Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
St Patrick’s Day Launch for Portaferry Lifeboat to Assist Ocean Rowing Vessel
21st March 2024 RNLI Lifeboats
Portaferry RNLI came to the aid of four people on St Patrick’s Day (Sunday 17 March) after their ocean-going rowing boat sustained a broken rudder and developed steering problems. Belfast Coastguard requested the launch of Portaferry RNLI’s inshore lifeboat at…
Dutch Sailing Barge to Embark on Epic Journey for Charity Fundraising from Lough Erne to Inverness
21st March 2024 Historic Boats
In May 2024, a 126-year-old Dutch Sailing Barge named Drie Gebroeders will set off on an epic adventure from Lough Erne in Co. Fermanagh to the eastern Scottish coast, and back again. The goal is to attend two maritime festivals…
European ILCA 6 Championships at Ballyholme Yacht Club Attracting Sailors from 26 Countries
21st March 2024 Laser
Since the doors opened for the European ILCA 6 Championships at Ballyholme Yacht Club a few weeks ago, 388 applications for 440 places have been received. The club lies on the north shore of County Down near the mouth of…
19 GP14s Compete in Fifth Weekend of Spring Series at Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club
20th March 2024 GP14
19 GP14s set sail on St Patrick's Day for the fifth weekend of the spring series at Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club on Belfast Lough. The sailors were greeted with a light 4-5 knots from the south, with a…
New Boats Arriving to Compete at June's Bangor Regatta on Belfast Lough
16th March 2024 Bangor Town Regatta
Word on the grapevine is that Jonathan Anderson's Danish-designed X 4.3 will be among the boats new to Royal Ulster’s Bangor Regatta in June. The new boat is still in the factory so brand new. He was the previous owner…
Ireland’s Inland Waterways Assert Their Individuality As IWAI’s 70th Anniversary Arrives
16th March 2024 W M Nixon
If you were trying to think of the most utterly rural town in all Ireland, Longford would certainly be among the top ten - maybe tops of all. And our rustic view of it is emphasised by the fact that…
Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club to Host 2026 GP14 Worlds as Championships Returns to Ireland For Second Time in Four Years
15th March 2024 GP14
Ireland will stage the GP14 World Championships for the second time in four years following a decision by the International Committee to relocate the 2026 World Championship from Sri Lanka. Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club, Belfast, has agreed to…
Waterways Ireland advises masters of vessels and users of the Erne System in Northern Ireland that the St Patrick’s Illuminated Flotilla will take place in Enniskillen this Saturday evening 16 March. The event runs from 6.30pm to 8.30pm, starting at…
Lower Bann: Movanagher Lock Reopens to Navigation After Installation of New Lock Gates
13th March 2024 Inland Waterways
Waterways Ireland advises all masters of vessels on and users of the Lower Bann navigation in Northern Ireland that the installation of new lock gates at Movanagher Lock has been completed as of Wednesday 13 March and the navigation is…
With Antrim Boat Club on the north west corner of Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland nearing the end of the second half of its Winter Series it will be a close gallop to the final result. There is little between…
RYA Northern Ireland’s Women On Water Festival will take place at the Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club in Cultra on Sunday 12 May and online sign-ups are now open to women across Northern Ireland and the wider island of…
Northern Ireland's New Minister of Agriculture Visits Loughs Agency to Learn About Environmental Preservation Efforts
8th March 2024 Loughs Agency
Northern Ireland's new Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir, recently paid a visit to the Loughs Agency Headquarters in Prehen, gaining first-hand insights into the organisation's essential work. The visit was warmly welcomed by Sharon McMahon, Chief…
'Purple Haze' Arrives on Strangford Lough: Vintage Quarter Tonner Will Contest 2024 ICRA Nationals and IRC Europeans on Dublin Bay
6th March 2024 Quarter Ton
The Ker 32 Hijacker was a popular competitor owned by Stuart Cranston of Strangford Lough YC at Whiterock and the nearby Down Cruising club, but he was struggling to get enough regular crew (eight) so downsizing was the answer, and…
Four of the first 46 entries for the 2024 Scottish Series this season are from Northern Ireland. They received a 15% discount on their entries, which has now been extended to the end of March at 10%. The event will…
New Irish-Language TV Series Follows Epic Kayaking Adventure Along North Coast
2nd March 2024 Kayaking
A new TV series as Gaeilge follows presenters Tessa Fleming and Irial Ó Ceallaigh as they embark on an epic adventure paddling their way along the North Coast. Together with kayaking expert John Hubbocks, the novice kayakers brave the unpredictable…
Andy Thompson of East Antrim BC is “Sailor of the Month (Worlds)” for February
1st March 2024 Sailor of the Month
We’ve become accustomed to veteran dinghy racing superstar Andy Thompson of Larne suddenly emerging into the spotlight again at some world championship, and he has already made his annual mark for 2024 by brilliantly crewing for Tom Gillard at Geelong…
