Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Although this year's 38th Galway Hooker racing at Cruinniú na mBád was cut short due to the high winds there was still plenty of activity at Galway's maritime sailing festival. 'Aisling Geal', Bob Quinn's original 1979 film of the first Cruinniu…

It takes a leap of the imagination to realise what a remarkable breakthrough the introduction of the Irish Dinghy Racing Association 14ft One Design represented in 1946 writes W M Nixon. But the 70th Anniversary celebrations of this ever-young classic…

For many years now the 1898-founded Howth 17s have spun quite an event out of their annual “National Championship” writes W M Nixon. It may only be a weekend series for a vintage one-design class at its home port, but…

The traditional Galway Hooker is usually a much-restored craft writes W M Nixon. The climate of Ireland’s Atlantic seaboard is cruel for wooden boats built using basic materials, and the shipwrights of Connemara are skilled in replacing bits and pieces…

The historic International 12 foot Dinghy Class and Dublin Bay 12 footer Irish Championships will be hosted by the Royal St. George Yacht Club on August 30th.  Only one race is required to be completed to constitute a series and…

If you’ve been wondering just when the current spell of unsettled weather might give way to better conditions, not to mention what has been causing it all in the first place, then the lovely natural harbour and pretty village of…

In early 2015 a number of Fermanagh people, some whose families go back for generations working and living on and around Lough Erne, were brought together to discuss their concerns that the history and heritage of wooden boat building on…

Colleen Deas, from Glandore Harbour Yacht Club, a replica of the traditional Dublin Bay class that dates from the 1800's, was sailing in the summer sunshine in Cork Harbour yesterday.

#EnjoyNI2016 – A must see is Belfast’s newest visitor attraction HMS Caroline, a World War 1 light battle cruiser, uniquely the last survivor of the 1916 Battle of Jutland, berthed in the city’s Titantic Quarter, writes Jehan Ashmore. The slaughter…

Following the launch of the new build IDRA 14 wooden dinghy on Saturday, after a three year long project, the Clontarf Yacht & Boat Club team lead and novice boat builder Ronan Melling has thanked all of those involved in…

What do former round Ireland trophy winners do when they don’t have time to do the race itself? Former regular in the Round Ireland fleet Dave Nixon of Howth tells us the best thing to do is sail a 109–year–old…

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the wooden dinghy IDRA 14, a group of amateur boat builders from Clontarf Yacht and Boat Club (CY&BC), led by Ronan Melling have built the first boat in almost 50 years. The clinker boat…

Innovation by necessity in windless conditions led ISORA to start Friday's race from Dublin to the Isle of Man by Virtual Race Management (VRM). The ground breaking move that brought about a silent start and finish could revolutionise race management,…

#Jutland100th - The last surviving Battle of Jutland naval ship provided a fitting backdrop writes the Belfast Telegraph for a commemoration honouring its centenary and all the Irish sailors who served in the First World War. The event today at…

#Jutland100th - Descendants of Irish sailors will gather in Belfast at Alexandra Dock on Tuesday for a commemoration marking their role during the First World War. The event writes the Belfast Telegraph will also mark the centenary of the Battle…

“Badoiri”, Joe St Leger’s documentary about the people and the western world of the traditional Galway Hookers, is due for its first screening on Monday May 23rd on RTE One at 7.30pm writes W M Nixon As Afloat.ie previously reported,…