Irish Offshore Sailing News. Training Courses, Lessons, & Race Results
Irish offshore sailor Pamela Lee is among 118 skippers now entering the final countdown to the 2026 Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe, with just over a month remaining before the solo transatlantic fleet leaves Saint-Malo. As previously reported by Afloat,…
Orient Express VI has completed a remarkable comeback to win the 25th anniversary Bosphorus Cup as 47 yachts raced through the heart of Istanbul on one of international sailing's most distinctive racecourses. The Turkish Farr 55, owned and skippered by…
ABB has joined Ferrari Hypersail as its Electrification Partner, bringing its Direct Current (DC) and marine power expertise to the development of Ferrari’s 100-foot oceanic full-foiling monohull yacht. Ferrari Hypersail is powered by renewable energy and is designed to combine…
Pamela Lee to Become First Irishwoman to Race Route du Rhum
12th September 2026 La Route du Rhum Race
Irish offshore sailor Pamela Lee will make history as the first Irishwoman to compete in the Route du Rhum – Destination Guadeloupe when she lines up in the race’s largest division, the 49-boat Class40 fleet, this November. The 38-year-old will race…
Six IMOCA teams have started The Ocean Race Atlantic 2026, setting off on a 3,200-nautical-mile transatlantic sprint from waters off New York to Lorient, France. The international fleet crossed the offshore start line at 1400 UTC on Wednesday (September 2),…
Irish solo sailor Pat Lawless has received his official Green Card for the 2026 McIntyre Golden Globe Race, clearing one of the final hurdles before Sunday’s start of the 30,000-nautical-mile solo, non-stop circumnavigation. Lawless was the second of the 16 skippers…
Three major offshore titles will be decided when the Royal Ocean Racing Club fleet sets out on the Nautical Cloud Cherbourg Race on Friday, 4 September. The traditional 75-nautical-mile sprint from Cowes to Cherbourg is the final event of the…
A human process failure involving conflicting weather and current data was the dominant cause of the scoring error that disrupted the 2026 Newport Bermuda Race, according to the event organisers’ investigation. The Bermuda Race Organising Committee (BROC), its Technical Committee…
French skipper Damien Guillou has won the Golden Globe Race's final offshore prologue as the 16-boat fleet moves into its last round of inspections ahead of the 6 September start from Les Sables-d’Olonne. Guillou brought his Rustler 36 Solarem home…
Irish Sailors Take Round Britain and Ireland Podium After Bellino Boom Break
21st August 2026 Rd Britain & Ireland
Dublin sailor Nicole Hemeryck and Cork's Joe Griffiths have completed the RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race aboard Bellino, taking a provisional IRC Two podium place despite racing the final 200 miles without a mainsail. The two Irish sailors, both…
Irish Duo McWilliam and Carroll Celebrate Overall Victory with Pace in Round Britain and Ireland Race
19th August 2026 Rd Britain & Ireland
The Royal Ocean Racing Club confirmed on Wednesday, August 19, that no remaining competitor could better Pace’s IRC corrected time, securing the top prize for Vincent and his crew. The victory has a strong Irish connection, with Tom McWilliam and…
Irish Pair Help Pace Claim Round Britain and Ireland Line Honours
16th August 2026 Rd Britain & Ireland
Irish sailors Tom McWilliam and James “Jim” Carroll were part of the 14-strong crew aboard Johnny Vincent’s Volvo 70 Pace as she completed the 1,805-nautical-mile RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race, the first monohull to enter Cowes on Sunday morning.…
Bretherton and Luhrs Selected for Ireland's Double-Handed Worlds Debut
16th August 2026 Mixed Offshore Keelboat
Ireland will be represented by Richard Bretherton and Inka Luhrs at the 2026 World Sailing Offshore Double-Handed World Championship in Marseille, France, from 23 September to 2 October. The pair have been selected by Irish Sailing for Ireland's first appearance…
Ireland’s Pat Lawless has arrived in Les Sables-d’Olonne as preparations intensify for the 2026 McIntyre Golden Globe Race, which starts from the French Atlantic port on 6 September. Lawless, sailing the Saltram Saga 36 Green Rebel, is among 16 skippers…
The ARC Baltic rally has returned after a six-year absence, with a fleet of cruising yachts completing a 1,000-nautical-mile voyage through some of northern Europe's best-known cruising grounds. Organised by the World Cruising Club, the rally began in Kiel, Germany,…
Damian Foxall's Marine Wildlife Sailing Guide Gains Global Award Recognition
4th August 2026 Marine Wildlife
Irish offshore sailor Damian Foxall has been recognised as a driving force behind one of sailing's leading environmental initiatives after the Marine Megafauna in Sailing Guidelines were shortlisted for the 2026 Sport Positive Awards. The guidelines, developed jointly by World…
