Ireland's sailing, boating & maritime magazine

Bill Trafford, Ireland’s boatbuilding sorcerer who beavers away in a shed near Skenakilla Crossroads in North County Cork, is already hatching new magic as onlookers continue to be entranced by his Super Etchells 22 Guapa currently making her debut on…

As Johnny Smullen, boatbuilder to America’s Cup legend Dennis Conner has put it, the transformation job on a tired old Etchells 22 is simply amazing writes W M Nixon The well-worn white hull of a standard Etchells 22 went into…

The overall winner of the 2016 Etchells World Championship, hosted by the Royal London Yacht Club, is John Bertrand (AUS), representing the Royal Brighton Yacht Club, with a crew of Paul Blowers (GBR) and Ben Lamb (AUS). In 2nd is…

Big breeze arrived at the 2016 Etchells World Championship today; fully powered up, punching through Solent chop upwind and pulling the trigger down wind, several teams experienced gear failure. The conditions were unexpected, 25 knots of solid breeze with bullets…

It was a dramatic finish to the third day of the Etchells World Championship, sponsored by Red Funnel Ferries. John Bertrand, representing the Royal Brighton Yacht Club (AUS), was initially disqualified from Race 5, for being over early on a…

There was some more Aussie cheer, on Day Two of the Etchells World Championship. Irish born Noel 'Nitro' Drennan, has raced Etchells with Dennis Connor and John Bertrand, and his experience showed today, nailing the pin end of the start…

The 2016 Etchells World Championship started in earnest today, with two intensely competitive races in the Central Solent. It took four attempts to get the fleet away for Race One and the U-Flag start produced several casualties, including reigning Etchells…

250 guests attended the Etchells World Championship Gala Reception, hosted by the Royal London Yacht Club last night. The Medina Marching Band opened proceedings, and Regatta Director, David Franks, welcomed the sailors to the regatta. As the flags of the…

There is ongoing disgruntlement among some members of the Etchells fleet as to how rule changes were effected and communicated on the eve of the class world championships in Cowes tomorrow. The assembled fleet on the English South coast learned…

The New Zealand team racing Feng Shui of Andrew Wills, Anatole Masfen and Matthew Kelway, has won the 2016 Etchells Open European Championship writes Louay Habib. After two days of tricky shifting breeze in the Solent, the New Zealand Team…

For the first day of the 2016 Etchells Open European Championship, Principal Race Officer, Phil Lawrence, prophesied that it might be a long day and he was spot on writes Louay Habib. Malahide YC's Bedrock skippered by Richard Burrows is…

Ireland will be well represented across the fleet at the Etchells European Championships that starts in Cowes today. The Etchells 22 Class is, by many, regarded as one of the most competitive one design keelboat classes left now that there…

Howth's Bedrock skippered by Richard Burrows was the sole Irish Etchells competing at a star studded Sir Kenneth Preston Trophy fleet at the Royal Yacht Squadron at the weekend. The HYC boat finished 19th from 28 in a fleet that included…

This one design keelboat fleet may be disappearing from Irish shores but an Irish presence at the Etchells World Championships remains with at least three Irish boats competing in Hong Kong over the past week. Richard and Samantha Burrows and…

#etchells – Consistency is king and Bill Hardesty and crew of Stephanie Roble, Taylor Canfield and Marcus Eagan have earned the 2014 Etchells World Championship by sticking to a steady plan for success. Ireland's title bid, that included an eighth place…

#etchells – An eighth scored in race four of the Etchells World Championships has moved sole Irish boat, Bedrock sailed by Richard, David and Samantha Burrows, up to 27th overall in New York. Overall results are here Bill Hardesty's resilience has…