An Irish father of three has died after kitesurfing during a holiday in Portugal, as Independent.ie reports.

The man, named locally as Tom Griffin, took ill on Fonte da Telha beach near Lisbon last Wednesday 12 June.

Tribute have been paid by the community in Maynooth where he lived, including from Intel in Leixlip where he worked in semi-conductor fabrication.

Independent.ie has more on the story HERE.

Following delivery of their latest pilot boat for the Port of Leixoes in Portugal, the Cork Harbour performance boat specialsts at Safehaven Marine announced the signing of contracts with two Spanish ports.

The port of San Ciprian has contracted for an Interceptor 42 pilot vessel while the larger Port of Coruna to the south-west has commissioned an Interceptor 48 pilot. Both are to be delivered in mid 2020.

Safehaven Marine says its pilot craft have proven very popular in the Iberian Peninsula.

Once these latest commissions are delivered — and the ports of Gijon and Algeciras begin undertaking pilot transfers with their own Interceptors — Safehaven will have 14 pilot boats working in the peninsula.

Both new contracts were signed simultaneously after pilots from Coruna and San Ciprian were impressed by sea trials of the new Leixoes pilot, named Lada, on delivery last month.

#Canoeing: Ronan Foley took gold medals on Saturday and Sunday at the canoe marathon World Cup in in Viana do Castelo in Portugal. The Kilcullen man dominated the short race on Saturday, and then sprinted away from his rivals on the last portage to win the marathon test on the Sunday.

 Barry Watkins took silver in the senior race over the short course on Saturday and took 10^th on Sunday – recovering from an unwanted swim in rough conditions.

Canoe Marathon World Cup, Viana Do Castelo, Portugal (Irish interest; selected results):

Saturday

Men – K1 Short Race: 2 B Watkins 13:46.15.

K1 Short Race, Juniors: 1 R Foley 14 min 52.43 sec.

Sunday

Men – K1 Marathon: 10 Watkins 2 hr 21 min 10.20.

K1 Marathon, Junior Final: 1 Foley 1 hr 53 min 7.34 sec.

#Canoeing: Ireland’s Jenny Egan won the K1 5,000 metres at the first canoe sprint World Cup in Portugal today. The 30-year-old paddler had just .77 of a second to spare over Spain’s Estefania Fernandez after the long battle. Lizzie Broughton of Britain was third.

Canoe Sprint World Cup, Montemor-O-Velho, Portugal Day Two (Irish interest)

Women

K1 200 – A Final: 9 J Egan 42.743.

K1 5,000 – Final: 1 Ireland (J Egan) 22 mins 52.8 seconds, 2 Spain (E Fernandez) 22:53.57, 3 Britain (L Broughton) 22:56.98.

#Canoeing: Jenny Egan qualified for the A Final of the women’s K1 200 metres at the canoe sprint World Cup in Montemor-O-Velho in Portugal today. The Ireland paddler finished third in her semi-final to take the ninth and final place. On Friday, Egan just missed out on qualifying for the final of the K1 500, taking fourth in the semi-final. She will also compete in the K1 5,000 on Sunday.  

Canoe Sprint World Cup, Montemor-O-Velho, Portugal (Irish interest)

Women

K1 500 – Heat One: 5 Ireland (J Egan) 1:56.116. Semi-Final (Three to A Final): 4 Egan 1:55.512.

K1 200 – Heat One: 6 Ireland (J Egan) 45.536. Semi-Final (Three to A Final): 3 Egan 42.103.

#Canoeing: Jenny Egan won a gold medal at the canoe sprint World Cup in Montemor-o-Velho in Portugal today. In a sprint to the line in strong winds Egan had .99 of a second to spare over Margaret Hogan of the United States. Melanie Gebhardt of Germany took the bronze. Egan also reached the A Final of the K1 500 metres.

  The Salmon Leap paddler took silver in the last World Cup in Racice in the Czech Republic.

#isafyouthnats – As Ireland hosts the Under–16 European Optimist Championships on Dublin Bay today, simultaneously the 44th edition of the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship has been declared open by ISAF President Carlo Croce at the opening ceremony in Tavira, Portugal.

Ireland is represented by a team of seven boys and girls who have been recording some promising results recently.

The 2014 ISAF Youth Worlds features 67 nations, an event record, with more than 360 sailors set to compete in five classes across eight events in the Algarve.

Sixty seven flag bearers and their teams paraded through Tavira towards the City Hall with local people, tourists, family and friends turning out to welcome the sailors competing at the premier youth sailing regatta.

Ireland's youth team for Portugal is Laser Radial Boy: Séafra Guilfoyle (Royal Cork Yacht Club) Girl: Sarah Eames (Ballyholme Yacht Club) 420 Boys: Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove (Howth Yacht Club) Girls: Lizzie and Cara McDowell (Malahide Yacht Club) and Sean Donnelly (National Yacht Club) and Patrick Crosbie (Royal Cork Yacht Club)

The traditional Mixing of the Waters followed, symbolising the collection and gathering of all the sailors from around the world. The 67 teams had brought bottles of water from lakes and seas from their home nation and poured them into a jug before the water was transferred into the Portuguese waters.

Speeches were delivered by ISAF President Carlo Croce, Chairman of the Organizing Committee Joao Pedro Rodrigues, Mayor of Tavira Jorge Botelho, Portuguese Sailing Federation President Jose Manuel Leandro and Secretary of State of Sports and Youth Emidio Guerreiro.

During the opening ceremony ISAF President Carlo Croce said, "I thank all of you for coming here from all over the world. The ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship is an important event and in its 44th year it's building up more and more. It represents the values of the International Olympic Committee. We see environment, accessibility, universality, fairplay and nice times for all.

"The sailors come to the ISAF Youth Worlds because it is the pinnacle event for a youth sailor. What I want to tell is, yes you're here to take the results of all your work but please remember that this event is for friendship. You need become friends with your competitors because you will meet them in the future and this is why sailing is a lifetime sport.

"I hope you enjoy your sailing and the regatta will be beautiful. The organizing committee have done a tremendous job and ISAF are pleased to be here."

As the ISAF Flag was hoisted Croce declared the 44th ISAF Youth Worlds open.

Sailors attentions now turn to the race action with the first start scheduled for 13:00 on Monday 14 July. Racing continues through to 18 July.

#Offshore - BBC News reports that a sailor who went missing last week during a solo voyage from Plymouth to Portugal has been located and airlifted to hospital after falling overboard.

The 66-year-old man set off last Monday 10 June but apparently suffered chest injuries during the first night.

Falmouth Coastguard has difficulty contacting the man to determine his position but he was eventually found some 225km off the Isles of Scilly. He was later transported by helicopter to Cork for treatment.

# EURO CANOE SPRINT: Ireland’s Andrzej Jezierski finished sixth in the A Final of the C1 (Canadian Canoe) 200 metres at the European Canoe Sprint Championships in Portugal. The Polish-born athlete was among the leaders early on, but was reeled in during the middle stages of the race, which was won by Jevgeni Shuklin of Lithuania. Jezierski was .955 of a second behind.

Earlier, Barry Watkins finished seventh in the men’s K1 (racing kayak) 500 metres. Watkins had also reached the A Final of the K1 1000m, where he finished eighth. Pat O’Leary, Ireland’s first paracanoeist to take part in an international championships, also made the A Final of the men’s K1 200m, finishing ninth.

Jenny Egan finished fifth in the women's K1 5,000 metres.

European Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe Championships (Irish interest; selected results)

Saturday

Men

K1 1000m – A Final: 8 B Watkins 3:33.420.

C1 200m – Heat One: 2 A Jezierski 41.594.

Paracanoe – K1 200m - A Final: 9 P O'Leary.

Women

K1 200m – Heat One: 9 J Egan 47.429

Sunday

Men

K1 500m – A Final: 7 B Watkins 1:44.421

C1 200m – A Final: 6 A Jezierski 42.631 seconds

Women

K1 5000 - Final: 5 J Egan 23:13.753

# EURO CANOE SPRINT: On his first outing at the European Canoe Sprint Championships in Portugal, Ireland’s Andrzej Jezierski finished second in his heat of the C1 200, just eight hundredths of a second off the top spot. Jezierski goes directly through to tomorrow's A Final.

Barry Watkins finished eighth in the A Final of the K1 1000.

European Canoe Sprint Championships (Irish interest)

Men

K1 1000 – A Final: 8 B Watkins 3:33.420.

C1 200 – Heat One: 2 A Jezierski 41.594

Women

K1 200 – Heat One: J Egan 47.429