Afloat – Ireland's Sailing and Boating Magazine
Dun Laoghaire's New Ker 46 'Tonnerre de Breskens 3' to Contest Round Ireland Race and IRC Europeans
8th May 2024 Round Ireland
Noted Dublin Bay inshore and offshore sailor Pete Smyth of the Royal Irish Yacht Club has purchased the famous Ker 46 Tonnerre de Breskens 3 which will arrive in Dublin Bay three weeks before its first major event, the 2024…
Six Irish boats are competing at the Flying Fifteen European Championships starting on Thursday (March 9th) at Crozon Morgat in Brittany. With crews also from France, Spain, Belgium, and the usual UK contenders, it promises to be an exciting four-day event.…
Dublin and Cork Olympic Rivals Are Neck and Neck As 49er European Championships Reaches Final Day of Qualification
8th May 2024 Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing
Big breeze and massive wind shifts of day two of the 49er European Championship delivered plenty of drama in La Grande Motte, the South of France as the gap narrowed between the two Irish rivals who are using this event…
Race Officer Tadgh Donnelly, aboard the committee boat 'Spirit of the Irish', set a three-round windward/leeward course in a 10-knot southwesterly breeze for the third Water Wag race of the AIB/DBSC 2024 season. The 23-boat fleet’s start was postponed due…
Doyle Shipping Group Pulls Out of Plans to Develop Offshore Wind Energy Hub in Cork Harbour
8th May 2024 Cork Harbour
Plans to develop an offshore wind energy hub in Cork Harbour have been shelved as Doyle Shipping Group has pulled out of the scheme. As reported on Afloat.ie just three months ago, the 15-hectare Cork Dockyard facility at Rushbrooke had…
Irish Sailor of the Year Eve McMahon Selected For Olympic Torch Relay in Marseille
8th May 2024 Eve McMahon
Celebrations are about to get underway in Marseille, France today (8 May) as the city prepares for the arrival of the Olympic flame to French soil. Irish Sailor of the Year and Team Ireland Paris Scholar Eve McMahon has been…
The boss of P&O Ferries admitted at a Westminster committee hearing, that he couldn't live on the £4.87 an hour some of its crew are paid, he told MPs at the Houses of Parliament. Chief executive Peter Hebblethwaite also revealed at…
Container Operator BG Freight Line Launches Greenest Newbuild Vessels to Drive Sustainability
8th May 2024 Ports & Shipping
Short-sea container feeder operator BG Freight Line has unveiled its greenest ships yet with four new lo-lo vessels that will help its customers significantly reduce their carbon emissions. The new ships will use a state-of-the-art scrubber to catch CO2 and…
Stena Line to Increase Cargo Capacity by 30% on Twin ‘4-Runner’ Class Vessels
8th May 2024 Stena Line
On behalf of Swedish ferry operator Stena Line, Stena RoRo has signed a conversion contract with China Merchants Jinling (Weihai) Shipyard for the installation of an additional cargo deck on board the Stena Foreteller and a twin, Stena Forerunner. The…
The Corncrake population has increased by 35 per cent in the past five years, particularly in breeding areas on the Atlantic seaboard. The numbers of Corncrakes recorded in the core breeding areas of Donegal, Mayo and Galway has increased by…
The New York Yacht Club American Magic rolled out its new AC75, named 'Patriot' for the 37th America's Cup Competition in Barcelona, Spain. The deck layout places the helms and trimmers side by side and well forward. The boat has…
Cunard’s Newest Ship Sails to Southampton for Inaugural Visit & Maiden Voyage
8th May 2024 Cruise Liners
Cunard Line’s Queen Anne, the newest cruise ship addition to their prestigious fleet, arrived in the UK at the Port of Southampton. This historic moment took place on the last day of April, and the occasion marks the first time…
In a dramatic rescue operation, a sheep fell from a ledge in the Waterford Estuary and was saved from being engulfed by the rising tide. The incident occurred on Wednesday, prompting the Irish Coast Guard to dispatch the volunteer lifeboat…
A new Offshore Nesting Bird Census (ONBC) has been initiated by the North Sea oil and gas industry to research how endangered seabirds use oil and gas platforms for nesting and rearing chicks. The census which has been created by…
New Opportunities With RNLI Fundraising Roles in Dublin and Down and on Causeway Coast
8th May 2024 RNLI Lifeboats
Applications are now open to become one of the RNLI’s face-to-face fundraisers along the Causeway Coast in Antrim, and in counties Down and Dublin. This vital role helps the lifesaving charity reach thousands of people every year, sharing safety messages…
The Department of Transport has been advised by Donegal County Council that it intends to begin refurbishment works at Rathmullan Pier and viaduct on the Fanad Peninsula north-east of Letterkenny. These works are starting with immediate effect and will be…
Waterways Ireland wishes advises masters of vessels on and users of the Shannon Navigation that the Office of Public Works’ hydrometric section is holding a water flow measurement regatta next Wednesday 15 May. The event will take place from 8am…
RNLI Trustee and Coxswain Paddy McLaughlin of Red Bay Receives Ireland Medal for Drowning Prevention
8th May 2024 RNLI Lifeboats
RNLI trustee and Red Bay lifeboat coxswain Paddy McLaughlin has been presented with the Lifesaving Foundation’s Ireland Medal in recognition of his outstanding work in saving lives from drowning. The medal was presented by Commodore Micheal Malone, Flag Officer Commanding…
Fastwave, the French 2022 winner of the SSE Renewables Round Ireland Race, is returning to defend its title. The addition of SL Energies Groupe Fastwave to the race has bolstered the already strong line-up. Skipper Laurent Charmy will sail his…
Dickson and Waddilove Lead Irish Hopes and Selection Trials at 49er Europeans
8th May 2024 Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing
The outcome of the final Irish Olympic sailing selection trial for Paris 2024 remains finely balanced between two rivals after the first qualifying races in La Grande Motte in the South of France. Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove from Dublin's Howth Yacht Club and Skerries…
