WM Nixon
William M Nixon has been writing about sailing in Ireland for many years in print and online, and his work has appeared internationally in magazines and books. His own experience ranges from club sailing to international offshore events, and he has cruised extensively under sail, often in his own boats which have ranged in size from an 11ft dinghy to a 35ft cruiser-racer. He has also been involved in the administration of several sailing organisations.
Lough Ree and National YCs Share Honours in Kinsale YC Inishtearaght Race
31st May 2026 Inistearaght Race
One thing to be said in favour of a slow but steady deterioration of the weather after a period of heatwave is that the declining millibars should be close enough together to provide a decent sailing breeze from between south…
The preliminary instructions suggest that the race from Kinsale would be round either the faraway Inishtearaght on the edge of the Blaskets, or the less distant but equally majestic Skellig Michael. It’s an opening salvo that gives a sense of…
Baltimore Wooden Boat Festival from 22nd to 24th May in West Cork was blessed with glorious weather, much welcomed after successive blowouts in recent years writes Rob O’Leary. The last of the rain fell on the Friday night, but that…
It won’t have escaped Ireland’s large Standing Army of amateur meteorologists that the notably high temperatures which have been achieved in recent days have not been matched in May since 1944, when – unlike 2026 - most of the month…
The “Suncream Special” ILCA 2026 Masters at Howth over the heatwave weekend not only had an impressive domination by sailors from the Royal St George YC in Dun Laoghaire, but having been celebrating their Golden Jubilee at various Irish sailing…
Tom Dolan’s marvellous sunrise victory on Thursday in Stage 1 of the 2026 Figaro Solitaire was the most effective starting signal we could hope for in order to encourage us all into thinking the 2026 season really is under way…
West Cork is supposed to be an easygoing and laid back sort of place, so this coming weekend's three day double bill Woodenboat and Seafood Festivals in Baltimore face the challenge of putting through mind-bending but supposedly "pruned and tuned"…
Round Ireland Race: Pam Lee of Greystones takes RI:26 entries through 50 mark
18th May 2026 Round Ireland
While there is a distinct possibility of some top level crew-juggling resulting in two Grand Prix boats racing as one in the Round Ireland Race from Wicklow on June 20th, the entry list has now gone through the totemic 50…
The weather is looking good for the Howth Pursuit Race in parallel with the Maritime & Seafood Festival at the peninsular port next Sunday (May 24th, first gun 3 pm), and the hope is for a wind direction that provides…
The spectacular life and high-achieving times of Ted Turner (1938-2026) have become deeply interwoven with the folklore of international sailing and the tales of the global media and communications industry. So much so, in fact, that after his death at…
Afloat.ie regrets to record the deaths of senior sailing sisters Susan Gray and Jennifer Hudson of Dun Laoghaire. They were the daughters of Toby Millar, architect to the Bank of Ireland, who was a leading sailing figure in Howth in…
West Cork is a State of Mind as much as anything else. But the programme on 22nd to 24th May for the annual Baltimore Woodenboat & Seafood Festivals suggests that “easygoing” is not the adjective that would immediately spring to mind…
Round Ireland Race Introduces Fresh Angle On Sail Training, And Brings The Great Alexis Loison On Board
9th May 2026 Round Ireland
What goes round, come round. Way back in 1972 we were doing a very leisurely family cruise with a Galion 22 in West Cork (small family then), and went in company with Dermod Kennedy and his ketch Richard of Baltimore…
Ted Turner, legendary American communications and business pioneer, and arguably the most accomplished international yachtsman of the 20th Century, has died at the age of 87. His extraordinary life covered a very wide range of active interests. But for the…
Howth’s Melange of Matters Maritime, Masters and Menagerie Racing on 23rd-24th May
5th May 2026 Maritime Festivals
While the Irish ILCA/Lasers Masters at Howth on May 23rd-24th may not achieve this pace, it’s re-living the memory of once being able to do so that keeps the Class’s Seniors and Super-Seniors going strong. Howth’s Melange of Matters Maritime,…
Round Ireland Race from Wicklow 2026: Is it There for the Two-Handers to Take?
2nd May 2026 Round Ireland
As we count down through the fifty days to the Round Ireland 2026 start at Wicklow on Saturday June 20th, while counting upwards with a good chance of breaking the magic target of fifty entries as they finally come to…
“As long as it takes” and “As much as it needs” were the themes as now-retired airline captain Gerry Comerford created his new Howth 17 Anna to an ultra-high standard in a temporary shed beside his house on the Hill…
Gordon Ingate, one of Australia's greatest sailors over a varied career afloat of nine decades, has died a few weeks after the world of sailing joined in celebrating his hundredth birthday. Regular visitors to Afloat.ie will be well aware of…
The Irish sailing community may think of John Gore-Grimes of Howth, who has died at the age of 84 after a long and very fulfilled life, as primarily being one of our own. We think of him as a “sailing…
Limerick’s Pat Lawless Takes On Golden Challenge With Silvermines and Lake Sailors Support
21st April 2026 Golden Globe Race
Ocean-sailing addict Pat Lawless of Ballyferriter, Limerick and Dingle is working towards the next very-rapidly-approaching Golden Globe Round the World Race, starting September 6th 2026 from Les Sables-d’Olonne. He now has new main sponsors for his hefty Saltram Saga 36…
