The latest news from Scottish and Northern Irish waters produced by Yachting Life & Afloat.
Get Married on a Private Crewed Charter Gulet in the Sun in Turkey
27 November 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
2020 was deeply frustrating for those many couples planning to get married as their plans kept being altered by ever-changing COVID regulations. Legions of boat owners also found their racing and cruising plans frustrated. One local couple managed to resolve…
Ballyholme Yacht Club on Belfast Lough – The First 50 Years Book is Published
26 November 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Eric and Barbara Mayne had been active sailing and committee members of Ballyholme Yacht Club for many years. Eric had been a past Hon Secretary and Commodore and Barbara held many and various positions on Committees. They undertook the mammoth…
Strangford Sailing Club Selected as Finalist for RYA/Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year 2021
25 November 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Strangford Sailing Club has been named among the finalists for RYA and Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year 2021. Ten clubs across the UK have been selected by the RYA Awards Panel, with online voting now open. The Co…
Racing Rules of Sailing 2021-2024 RYA Edition is Out Now
25 November 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Make sure you're ready for the 2021-2024 changes to the Racing Rules of Sailing with the RYA rules books. The new editions are now available from the RYA shop - www.rya.org.uk/shop. Updated every four years by World Sailing, the Racing…
'Light Up, Light Up'; Bangor Marina's Call to Boat Owners
24 November 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Bangor's favourite band, Snow Patrol, are well known for the lines in their hit 'Run' - Light up, Light up. And that's what, in this year of endless restrictions, Kevin Baird Manager of Bangor Marina on Belfast Lough, would like…
UK-Owned Vessels Currently Overseas Subject to New Rules Post-Brexit
19 November 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Rules determining UK owned boats’ VAT status will be subject to change after 31st December 2020 and Global marine transport and logistics provider Peters & May has is reminding UK boat owners with vessels outside the UK that as the Brexit…
Extensive Winter Works Programme on Northern Ireland Inland Waterways
17 November 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Waterways Ireland says it is undertaking a “significant programme” of maintenance works on inland waterways in Northern Ireland over the winter period. On the Lower Bann, which connects Lough Neagh to the sea north of Coleraine, works will focus on…
Antrim Based 'Sea2it' Invests £18k Tackling Invasive Species & Litter in the Bann Estuary
17 November 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Sea2it is a Local Community Interest Company and brings together community groups and individuals as volunteers to tackle marine and freshwater litter, and the organisation has just announced that it has had some exciting news. Sea2it is investing £18k tackling…
RYANI’s Virtual AGM Reflects on Achievements in a Difficult Year
15 November 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
RYA Northern Ireland held its first-ever virtual AGM earlier this month, reflecting on a different but successful year for the sport leading up to April 2020. Guests at the meeting included RYA chief executive RYA Sarah Treseder OBE, chair Chris…
Upcoming Webinar Series to Discuss Scotland’s Strategy for Sailing & Adventure Tourism Post-Covid
14 November 2020 Scottish Waters
Scotland’s vast potential for sailing and adventure tourism post-Covid-19 is the focus of a new webinar series next week. Marine Industry News reports on the online inaugural Adventure Tourism Week, an initiative of VisitScotland, Wild Scotland and Sail Scotland. The…
Dead Swan on Lough Beg Found to Have Bird Flu
14 November 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The BBC has reported that a wild swan found dead earlier this week at Lough Beg near Toomebridge, a small village on the North West corner of Lough Neagh has tested positive for Bird Flu. Lough Beg is a small…
RNLI Newcastle locates Missing Swimmer in Dundrum Bay (Updated)
14 November 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Just three days after the return of Newcastle RNLI station's D class lifeboat, Eliza, after a refit, in the late afternoon yesterday, Belfast Coastguard requested the immediate launch of the both the station's Lifeboats to reports of an overdue swimmer…
Belfast Lough's Artemis Technologies Carbon Vision wins Maritime 2050 award
13 November 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Artemis Technologies has won the prestigious Maritime 2050 accolade at this year’s Maritime UK Awards. The award, sponsored by the Department of Transport, recognises the firm’s efforts to capitalise on the opportunities presented within the Government’s Maritime 2050 Strategy. Founded…
Bangor & Newcastle RNLI Welcome Their Lifeboats Home After Refit
13 November 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Last Tuesday saw the return of the Bangor RNLI's Atlantic 85 Jessie Hillyard from her refit on the Isle of Wight, where she has been since February. Her replacement, 'Vivacious Atlantic' served the station well in the interim but the…
Anglers Express Concern Over Demise of Thornback Ray on Belfast Lough
12 November 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Alex Easton, MLA has called on the Department of Environment, Agriculture and Rural Affairs (DEARA) Minister to create Marine Protections Areas in Belfast Lough. Belfast Lough is a long, wide, and deep expanse of water, virtually free of strong tides…
Gordon Reid Returns to RYA Northern Ireland as Development Officer
11 November 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Gordon Reid has rejoined RYANI as development officer to cover Mary Martin’s maternity leave. An architect by profession, Reid is an experienced watersport enthusiast who has also worked in club and coach development with Rowing Ireland. The Belfast man has…
First Irish & Scottish Humpback 'Match' Made By Irish Whale & Dolphin Group
11 November 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The first Irish and Scottish Humpback 'match' has been made from images taken on the Shetland Islands at the weekend and then matched to photographs of the same whale off Ireland in 2015 and seen again off Irish coastal waters…
NI Boats May Head South for Winter in Bid to Secure VAT & Duty Status as Brexit Transition Ends
7 November 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Ireland could see an influx after Christmas of visiting boaters from Northern Ireland seeking to secure the VAT and duty status of their vessels as the Brexit transition period ends. The suggestion comes after the UK’s Royal Yachting Association earlier…
Great Britain Wins eSailing Nations Cup Championship
7 November 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Great Britain have been crowned the world’s best eSailing nation following a 6-3 victory over Spain in the inaugural eSailing Nations Cup Final. After a month-long competition that featured 13 leading eSailing nations, Great Britain, captained by Mike O’Donovan aka…
Belfast Lough Teen Wins Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust T-Shirt Competition
4 November 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
A young Belfast Lough woman has been announced the winner of the national competition to design the official 2021 t-shirt for the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust, the charity that has continued to support her during the pandemic. Alysia, 20, has…
RYA Scotland currently employs 12 staff in a wide range of roles, from performance to training, to development alongside administrators. There are also around 60 volunteers contributing and leading its work for the boating community in Scotland. The organisation is…
Northern Ireland Olympian Ryan Seaton Says New Slipway at Carrickfergus Sailing Club is a 'Game-Changer'
3 November 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Olympic sailor Ryan Seaton is back training at his home club in Carrickfergus on Belfast Lough following the completion of a slipway widening project. In past campaigns Ryan has had to train away from home because the slipway at Carrickfergus…
Tall Ships & Newry Based Sailing Charity Carry Chocolate Under Sail & Oar
2 November 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
It's 7000 km from the Caribbean island of Grenada to London and somewhat farther if you travel via Den Helder in the Netherlands, Carlingford Lough, the County Down village of Killowen and Bangor in North Wales. And this is how…
Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club Community Christmas Appeal
1 November 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
With club sailing and fund-raising events sadly curtailed due to Covid 19, the members of Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club on Belfast Lough have devised a safe way of helping the many families and individuals in the community who…
As Storm Aiden brought its gale-force winds and driving rain from Ireland to western Scotland, Oban RNLI launched to assist a fishing vessel in distress in Loch Etive. The 22ft fishing boat, with four on board, had broken down west…
UK Coastguard Responded to 31,000 Incidents at the Coast - Annual Report
22 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency's (MCA) annual report for April 2019 – March 2020 has been published this week, highlighting the work of the Agency for the 12 month period. Although the report doesn’t cover the period where the…
New Belfast Ferry Stena Embla Successfully Completes Sea Trials
21 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Ferry company Stena Line has announced that Stena Embla, the last of its three new ferries destined for the Irish Sea, has successfully completed its sea trials in China’s Yellow Sea. Stena Embla is the latest new Stena Line next…
Northern Ireland Sailors Recognised By Royal Yachting Association
19 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Four inspiring Northern Ireland volunteers have been recognised nationally with awards from the Royal Yachting Association. Traditionally taking place at an awards ceremony in London, the RYA Volunteer Awards celebrate and say 'thank you' to volunteers who have made an…
Northern Ireland Olympic Sailor Ryan Seaton Preparing for Busy Training Season Ahead
19 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Northern Ireland sailor Ryan Seaton from Ballyholme Yacht Club on Belfast Lough, took to the water at Lake Attersee, Austria, earlier this month to battle it out at the Europeans with the other half of his 49er duo Seafra Guilfoyle…
Lough Neagh Rescue Aid One person & Dog in Bayliner Speedboat
19 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Yesterday (Sunday 18th) Lough Neagh Rescue came to the aid of a Bayliner speedboat with one person and a dog on board in the vicinity of Rams Island on the Lough. The vessel was experiencing engine difficulties. Rams Island is…
Rediscover Sailing with Support from Royal Yachting Association Northern Ireland
19 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
RYA Northern Ireland is giving sailing and boating clubs across the country the opportunity to access support for club membership and development by providing 'Rediscover Sailing Days'. Following lockdown and a challenging few months, many clubs have seen increased interest…
The RNLI recorded one of their more unusual launches yesterday evening (Saturday 17 October) after a World War II-era seaplane made a distress call from Loch Ness. It emerged that the aircraft, the PBY Catalina, had experienced engine issues while…
Topper Event at East Antrim Boat Club Cancelled By New Northern Ireland COVID Restrictions
18 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
As a result of the new NI Executive Covid restrictions announced on 14th October, East Antrim Boat Club at Larne has cancelled the Topper Northern championship event scheduled for 24th and 25th October. The EABC Covid team said, "The organising…
RYA NI Latest Advice Leads to Cancellation of Ballyholme Icebreaker Series Racing
17 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Less than 24 hours after posting that the Icebreaker event run by Ballyholme Yacht Club on Belfast Lough, could take place on the scheduled date (tomorrow Sunday 18th), the club has had to cancel racing. Rear Commodore Rob Milligan informed…
Belfast Lough Sailor Mikey Ferguson Racing on MOD70 in Middle Sea Race
17 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Mikey Ferguson from Bangor on Belfast Lough was looking forward yesterday (16th) to getting going on the MOD70 Mana in the 41st Edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race which started today from the historic Grand Harbour in Malta's capital…
Personal Best For Liam Glynn At Laser Europeans In Poland
17 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Ballyholme Yacht Club’s Liam Glynn has secured a personal best and 43rd overall after six days of racing against 126 international competitors at the Laser European Championships in Gdansk, Poland. Northern Ireland sailor Glynn, who had been unable to train…
Youth Sailors Attend RYA Northern Ireland Selection Weekend
15 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
More than 30 youth laser sailors from 10 clubs across Northern Ireland travelled to Cushendall Sailing and Boating Club for the RYA Northern Ireland Performance selection weekend. The event, which took place on 10 and 11 October, saw the young…
Sailing & The Sea is Therapeutic for Our Mental Health
14 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Lydia Millar, a final year student at Queen's University Belfast, joined the university's sailing club to help improve her mental health. Describing herself as 'an emotional sponge,' Lydia believes that no matter how cold you may get on a winter…
The RYA Dinghy Show is to be a virtual event for 2021 due to the current escalation of Covid-19. The show had been due to take place over the weekend of 27-28 February at its new venue, Farnborough International Exhibition…
Sea Swimming Fatality at Bangor on Belfast Lough
13 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Skippingstone Beach is a popular swimming venue a short distance to the west of Bangor Harbour on Belfast Lough and sadly was the scene this morning (13th October) of a fatality. It is only a few hundred yards from the…
Lovers Of Watersports From NI Share Their Tips For Better Mental Health
11 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Northern Ireland surfer Al Mennie says conquering some of the world’s biggest waves has helped in managing his mental health. In the run-up to World Mental Health Day yesterday, Saturday 10 October, Mennie told UTV News how his preparation for taking…
Newcastle RNLI Seeks New Volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer
9 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The team at Newcastle RNLI in Northern Ireland is calling for a new volunteer lifeboat press officer to help them to save lives at sea. This role will help raise awareness of the RNLI through the promotion of the lifeboat…
Ballyholme Yacht Club's Junior Icebreaker Begins This Weekend
9 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Way back in the mid -70s the well-known and recently retired Bangor sailor who was Chair of Irish Sailing's Racing Rules & Appeals Board, Ron Hutchieson, introduced Laser dinghies to Ballyholme Yacht Club and persuaded the now SailCoach head, Trevor…
Belfast Lough's Liam Glynn Leads Irish Laser Men After Day One of European Championships
8 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
In the first day of racing in the 2020 Laser Senior European Men's Championships & Open European Trophy in Poland, Belfast Lough's Liam Glynn is 29th and top Irish sailor in the 126-boat fleet. After two races sailed in flat…
East Antrim's Tom Jobling Has a third Novel Out With a Nautical Backdrop
8 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
This is Thomas Jobling's third novel and as with the preceding books, Chasing Shadows and Arthur's Dead has a distinctly nautical backdrop which I suspect comes easily to a writer who was born and lived by the sea. Tom (as…
Lough Neagh Lifeboat Rescues Two on Yacht with Mechanical Difficulties
6 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Last Sunday (4th October) Lough Neagh Rescue Lifeboat was tasked to two people stranded on Coney Island as their vessel had mechanical issues. Coney Island is owned by the National Trust and lies in the south-west corner of Lough Neagh…
GP14 'Hot Toddy' Event Cancelled at East Antrim
5 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
An important GP14 event, the Hot Toddy, first saw the light of day in the early eighties when the then GP14 Association of Ireland charged their East Antrim Boat Club based fleet with the creation of a new and suitable…
Strangford Lough 'Share the Shore' Panels Erected to Protect Brent Geese
4 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Strangford Lough is world-famous as the main arrival site for most of the migrating Canadian population (up to 80%) of pale-bellied Brent geese. Every autumn thousands of these birds leave their breeding grounds in eastern Canada and travel to Ireland…
Portrush Lifeboat Launches To Yacht In Difficulty Off Rathlin Island
3 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Portrush RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat launched to reports of a yacht in difficulty off Rathlin Island in Northern Ireland last night (Friday 2 October). The volunteer crew were in the water just before 9pm, half an hour after paging, and headed…
Irish sailing's September Song Made Sweeter by its Brevity
3 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Thank you, September. You did your best to provide us with good sailing as ingenious moves were implemented to run modified pandemic-compliant events which gave proper meaning to the season, and to our sailing traditions. It was neither your fault…
Campaigners Hit Out At Lough Neagh Sand Dredging Approval
2 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Environmental campaigners have hit out at a Stormont decision to approve sand dredging in Lough Neagh, as the Belfast Telegraph reports. Sand dredging has been practiced in Lough Neagh since the 1930s, with no permission needed until after the lough…
Beaked Whales Coaxed Out Of Scottish Loch Ahead Of Major Military Exercise
2 October 2020 Scottish Waters
Three northern bottlenose whales were the subject of special rescue operation in Western Scotland yesterday (Thursday 1 October) as boats worked to guide them out to sea ahead of a major military exercise. As the Guardian reports, rescue teams led…
Timothy Long Becomes Youngest Person to Sail Solo Around Britain
1 October 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Fifteen-year-old sailor Timothy Long spent his summer on a 1,600 nautical mile anti-clockwise voyage around the British coast. Now he has broken the record of Tom Webb, who sailed around Britain aged 17 in 2011. Timothy, from Aylesbury, has become…
Five RS Elites for Strangford Lough Frostie Series
30 September 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Five Elites again made it to the Battery start on Trasnagh Island on Strangford Lough last Saturday. Janice McCrudden's Bamboozled after some setup difficulties last week were keen to get some good quality racing. Unfortunately due to other commitments, Richard…
Aberdeen’s two RNLI lifeboats launched minutes apart around 9am this morning (Sunday 27 September) to a report of two surfers in danger at the entrance to Aberdeen Harbour in Eastern Scotland. It emerged that the surfers had paddled out beyond…
1973 Mirror Dinghy Resurrected for Lough Erne
24 September 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Brian Osborne last sailed a dinghy in 1989 on the River Thames near Hampton Court so returning to a small boat this season on Lough Erne was something of a revisit for him. Brian bought a classic 1973 Mirror dinghy…
Ben Graf & Alexander Farrell from Lough Ree Crowned 420 Champions at RYA NI Youth Event
23 September 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Much to the satisfaction of RYA Northern Ireland and Ballyholme Yacht Club, splitting the 89 strong Youth Sailing Championship fleet over two days to mitigate risk in accordance with COVID – 19 guidelines, allowed the event to run smoothly with…
RS Elites Take to the Water for The First Time for Frosties at Strangford Lough
22 September 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Last Sunday was the first day's racing for most of the RS Elites this year as a result of a Covid-19 hit 2020 season. Five boats made it onto Strangford Lough with the hope of another couple joining next weekend. …
90 Compete For Northern Ireland Youth Sailing Honours at Ballyholme Yacht Club
22 September 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
More than 90 of Northern Ireland’s Youth and Junior sailors have taken part in the RYA Northern Ireland Youth Championships, which were hosted by Ballyholme Yacht Club. Racing took part of over two days on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20…
Swimmers & Surfers On NI’s North Coast Urged ‘To Be Extra Vigilant’ As Summer Lifeguard Service Ends
20 September 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
With the RNLI’s summer lifeguard service now ended for 2020, swimmers and surfers on Northern Ireland’s North Coast have been urged “to be extra vigilant”. The warning from Coleraine Coastguard comes after three swimmers got into difficulty at Castlerock Beach…
The History of Belfast Lough's Lufra Cup for the Menagerie Sailing Race
20 September 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
It's 76 years since the Lufra Cup was first presented to the winner of Ballyholme's Menagerie Race, a pursuit event run traditionally to mark Closing Day when there was no such thing as Winter, let alone Autumn racing in Belfast…
All Change in £40m Plan for Bangor Waterfront on Belfast Lough
18 September 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Bangor on Belfast Lough is hoping to secure through Ards and North Down Borough Council, around £40m from the Belfast City Regional Deal to fund the Bangor Waterfront Development and will submit the Outline Business Case to the Belfast Region…
NI Surfer’s Close Encounter With Killer Whales Off Donegal
16 September 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
A surfer from Northern Ireland got more than he bargained for when he was chased by a pod of killer whales off Donegal last week. As the News Letter reports, Derry man Ryan Vail was catching waves off Culdaff on…
Seven Rescued After Two Boats Run Aground In Lough Neagh
14 September 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Seven people were rescued from two vessels that ran aground on Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland on Saturday night (12 September). Lifeboats and shore crew were quickly tasked by Belfast Coastguard to the scene at Coney Island, where the vessels…
River Class One Designs: A Century Old & Still Racing on Strangford Lough
11 September 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Scottish yacht designer Alfred Mylne designed the River Class in 1920 at the behest of eight members of the Royal Ulster Yacht Club (RUYC) in Bangor on Belfast Lough. Next year the design is celebrating its 100th anniversary. In all…
Donaghadee Sailing Club's Oisin McClelland Secures Top 25 position at European Finn Championships
9 September 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Irish Tokyo 2021 solo campaigner, 27-year-old Donaghadee Sailing Club member Oisin McClelland has clinched a personal best, claiming 23rd spot at the Finn European Championships at Gdynia in Poland. The event ran from 1st to 6th September and was the…
New Lease of Life for Small Clinker-Built Dinghy on Lough Erne
8 September 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Last year Jonny Clements took part in a boating event in Lough Erne in a mixed fleet of craft from canoes to sailing boats. Having been impressed by the sailing dinghies and not having ever sailed before, he bought a…
Prodigal Crew Win Squib Battle at Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club
7 September 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
An Olympian, World and national champion were among the sailors competing at Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club for the 13-boat 2020 Squib Class Northern Championships on Belfast Lough. Race 1, 17kts WNW, got away without a hitch, 13 boats…
Ards & North Down Mayor Welcomes Teen Solo Sailor to Bangor Marina
6 September 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Mayor of Ards and North Down Councillor Trevor Cummings, visited teen solo sailor Timothy Long onboard his yacht Hunter Impala yacht, Alchemy to welcome him officially to Bangor. As Afloat reported previously, fifteen-year-old Timothy aims to become the youngest person…
Ballyholme Yacht Club To Deliver First Paddleboarding Association (BSUPA) Instructor Course in Northern Ireland
5 September 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Ballyholme Yacht Club is to bring Dom Moore from Surf Sanctuary, Newquay in the UK to deliver the first British Stand Up Paddleboarding Association (BSUPA) Instructor Course in Northern Ireland. Dom is currently putting 16 students and two instructor assessors…
RYA Northern Ireland to Run Restricted Youth Championships This Month
4 September 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The Royal Yachting Association Northern Ireland Youth Championships on 19/20 September will feel the ongoing effect of the Covid-19 pandemic in that a restricted Youth Sailing Championships will be run on the 19th and 20th September at Ballyholme Yacht Club…
Ballyholme Upgrades Weekend of 'Speed' to Multihull National Championships
4 September 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The Irish Multihull Committee has postponed its Eastern Championships at Wicklow Sailing Club and the Irish Open Championships at Swords Sailing Club due to Covid 19. Both events will now take place in 2021. Ballyholme Yacht Club has agreed to…
Strangford Lough's Andrew 'Hammy' Baker Appointed RYA Northern Ireland High Performance Manager
3 September 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Accomplished sailor Andrew Baker has been appointed as the new RYA Northern Ireland Performance Manager, taking up the post this week. Recruitment for the role started in February but was delayed until lockdown measures eased and continued funding form Sport…
15-Year-Old Solo Round Britain Sailor Arrives in Bangor on Belfast Lough
1 September 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Timothy Long from Buckinghamshire in England is only 15, and by the time he finishes his fundraising solo sail around Britain, he will have 1,600-miles under his belt. In his Hunter Impala 28 'Alchemy' Timothy covers around 45 miles a…
Sunken Motor Cruiser Forces Bangor Harbour Slipway Closure
30 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
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…
Gobbins Cliff Path Reopening With Covid-19 Safety Upgrades
28 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Co Antrim’s famous coastal path at The Gobbins is set to reopen next week on Tuesday 1 September. months after it was closed in the initial wave of coronavirus restrictions in Northern Ireland. As RTÉ News reports, the cliff path…
How One Northern Ireland Sailor Kept His Spirits Up During Lockdown
26 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Since his return to sailing with the lifting of coronavirus restrictions in Northern Ireland, Newcastle Yacht Club dinghy racer Marc Miskelly tells RYANI how he kept up a positive attitude during the lockdown months. Miskelly — who also sails a…
Newcastle Community Begins Clean-Up As Storm Francis Flooding Leaves Co Down Seaside Town ’A Disaster Zone’
26 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Clean-up operations are under way in Newcastle and other parts of Co Down after the Shinma River burst its banks due to heavy rainfall from Storm Francis yesterday (Tuesday 25 August). As BreakingNews.ie reports, as many as 300 homes were…
Topper Traveller Comes to Belfast Lough, Northern Ireland's First Open Event of the COVID-Hit Season
23 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
In what is understood to be the first open event in Northern Ireland this year, 41 Toppers including two from Dublin Bay, raced at Ballyholme YC on Belfast Lough yesterday (22nd August) for what turned out to be a lively…
Rescue For Family Cut Off By Rising Tide In Portrush
23 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Portrush RNLI’s volunteers launched to the aid of a family cut off by the rising tide on cliffs yesterday evening, Saturday 22 August. Local lifeguards raised the alarm for the two adults and three young children who were trapped between…
Six Rescued From Lough Erne Boats Jostled In Strong Winds As Fermanagh Braves Worst Of Storm Ellen
22 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Six people were rescued from their boats on Lough Erne as Storm Ellen swept over Northern Ireland in the early hours of Thursday (20 August). Enniskillen RNLI said the vessels, which were moored at the Devenish West jetty, were breaking…
Call For NI Clubs To Apply For RYA Club Of The Year Gong
20 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Applications are now open for the 2021 RYA and Yachts & Yachting Club of the Year award supported by Gallagher. The annual event celebrates the outstanding achievement and promote the hard work of sailing clubs in England, Wales, Scotland and…
An appropriate title for a GP 14 event to be held (hopefully) in October at the Larne club. The word toddy comes from the toddy drink in India produced by fermenting the sap of palm trees and its earliest known…
The Fishermen From Ghana Getting Hooked On Gaelic Football In Northern Ireland
19 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
A GAA club in Northern Ireland has had an influx of new players from much further overseas then it’s used to. BBC News reports on the fishermen from Ghana who have taken up Gaelic football as a pastime in between…
Line Honours for Mikey Ferguson on Pip Hare's 'Medallia' in Lonely Rock Race
19 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Belfast Lough's Mikey Ferguson found the Lonely Rock Race on Pip Hare's Open 60, Medallia, shorter than planned due to the impending storm. The race director decided to shorten the course with the turn at Wolf Rock off Land's End…
'Don't Rock The Boat' Sets Sail from Bangor Harbour
18 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Twelve celebrities are taking part in the challenge of a lifetime, to row the entire length of Britain, in a brand new, epic adventure series called 'Don't Rock The Boat'. The 5 x 60-minute series will see 12 famous faces…
Hundreds of Lions's Mane Jellyfish Washed Ashore on Ards Peninsula (Video)
18 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Portaferry Coastguard Rescue Team on Strangfrod Lough in Northern Ireland has warned of hundreds of Lion's Mane jellyfish washed up on the shore at Cloughey on the eastern coast of the Ards Peninsula. It's a small village with a beautiful…
Bangor Harbour Gets Minehunter HMS Ramsey Visit
17 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The minehunter HMS Ramsey under the command of Lieutenant Commander Joel Roberts, arrived into Bangor Harbour on Belfast Lough over last weekend on an exercise visit. The 53m vessel is moored alongside the Eisenhower Pier, so-called as before departing for the…
Strangford Lough's Down Cruising Club Makes Return to the Water
16 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Down Cruising Club is celebrating a return to the water with a Members' Day next Saturday (22nd August). Located at Ballydorn, near Whiterock on Strangford Lough, DCC occupies an unusual clubhouse, the old Lightship, Petrel. It was built in 1915…
Mixed Household Crews Allowed For Sailing & Racing In Northern Ireland
16 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
RYANI has has issued new guidance which allows for sailing and racing for people from different households in Northern Ireland waters. The guidance has been developed within the current coronavirus legislation and follows the parameters now also in place in…
Belfast Lough's Mikey Ferguson Joins Pip Hare's IMOCA Medallia Campaign
15 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Northern Ireland sailor Mikey Ferguson from Bangor in County Down has joined Pip Hare's IMOCA campaign and they will start the Lonely Rock Race tomorrow (Sunday 16th August), from near Ryde in the Eastern Solent in Medallia. As well as being…
Northern Ireland Swimmers First To Cross Challenging Sea Route From Scotland To Giant’s Causeway
15 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Members of an open sea swimming team have become the first to complete a challenging route between Scotland and the Giant’s Causeway, as the Greenock Telegraph reports. The Oa Giants set out from Islay last Saturday 8 August and crossed…
Northern Ireland Swimmers First To Cross Challenging Sea Route From Scotland To Giant’s Causeway
15 August 2020 Scottish Waters
Members of an open sea swimming team have become the first to complete a challenging route between Scotland and the Giant’s Causeway, as the Greenock Telegraph reports. The Oa Giants set out from Islay last Saturday 8 August and crossed…
Ron Hutchieson's Generous Multiple Roles are a Historic Sailing Era in Themselves
15 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The retirement this month of noted northern sailor Ron Hutchieson as Chairman of Irish Sailing's Racing Rules & Appeals Board brings to a conclusion an exceptionally long period of devoted and very effective honorary official service to sailing and its…
Royal Ulster Yacht Excession Heads for Fastnet 450 Race & Cork 300 Celebrations
14 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
John Harrington will carry the flag again for Royal Ulster Yacht Club, as he is off again south in the IMX38 eXcession! In a racing schedule arranged with military precision, John and a football team sized crew will tackle the…
UK Business Minister Visits Belfast Maritime Consortium
11 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The Belfast Maritime Consortium led by Artemis Technologies, has hosted a visit to the city by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP. Representatives of the 13-partner syndicate met the…
Cruising Association of Ireland Cruise to Northern Waters
11 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
In a few days, a large fleet of 17 boats from the Cruising Association of Ireland will arrive in Belfast Lough. It's three years since they last cruised here in Northern Ireland. The contingent will include two boats from the…
Britain’s Coastguard Responds To Record Number Of Incidents At UK Coasts
10 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
HM Coastguard dealt with 340 individual incidents across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on Saturday (8 August), representing its highest number of call-outs in a single day for well over four years. Packed coastlines and beaches kept coastguard personnel…
Britain’s Coastguard Responds To Record Number Of Incidents At UK Coasts
10 August 2020 Scottish Waters
HM Coastguard dealt with 340 individual incidents across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on Saturday (8 August), representing its highest number of call-outs in a single day for well over four years. Packed coastlines and beaches kept coastguard personnel…
Harrington's Royal Ulster Yacht 'Excession' Makes ISORA Debut at Dun Laoghaire
10 August 2020 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
When John Harington's IMX 38 Excession made the Dun Laoghaire Harbour startline on Saturday morning, he became the first Northern Ireland yacht to compete in ISORA racing in many years, The enthusiastic Royal Ulster Yacht Club crew from Bangor on…
