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Irish Sailing and Yacht Club News. Regattas, Race Reports & Results
French oceans advisor Vincent Doumeizel
It is easier to pump oil from the bottom of the ocean than to farm seaweed, according to French oceans advisor Vincent Doumeizel. Doumeizel, from Burgundy in France, is a senior advisor on the oceans to the United Nations (UN)…
Ger and Mag Kirwan pictured at the fish ponds at Goatsbridge Trout Farm in Thomastown Co. Kilkenny
Goatsbridge Trout Farm in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, has completed a €1.68 million investment, which will allow it to increase production of its popular trout products and improve efficiencies. The investment, which included a factory extension, upgrading and introducing new state-of-the-art…
The mystery Royal Alfred Yacht Club tankard discovered in Cork is engraved with the words
A reader from Cork Harbour has reached out to Afloat in the hope of garnering more information about a silver tankard he recently stumbled upon. John Crosbie was clearing out his house in Cobh when he discovered the Royal Alfred…
Scilly season ends abruptly as Storm Ciaran batters Cornwall, causing cancelled sailings of the Isles of Scilly Steamship’s Scillonian III, as seen earlier this year at Penzance’s (outer pier) and fleetmate freighter, Gry Maritha. The latter former Norwegian vessel, continues the only year-round service, serving islanders with essential lifeline cargo-supplies, whereas passengers can continue to travel with the operator’s ‘Skybus’ air links from south-west England, where coastal attractions of the popular region include St. Michael’s Mount, in the distance of the harbour-town.
The seasonal Isles of Scilly Steamship ferry service has ended for the year as veteran Scillonian III sailed its last round-trip of Penzance Harbour-Hugh Town, St Mary's, the largest isle of the archipelago off Cornwall, England, writes Jehan Ashmore. The…
A State-owned weighbridge is located at Killybegs Port in County Donegal
An Irish parliamentary committee may summon the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) before it to explain its weighing system, reports Lorna Siggins. This follows a recent parliamentary (Oireachtas) agriculture, food and marine committee debate when Independent TD for Cork South-West…
Buoy oh buoy – dear oh dear. This wandering Visitor’s Mooring buoy has fetched up in the inner reaches of Clew Bay
Alex Blackwell, the noted voyager of Clew Bay, has a thing about moorings and anchoring. In fact, he and his wife Daria, in between intervals of oceanic cruising and making a direct administrative input with both the Ocean Cruising Club…
Baltimore Railway Station
The former Glenans Sailing Centre in the West Cork coastal village of Baltimore has been sold to a private developer, despite the local community's campaign to preserve it for a maritime heritage centre. The long saga of Baltimore Railway Station,…
A whopping 17 RS400s were on the water at the Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club
November is here, and although some would call it winter sailing, conjuring images of hats, gloves, rain and all-round miserable sailing conditions, the reality is that the weather this time of the year is perfect for sailing! And not only…
Valentina, a J112E debuting at the J Cup UK 2023
There are delivery slots available for current models in the J Boats range, including the J/112E, J/99 and the new J/45; you could be cruising or racing in time for next season. The J/112E is a highly versatile and sporty…
Fin-Tastic Sharks at Galway Science and Technology Festival
The Marine Institute, alongside the Explorers Education Programme for primary schools, will be showcasing marine science at the 2023 Galway Science and Technology Festival this weekend. Families are invited to the Bailey Allen Hall on the University of Galway campus…
Angler Sid Kennedy with a large pike
A unique record of very large fish caught and released by anglers in Ireland over the past 60 years has just been published. The 220-page Irish Specimen Fish Atlas covers 83 various species nationwide. It was compiled by the Irish…
Irish underwater cameraman Ken O’Sullivan captured Ireland’s marine wildlife like never before in North Atlantic: The Dark Ocean
Maritime TV documentary North Atlantic: The Dark Ocean has been awarded the Grand Prix Best Film of Festival Award at the Wildlife Film Festival Rotterdam, besting the likes of BBC’s Our Frozen Planet. As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the natural…
Irish sailors Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove sailing in Vilamoura
In Vilamoura, Portugal, on Wednesday, November 8th, 2023, despite light and fickle wind conditions, Irish sailors Robert Dickson and Seán Waddilove made a strong start to the 49er European Championships. The Howth and Skerries pair made a clean start to…
Peter Gilmore has joined RYA Northern Ireland as its new marketing and communications executive
Peter Gilmore has joined RYA Northern Ireland as its new marketing and communications executive. The Cardiff University graduate, who was born in Dublin and grew up in NI, has most recently been freelancing as a journalist and a reporter with…
Hazardous shipwrecks, most dating back several decades, dot the coastline of Estonia in the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Riga and Gulf of Finland
New predictive technology being developed in Estonia could help prevent the spread of pollution from shipwrecks. Estonia’s public broadcaster ERR News reports on the monitoring system created by marine scientists at Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) that may forecast where…
Loughs Agency Climate Action Plan consultation logoo
The public consultation has now commenced for the Loughs Agency’s draft Climate Action Plan, which outlines how the organisation aims to reduce its carbon emissions in the coming years. Responses are welcome for the next 12 weeks, with the consultation…
The ESPO Award 2023 winner is North Sea Port in recognition of its role in restoring nature in and around the port area to the benefit of the citizens and local community. The ESPO Award was handed out by Magda Kopczynska, Director General of DG MOVE in the European Commission.
North Sea Port has won the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) Award 2023 in recognition of its role in restoring nature in and around the port area to the benefit of the citizens and local community. Following a short-list of…
Chartered catamaran ferry, MV Alfred will continue to operate on the Clyde and Hebrides services network for an additional six months into 2024, among the routes will be Ardrossan-Brodick, Arran on the Firth of Clyde. The craft was first chartered from Pentland Ferries in March for an initial nine months.
Scotland's west coast ferry operator, Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) have confirmed that the chartered catamaran MV Alfred from Pentland Ferries, will run for a six-month extension. The added timeframe of the charter is to provide additional resources through the winter and…
2023 Irish National Wave Windsurfing Champions Finn Mellon and Katie McAnena ashore after the competition at Kerry’s Brandon Bay off Castlegregory, Co Kerry
Windsurfers Finn Mellon and Katie McAnena have taken gold in the highly competitive national wave championships in Kerry’s Brandon Bay off Castlegregory, Co Kerry. For McAnena, it is her tenth such win, while Mellon competed against his father, Niall, to…
SPARCing an initiative: Dr Mark Picton, RWE Renewables, David Jones, Blue Gem Wind, Sara Jones, Floventis Energy, Naomi Bowen, Blue Gem Wind, Jess Turfery RWE Renewables, Vidette Swales, Port of Milford Haven Authority (MHPA), Ben Williams, RWE, Mark Davies, Ledwood Engineering; SPARC is also supported by Pembrokeshire County Council and Pembrokeshire College.
The potential for careers in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales is on the cusp of a transformative energy revolution, which is poised to reshape not only the local employment landscape but also extend its influence far beyond its borders. As the Port…