Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

The launch of the new Dufour 32 is exciting news for the Irish market, says Irish Distributor Hugh Mockler of Crosshaven Boatyard in Cork Harbour. "This new model from Dufour Yachts comes with a single long rudder and tiller steering,…

With the healthy sailing season bursting into life all around us - and doing so almost regardless of the various stages of pandemic-emergence ashore - there’s a shortage of quality used boats available worldwide, and particularly in Ireland. So news…

These days the description cruiser-racer has come to have so many interpretations that it can be meaningless, and even the best of them can disappear into the "boats with a lid" category. But when David Thomas created the design for…

It's always heartening to know that there are boats like the Oyster 37 Amazing Grace in the Irish fleet. They date from that era in the mid-to-late 1970s when leading yacht designers (in this case Don Pye of Holman &…

The Howth Yacht Club Half Tonner 'The Big Picture' that is currently on the market has had a price drop from €55,000 to €48,000 as the 2021 sailing season kicks off. Skipper Michael Evans says he is selling due to the purchase of a…

Following the successful cooperation on VAT and customs, the leading European, British, and international leisure marine associations continue to provide clarity on the new post-Brexit trade relationships. The International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA), European Boating Industry (EBI), European…

With sailing slowly re-emerging in Ireland which is still some distance from being post-pandemic, we seem to be seeing our sport taking shape again with a series of baby steps. In such circumstances, there’s much to be said for the…

In his almost-under-the-radar way of working, Andrew Wolstenholme is one of the most versatile boat designers practising the art of putting interesting craft afloat. All he seems to ask of clients is that they don’t request a run-of-the-mill vessel of…

Following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU, there have been many questions that have caused confusion and uncertainty for the leisure marine sector both in the UK and in the EU27. Arguably, the biggest has been around the VAT status…

The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and British Marine have welcomed HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) announcement of a six-month extension to the one-year grace period for Returned Goods Relief (RGR) previously put in place by the British Government. The news…

Following several weeks of teasing, Lagoon (along with its Irish agent MGM Boats) has unveiled its new model, the Lagoon 55 catamaran. Straight out of the shipyard at Construction Navale Bordeaux, the first prototype was launched last month, from the…

The Cork-based successful cruiser-racer Elan 333 Artful Dodger is up for sale priced at €59,500. This could be one of the best combination cruiser-racers around. As regular Afloat readers will recall, this top racer has a great racing record, including…

The Impala 28 OOD Wild Mustard is for sale. Wild Mustard is a 1982 version of this successful IRC design, having had a "small fortune" spent on her, according to owner Dave Cullen of Howth.  The most recent additions to her…

Two months after Brexit, there's no doubting the new seascape for importing boats into Ireland. VAT and tariffs' imposition means it is now a costly exercise to either buy or sell a boat in the UK, traditionally a big marketplace for…

Dublin based broker Leinster Boats are selling a fleet of six Rondar Firefly dinghies ideal for team racing for €9,500. Broker Ronan Beirne of Leinster boats say the GRP hulls require attention but that's to be expected with a 2004-built…

Solent yachtsman and Rear Commodore of the Royal Yacht Squadron, Bertie Bicket has announced that his latest Fargo is to be a new Melges IC37. Currently under construction at Fibre Mechanics in Lymington, she is due to be delivered in…