,…

On the North Down coast there are among the many open water swimming groups, the Chunky Dunkers at Donaghadee and the Brompton Beaus and Belles near Carnalea and no doubt some of them plus dozens of other will be part…

For Terry Windsor of Carrickfergus Sailing Club on the north shore of Belfast Lough, awards come in twos. Last year, he received an award from East Antrim Borough Council for Services to Sport in recognition of 28 years of service…

Eels in a park pond? About 150 eels were found during de-silting work in the ponds in the 37-acre Ward Park in the centre of Bangor on Belfast Lough. That’s about 5,000 km from their spawning area, the Sargasso Sea…

Inclement weather played havoc with the six-race Royal Ulster Yacht Club Spring Series on Belfast Lough, with Sunday, 7th April, cancelled. However, four races eventually gave overall results. The last outing on 21st April started with little wind, and the…