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A Notice to Mariners issued on 29th August by Bangor Harbour on Belfast Lough warns that the slipway in front of the Lifeboat house has been closed due to a sunken vessel.

On Wednesday night (26th August) the owners of a 27 ft approx Beneteau Antares reported while out fishing they had " hit something" and as they were taking on water took the boat back to their marina berth.

But the Marina staff inspection showed that it was actually sinking and so it was towed by the Harbour workboat, the Guillemot, to the slipway in front of the RNLI station. On arrival, it was virtually underwater and as two fire engines were unable to pump it out it was left secured to the jetty.

A Bangor Harbour workboat towing the sinking vesselA Bangor Harbour workboat towing the sinking vessel

Very strong winds on Friday (28th) blew the boat across the slipway against the Eisenhower Pier and the lifeboat was moved to a Marina berth.

The sunken vessel alongside Bangor Harbour slipway jettyThe sunken vessel alongside Bangor Harbour slipway jetty

The Notice to Mariners states "The safety of Boat Owners, Paddle Boarders, Canoeists, Kayakers and Rowers who use the slipway is paramount. The slipway at Bangor Harbour is now closed. Bangor RNLI Lifeboat has been relocated to Bangor Marina – this is a temporary measure. The slipway will be reopened next week after the sunken vessel has been removed. Thank you for your cooperation".

Published in Belfast Lough

#BOAT FIRE - The Irish Independent has more on the incident in which a motor cruiser caught fire off West Cork at the weekend, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

Denis Ryan, a car dealer from Inishannon in Co Cork, says he is lucky to be alive after a sudden fire engulfed his power boat off the Seven Heads Peninsula on Saturday afternoon.

Ryan was piloting his boat alone in the waters near Courtmacsherry when the incident occurred, destroying the plastic-hulled vessel in a matter of minutes.

His immediate distress signal was picked up by the Naval Service vessel LE Niamh which was in the area at the time, and Ryan himself was quickly rescued from the water by a passing yachtsman.

Published in Rescue

A Sealine motor cruiser that hit rocks in Tralee Bay early on Sunday morning on a run back from Ballydavid is due to be lifted on to Fenit pier this week. Eight people were rescued by Fenit lifeboat and the boat was towed into Fenit harbour where it is now lying on the bottom. Photos: Paul Dolan.

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Published in RNLI Lifeboats

Two men died in a boating accident off the coast of Inishbofin in Co. Galway early this morning.

The pair, aged in their late 50's and early 60's had arrived on the island yesterday on a 40ft motor cruiser and it is understood, through local lifeboat sources, the accident appears to have happened as the two men returned to the cruiser by dinghy on Saturday night.

Both men were wearing lifejackets.

One of the bodies was washed ashore, while another was located inside the upturned dinghy around 11 o'clock this morning.

The bodies were airlifted by the Sligo-based Coastguard helicopter to Galway University Hospital.

Post-mortem examinations will be carried out to determine the exact cause of death.

Published in RNLI Lifeboats

Irish Sailing Club of the Year Award

This unique and informal competition was inaugurated in 1979, with Mitsubishi Motors becoming main sponsors in 1986. The purpose of the award is to highlight and honour the voluntary effort which goes into creating and maintaining the unrivalled success of Ireland's yacht and sailing clubs. 

In making their assessment, the adjudicators take many factors into consideration. In addition to the obvious one of sailing success at local, national and international level, considerable attention is also paid to the satisfaction which members in every branch of sailing and boating feel with the way their club is run, and how effectively it meets their specific needs, while also encouraging sailing development and training.

The successful staging of events, whether local, national or international, is also a factor in making the assessment, and the adjudicators place particular emphasis on the level of effective voluntary input which the membership is ready and willing to give in support of their club's activities.

The importance of a dynamic and fruitful interaction with the local community is emphasised, and also with the relevant governmental and sporting bodies, both at local and national level. The adjudicators expect to find a genuine sense of continuity in club life and administration. Thus although the award is held in a specific year in celebration of achievements in the previous year, it is intended that it should reflect an ongoing story of success and well-planned programmes for future implementation. 

Over the years, the adjudication system has been continually refined in order to be able to make realistic comparisons between clubs of varying types and size. With the competition's expansion to include class associations and specialist national watersports bodies, the "Club of the Year" competition continues to keep pace with developing trends, while at the same time reflecting the fact that Ireland's leading sailing clubs are themselves national and global pace-setters

Irish Sailing Club of the Year Award FAQs

The purpose of the award is to highlight and honour the voluntary effort which goes into creating and maintaining the unrivalled success of Ireland's yacht and sailing clubs.

A ship's wheel engraved with the names of all the past winners.

The Sailing Club of the Year competition began in 1979.

PR consultant Sean O’Shea (a member of Clontarf Y & BC) had the idea of a trophy which would somehow honour the ordinary sailing club members, volunteers and sailing participants, who may not have personally won prizes, to feel a sense of identity and reward and special pride in their club. Initially some sort of direct inter-club contest was envisaged, but sailing journalist W M Nixon suggested that a way could be found for the comparative evaluation of the achievements and quality of clubs despite their significant differences in size and style.

The award recognises local, national & international sailing success by the winning club's members in both racing and cruising, the completion of a varied and useful sailing and social programme at the club, the fulfilling by the club of its significant and socially-aware role in the community, and the evidence of a genuine feeling among all members that the club meets their individual needs afloat and ashore.

The first club of the Year winner in 1979 was Wicklow Sailing Club.

Royal Cork Yacht Club has won the award most, seven times in all in 1987, 1992, 1997, 2000, 2006, 2015 & 2020.

The National YC has won six times, in 1981, 1985, 1993, 1996, 2012 & 2018.

Howth Yacht Club has won five times, in 1982, 1986, 1995, 2009 & 2019

Ireland is loosely divided into regions with the obviously high-achieving clubs from each area recommended through an informal nationwide panel of local sailors going into a long-list, which is then whittled down to a short-list of between three and eight clubs.

The final short-list is evaluated by an anonymous team based on experienced sailors, sailing journalists and sponsors’ representatives

From 1979 to 2020 the Sailing Club of the Year Award winners are:

  • 1979 Wicklow SC
  • 1980 Malahide YC
  • 1981 National YC
  • 1982 Howth YC
  • 1983 Royal St George YC
  • 1984 Dundalk SC
  • 1985 National YC (Sponsorship by Mitsubishi Motors began in 1985-86)
  • 1986 Howth YC
  • 1987 Royal Cork YC
  • 1988 Dublin University SC
  • 1989 Irish Cruising. Club
  • 1990 Glenans Irish SC
  • 1991 Galway Bay SC
  • 1992 Royal Cork YC
  • 1993 National YC & Cumann Badoiri Naomh Bhreannain (Dingle) (after 1993, year indicated is one in which trophy is held)
  • 1995 Howth Yacht Club
  • 1996 National Yacht Club
  • 1997 Royal Cork Yacht Club
  • 1998 Kinsale Yacht Club
  • 1999 Poolbeg Yacht & Boat Club
  • 2000 Royal Cork Yacht Club (in 2000, competition extended to include class associations and specialist organisations)
  • 2001 Howth Sailing Club Seventeen Footer Association
  • 2002 Galway Bay Sailing Club
  • 2003 Coiste an Asgard
  • 2004 Royal St George Yacht Club
  • 2005 Lough Derg Yacht Club
  • 2006 Royal Cork Yacht Club (Water Club of the Harbour of Cork)
  • 2007 Dublin Bay Sailing Club
  • 2008 Lough Ree YC & Shannon One Design Assoc.
  • 2009 Howth Yacht Club
  • 2010 Royal St George YC
  • 2011 Irish Cruiser Racing Association
  • 2012 National Yacht Club
  • 2013 Royal St George YC
  • 2014 Kinsale YC
  • 2015 Royal Cork Yacht Club
  • 2016 Royal Irish Yacht Club
  • 2017 Wicklow Sailing Club
  • 2018 National Yacht Club
  • 2019 Howth Yacht Club
  • 2020 Royal Cork Yacht Club

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