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Historic Boats
Spectral white…..Conor O’Brien’s ketch Ilen as she was this morning
When Gary MacMahon of Limerick brought the 57ft Conor O’Brien ketch Ilen back from the Falkland Islands in 1998, the 1927-built former inter-island trading and passenger transport vessel was in danger of becoming a ghost ship writes W M Nixon.…
'Fiendishly Tricky' Racing at Cowes Classic Boats Week
It was sun and fun all the way on day five of Panerai British Classic Week 2017 in Cowes, where not only did the participants enjoy some fiendishly tricky racing, but they also finally came together for the traditional Open…
Classic boat action at Cowes
The sun returned on day three of Panerai British Classic Boat Week where the fleets completed race five of the series, followed by the traditional Ladies Race. Not only had the sun reappeared, but the wind had moderated too and…
The handsome McGruer ketch Cuilaun – whose CV includes a Transatlantic Race Class Win – is headed for the Glandore Classic Regatta 2017 from July 23rd to July 28th
With just twelve days to go to the start of the 25th Anniversary Glandore Classic Boat Regatta 2017 from July 23rd to July 28th, Glandore Harbour Yacht Club are swinging all systems into action with the extra muscle provided by…
Eight metre yachts Helen, Athena, Osborne and Saskia take part in the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge 2017
The opening race day of Panerai British Classic Boat Week 2017 was an absolute scorcher with barely a cloud in the sky and glorious sunshine showing the fifty-one participating classic yachts off to absolute perfection. The regatta opened with a…
The first 33 boats have already gathered at Cill Ronan in the Aran Islands for tomorrow’s four day WIORA Championship, and a further 12 are expected by the time racing gets under way.
The first annual championship ever to be staged in the Aran Islands in the forty year history of the West of Ireland Offshore Racing Association gets under way tomorrow at Cill Ronan on Inish Mor. There’s a busy programme afloat…
The SOD's long distance race on the River Shannon is reputed to be the longest inland dinghy sailing race in the world and this year attracted a record fleet for a special celebration
The annual Long Distance Race for Shannon One Designs (SOD’s) took place last weekend (24th & 25th July) under the Burgee of Lough Ree Yacht Club. As Afloat.ie reported earlier, this year was more special than usual as it was…
Classic sailing at Crosshaven. See more photos below
There was more for historic boat fans at today's Crosshaven Traditional Sail festival in Cork Harbour.  Afloat's Bob Bateman captured both the classic boat fleet and spectator craft (below) on another lovely afternoon at Crosshaven. See day one Traditional Sail photos here and day…
Traditional boats will be sailing at Crosshaven this weekend
Preserving traditional boats is very important, using them even more so and racing them a sight to behold writes Tom MacSweeney. All can be seen this weekend at Crosshaven in Cork Harbour where vintage boats of all types, shapes and…
The recently refurbished HMS Caroline the only survivor of the Battle of Jutland 1916 has returned from H&W to her neighbouring berth in the Alexandra dry-dock, Belfast
#HMScaroline - An historic ship with a wartime past that is a modern day Belfast tourist attraction has had its future secured thanks to a major programme of innovative repairs, safety upgrades and improvements. As the Belfast Telegraph writes, HMS…
The IDRA 14/38 sailed by Alan Carr/Dana Kilroy of Sutton Dinghy Club
Seven IDRA 14s made the trip North over the weekend for their annual Northern Championships, with the usual entourage of “camp followers” young and old to enjoy the hospitality and beautiful scenery for their 22nd consecutive year at Carlingford Lough…
The spirit of West Cork traditional sailing – Jeremy Irons making knots in an Heir Island yawl.
It’s not every day you’re helped aboard a new boat by an international star of stage and screen writes W M Nixon. But it happened at the weekend in Baltimore, where A-list actor Jeremy Irons is now a quietly familiar…
Save Historic Ship: Owner of the ‘Naomh Éanna’ Sam Field Corbett has high hopes for development of his ageing former Aran Islands ferry converted into a boutique hotel located on the Liffey
#SaveShip! -The owner of a heritage ship is seeking about €2 million from a joint investor to convert the Naomh Éanna into a boutique hotel/ hostel, cafe and restaurant, which he then hopes to berth close to the CHQ building…
#10yearArrival – The unique venue of Dublin’s only floating bar and restaurant located on the Liffey in the form of MV Cill Airne arrived to the capital a decade ago as of last Thursday, writes Jehan Ashmore. At that stage…
Green Dragon as she was in her glory days. Her spare mast will be stepped today in Galway Docks, the most important stage in bringing her back to full sea-going order
The veteran Volvo Racer Green Dragon (back mast-less in her old home port of Galway since Sunday) has been sorted. Her spare mast will be stepped today, with the port’s adopted French supersailor Yannick Lemonnier playing a key role in…
Con Murphy and Cathy MacAleavey sailing the Jimmy Furey-built Water Wag Mariposa in idyllic conditions on the Golfe de Morbihan
The intriguing story of how a ship’s gig of 1796 came to be quietly preserved in Bantry House is well known among classic and traditional boat enthusiasts writes W M Nixon. The elegant craft was left behind after the unsuccessful…