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.
What, you might well wonder, is a blatant billboard doing at the top of the page this Saturday morning, even if it is exactly a month to Christmas, and Christmas has come early for Ireland’s younger international sailors in 2023?…
We regret to record the death of Johnny Wedick, a stalwart of the Dubin Bay Old Gaffers Association (DBOGA) since its foundation. He held the offices of President DBOGA, and Honorary Secretary, serving on the committee for many years. He…
Did you know that LARPING, or more accurately LARPing, means Live Action Role Playing? Me neither. But then, having tended to the opinion that historical re-enactments are really history for the feeble-minded or those of limited imagination, we’ve tended to…
Shannon Estuary & Limerick Have Combined Over Centuries As Ireland’s Most Innovative Sailing Area
18th November 2023 W M Nixon
The Cruising Group can often emerge as the backbone of any sailing club, particularly in the winter. Back in the day when the new Howth Yacht Club premises opened in March 1987, fresh concepts were needed to ensure that the…
Former Kinsale sailor Steph Lyons, the Kildare horsewoman who includes experience of the Sail Training Brigantine Asgard II in her seafaring story, is continuing to add to her remarkable CV in Australia, where she works in a senior role in…
Size for size, Dalkey, aka Deilginis, must be the most story-covered island in all of Ireland. The ancient Irish monks were here. The Vikings were here. Thanks to Napoleon and Cape Mortella, it has its own MartelloTower. A dinghy cruise-in-company…
When God made time, he made a lot of it. You need a proper regard for that sense of under-stated reverence and patience when considering the very complete restoration in Crosshaven of Anthony and Sally O'Leary's unique yet universally appealing…
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…
Russell Bolger Of Dun Laoghaire Clear Winner At Junior National Championship At Schull
5th November 2023 Youth Sailing
A busy week of Team Racing focus with the Fastnet Marine & Outdoor Education Centre’s TR 3.6s - with much input from Schull Community College - concluded on Friday (November 3rd) after successfully handling a decidedly mixed bag of weather.…
A statement from Tom Dolan Racing, issued at 07:54 on the morning of Wednesday, November 1st after his anti-clockwise Round Ireland Campaign from Dublin in his Figaro 3 had been abruptly brought to a halt at Dingle on Tuesday evening…
Traditional Gaff Cutter Sally O’Keeffe Wins October League At Kilrush
1st November 2023 Shannon Estuary
Master boat-builder Steve Morris of Kilrush has been busy with new projects these days, what with the re-birth of the Dublin Bay 21s for Hal Sisk and Fionan de Barra of Dun Laoghaire, and the building of a St Ayles…
The 2023 Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race on December 26th is now less than two months away, and with the entry list closed at 120 boats, we’re learning of more direct Irish involvement to add to Cian McCarthy and Sam Hunt of…
Pamela Lee Finishes 26th At Lorient In Fleet Of 43 Class 40s In Transat Jacques Vabre
31st October 2023 Class40
Ireland's Pamela Lee of Greystones, co-skippering with Tiphaine Ragueneau on the Class 40 Engie-DFDS-Brittany Ferries, finished 26th in the fleet of 43 at Lorient this morning (Tuesday) at 05-02-25hrs, with the last stage of the new Transat Jacques Vabre shortened first…
Tom Dolan Closes In On Munster Coast For Continuing Round Ireland Windward Challenge Past Kerry And West Cork
31st October 2023 Tom Dolan
Tuesday morning 0815 hrs - As he expected, Tom Dolan, with his Figaro 3 Smurfit-Kappa Kingspan, is finding the challenge of getting past the majestic southwestern seaboard of Kerry and West Cork the most demanding part of his current Round Ireland…
Transat Jacques Vabre Sees Mixed Reactions To Succession Of Biscay Gales And Prospect Of Storm Ciaran
30th October 2023 Transatlantic Jacques Vabre
The current Transat Jacques Vabre Normandie Le Havre - to give the big one its full title - is confusing for any casual observer, as a succession of gales in the Bay of Biscay, coupled with the prospect of Storm Ciaran…
Tom Dolan Looking At Northwest Mayo 24 Hours From Dublin Bay In "Enhanced" Easterlies
30th October 2023 Tom Dolan
Monday 4pm - Wind conditions with strong easterlies, "enhanced" by dense air, have been so favourable and powerful for Tom Dolan's anti-clockwise Round Ireland challenge that he has been able to downgrade the significance of favourable tides. Having breezed through…
Irish Ruffian 23s Win Golden Jubilee International Inter-Port in Hong Kong
25th October 2023 Ruffian 23
A highlight throughout our 2023 sailing season has been the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the much-loved Billy Brown-designed Ruffian 23, which became an almost continuous and very friendly party of shared enthusiasm, friendship, racing and cruising-in-company. It began on Strangford…
Howth Yacht Club Shakes Off Storm Babet To Complete monday.com Autumn League
24th October 2023 Howth YC
At High Water Howth early on Saturday morning, it was still dark – very dark – and the roaring breakers in the nor’easterly gale at the tag-end of Storm Babet’s secondary low were sweeping over the East Pier as if…
American owner Byron Ehrhart's formerly George David-owned Round Ireland Record Holders Rambler 88 but now re-named Lucky, seems to have run out of luck as she had to pull out of the Rolex Middle Sea Race this morning while well-placed…
Kinsale Sending Two-Family Campaign To Australia For Two-Handed Challenge In Sydney-Hobart Race
22nd October 2023 Sydney to Hobart
The Sun Fast 3300 Cinnamon Girl from Kinsale, sailed two-handed by Cian McCarthy and Sam Hunt, has been cutting a successful swathe through Irish offshore racing for more than two years now. But in December, they'll be making the top-level…
