The latest news from Scottish and Northern Irish waters produced by Yachting Life & Afloat.
British Sailing Team Fields Three Entries at 2021 ILCA 6 World Championship
29 November 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
As Afloat reported earlier, Ireland has two entries at the 2021 ILCA 6/Laser Radial World Championship while the British Sailing Team is fielding three – Hannah Snellgrove, Daisy Collingridge and Matilda Nicholls - supported by British Sailing Team lead pathway coach…
Portrush Lifeboat Assists Fishing Vessel in Difficulty
24 November 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Portrush RNLI was requested to launch by Belfast Coastguard at 2.30pm yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 23 November) to reports of a fishing vessel in difficulty 800 metres east of the Barmouth. The 26ft vessel with two males on board was reported…
Portrush Lifeboat Carries Out Medevac From Research Vessel
20 November 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Portrush RNLI was requested to launch in the early hours of this morning (Saturday 20 November) to reports of a casualty taken ill on 42m research vessel some three nautical miles northwest of the Causeway Coast town. The all-weather lifeboat…
Refurbishing Lough Neagh's Joyce, a World War II Torpedo Recovery Vessel
18 November 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The charity Silvery Light Sailing based in Newry at the head of Carlingford Lough is passionate about the refurbishment of old boats. One of these is now temporarily berthed in Carlingford Marina on the southern shore of Carlingford Lough. She's…
County Down Restoration of Swan 36 Yacht, Lofna
17 November 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
In 2018 Co Down sailor Del Fairley made a wish list of boats to buy from which he would choose his favourite design, and top of the list was a Swan 36. His wife Gill knew nothing about this! But…
Three Northern Ireland RNLI Lifeboats Help in Multi-Agency Search for Paddeboarder
12 November 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Three RNLI Lifeboat’s from Bangor, Donaghadee and Larne were today involved with a multi-agency search with two Coastguard helicopters, Lagan Search and Rescue, PSNI Boat and local Coastguard Rescue Teams. After reports of a paddleboarder overdue at Helen’s Bay, Belfast…
Noel Hanna on Summiting Everest at Royal Ulster Yacht Club Talk
11 November 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Although Noel Hanna has virtually no sailing experience, this renowned Co Down adventurer from Dromara is an endurance athlete of the highest order. His illustrated talk about his career to date drew a large crowd to Royal Ulster Yacht Club…
Seaweed Supplements Could Significantly Reduce Livestock Methane Emissions
10 November 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
As Cop26 continues to debate methane – with the US And EU having pledged to reduce agricultural methane outputs from ruminant livestock by upwards of 30% by 2030 – scientists at the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) at Queen’s…
Harland & Wolff Sign Framework Agreement with the RNLI
8 November 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Harland & Wolff, the iconic shipyard with over 160 years of maritime and offshore engineering pedigree, is delighted to announce it has signed a framework agreement with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) for the haul-out, repairs, maintenance, refurbishment and…
Glasgow's Ultimate Boat Company is Shortlisted for Environmental Initiative at Metstrade Boat Builder Awards 2021
8 November 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Glasgow-based The Ultimate Boat Company (UBC) has been shortlisted for the ‘Environmental Initiative’ category of the forthcoming Metstrade Boat Builder Awards as a result of its pioneering use of a revolutionary sustainable technology and material in boatbuilding. ExoMarineTM, the marine…
‘Game of Thrones’ Story Closes as Titanic Studios on Belfast Waterfront Goes on Market
7 November 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Belfast’s iconic Titanic Studios — which hosted filming for Games of Thrones — is now on the market for an undisclosed sum, as the Belfast Telegraph reports. US TV giant HBO, which licensed use of the three-acre studio site on…
20 Northern Ireland Sailors Compete at Royal Cork Youth Dinghy Championships
3 November 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Twenty young sailors from Northern Ireland made the long journey south to Royal Cork Yacht Club for the Investwise Youth Sailing National Championships last weekend. They were members of Newcastle Yacht Club on the south Down coast, East Antrim BC…
When Belfast Lough's Harbour Of Groomsport Acquired A Scottish Island
3 November 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Davaar is the conspicuous island at the entrance to Campbeltown Loch on Scotland's Mull of Kintyre, so it was entirely logical that when the local shipping company began to augment their fleet with steamships, the best-known became the Royal Mail…
Royal St. George Team Racers Win Millennium Trophy at Dun Laoghaire Harbour
1 November 2021 Scottish Waters
The Royal St. George Yacht Club were the convincing winner after 24 races of the J/80 Millennium Bowl Team Racing event at Dun Laoghaire Harbour at the weekend. Saturday saw Dublin Bay Race Officer Barry O'Neill complete 18 races that…
Artemis Technologies, founded in 2017, is the lead partner in the Belfast Maritime Consortium, a 13-member syndicate working on designing and building zero-emission high-speed ferries in the city through the creation of its unique electric hydrofoiling propulsion system, which is…
Louet-Feisser Wins Open Windsurfing Ulster Championship at Ballyholme Yacht Club
27 October 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
An entry of thirteen on Saturday 23rd October was certainly not an unlucky number for Ballyholme Yacht Club's first windsurfing event, the Open Ulster Championship, as the Irish Windsurfing Association intends to include this as a ranked event in the…
RNLI Lifesavers From Portrush to Feature in TV’s Saving Lives at Sea
25 October 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Following previous appearances by Dunmore East, Kilmore Quay and Rosslare Harbour RNLI, the volunteer lifeboat crew in Portrush will be taking to the small screen next Tuesday 2 November as they feature in the 10th and final episode of this…
RNLI & Coastguard Warn People to Consider Dangers Ahead of Half-Term Break
24 October 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
As schools in Northern Ireland prepare for the half-term break, the RNLI and the Coastguard are reminding everyone to stay safe if they are heading to the coast or are visiting the local inland waterways as the autumn sets in.…
Watersport Poses ‘Real Risk’ to Strangford Lough’s Marine Wildlife, Says National Trust
22 October 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Marine wildlife in Strangford Lough faces a “real risk” from an increase in recreational watersport, as The Irish News reports. Rangers from the National Trust in Northern Ireland recorded a record number of grey seal pups and a “stable” population…
Seven Wins for Impala 'Alcyone'at Strangford Lough Yacht Club's Frostie 2021 Series
21 October 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Last Saturday (16th October) saw the final races of Strangford Lough Yacht Club's Frostie 2021 series. In all over five Saturdays, ten races were completed, with the organisers pleased to have returned to some sort of normality. The event which…
Belfast Lough Seal Spotted With Can Stuck on Jaw Rescued in Scotland
19 October 2021 Scottish Waters
A young harbour seal spotted in Belfast Lough earlier this month with an aluminium can stuck on its lower jaw has been rescued by police in Scotland. The Irish News reports that the juvenile marine mammal had swum across the…
Belfast Lough Seal Spotted With Can Stuck on Jaw Rescued in Scotland
19 October 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
A young harbour seal spotted in Belfast Lough earlier this month with an aluminium can stuck on its lower jaw has been rescued by police in Scotland. The Irish News reports that the juvenile marine mammal had swum across the…
Global Marine SubSea Cable Laying in Scottish & Northern Irish Waters
18 October 2021 Scottish Waters
The Essex based subsea engineering company, Global Marine, is planning to install the Scot-NI 3 and Scot-NI 4 Telecommunications cables in Scottish and Northern Irish waters on behalf of British Telecommunications plc, between November 1st and December 20th this year.…
Global Marine SubSea Cable Laying in Scottish & Northern Irish Waters
18 October 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The Essex based subsea engineering company, Global Marine, is planning to install the Scot-NI 3 and Scot-NI 4 Telecommunications cables in Scottish and Northern Irish waters on behalf of British Telecommunications plc, between November 1st and December 20th this year.…
The GP14 'Hot Toddy' Event Returns to East Antrim Boat Club
17 October 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
As with so many events over the last 18 months, East Antrim Boat Club's annual Hot Toddy GP 14 event suffered the effects of the pandemic but next weekend (23rd/24th October) the class will take to the waters of Larne…
What Northern Ireland Boaters Need to Know About Red Diesel Ban
15 October 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
As reported earlier this year on Afloat.ie, the ban on the use of red diesel to propel private pleasure craft in Northern Ireland has come into effect. As of 1 October 2021, following an extension from this past summer, private pleasure…
Islandmagee Gas Storage Project Gets Green Light off Antrim Coast
13 October 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
A gas storage project, located off the coast of Northern Ireland, has been awarded a Marine Construction Licence, giving it the green light to proceed towards construction. Islandmagee Energy’s gas storage project will initially unlock seven much-needed gas storage caverns.…
Blustery conditions made for challenging racing for the seven teams competing in the Ceilidh Cup / Scottish Student Sailing (SSS) Match Racing event, hosted at the Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club in Rhu, Scotland, on Saturday 9th & Sunday…
British Kite Foilers Seek Medals at Historic World Championships
12 October 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The Formula Kite World Championships will take place in Torregrande, Sardinia, from October 13 to 17. The event is part of the Open Water Challenge, which celebrates board sports including kite, wing foil and SUP. A whole host of British…
Busy Sunday for Portrush Lifeboat With Callouts to Kayakers & Paddle Boarders
11 October 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Portrush RNLI has had a busy Sunday launching to separate reports of kayakers and paddle boarders in difficulty yesterday (10 October). In the first callout, the all-weather lifeboat crew were paged just after 10am to reports of kayakers in difficulty…
British Laser Sailing on a High After Third Euro Title in As Many Years
11 October 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Michael Beckett has become the third Brit in as many years to claim the ILCA 7/Laser class European title. Beckett, who has twice come runner up at the Euros, in 2018 and 2020, led the week-long regatta in Varna, Bulgaria,…
Ireland & Ballyholme's Sailing History – Memories, Myths, & Matters of Fact
8 October 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Coming as it does from David Tasker - an Afloat.ie reader from the Isle of Wight - a typically Autumnal query received a day or two ago from this new owner of an interesting and much-loved vintage boat is one…
Portaferry Lifeboat Launches to Report of Paddle Boarder in Difficulty
6 October 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The volunteer crew at Portaferry RNLI launched at the request of a stand-up paddle boarder in difficulty on Guns Island in Co Down yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 5 October). Launching at 3.14pm in sunny weather with good visibility and a Force…
11 Entries So Far for Royal North of Ireland RS400 Winter Series
6 October 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
After a hiatus of two years, Northern Ireland's RS400 Winter series is back. The Belfast Lough sailing event will kick off on Sunday 31st October for eight consecutive weeks up to 19th December. This event was the last run in…
Donaghadee RNLI Comes to the Aid of Seven People onboard 18ft Boat that Breaks Down off Ballyhalbert
4 October 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Donaghadee RNLI came to the aid of seven people onboard an 18ft Bayliner boat that broke down a mile off Ballyhalbert on the Ards Peninsula yesterday afternoon (Sunday 3 October). The volunteer crew were requested by Belfast Coastguard to launch…
Stena Ferry Assists Four in Danger on Yacht off Loch Ryan
3 October 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
In the early evening of Saturday, 2nd October, Belfast Coastguard put out a MAYDAY in response to a 20ft yacht with four people on board reportedly taking on water and without power, a mile north of Corsewall Point, at the…
Young Sailors Participate in RYA Northern Ireland's Youth Forum
1 October 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
A group of enthusiastic young sailors have come together for the first meeting of RYA Northern Ireland's Youth Forum at Ballyholme Yacht Club. RYA Northern Ireland identified youth engagement as a key area for the organisation, and this strand of…
Scottish Author's New Books 'Harbouring-My Desire' Raises Funds for the RNLI
28 September 2021 Scottish Waters
My name is Kevin Scott (58) from Newton Mearns, Glasgow. Married, two children. Lockdown for me provided the ideal opportunity to fulfil one of my earliest retirement goals. And that was to complete my journey around the Scottish mainland, once…
Scottish Author's New Books 'Harbouring-My Desire' Raises Funds for the RNLI
28 September 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
My name is Kevin Scott (58) from Newton Mearns, Glasgow. Married, two children. Lockdown for me provided the ideal opportunity to fulfil one of my earliest retirement goals. And that was to complete my journey around the Scottish mainland, once…
One Airlifted to Hospital After Jet Skiing Incident on River Foyle
26 September 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
One person was airlifted to hospital after a personal watercraft ran aground on the River Foyle, as the Belfast Telegraph reports. The Irish Coast Guard’s Sligo-based helicopter Rescue 118 was dispatched to the incident in Lisahally, Co Derry last night…
Belfast Lough Sigma 33 Wins Glenarm Sailing Challenge
24 September 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
What started off as a challenge in Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club on Belfast Lough by Gordon Patterson's Sigma 362, Fanciulla, a heavy 36-footer, to Gavin Vaughan's new Jeanneau 349, a 34-foot light displacement boat, in a race to…
Ranger the 80-Year-Old Snipe Dinghy at Lough Erne Heritage Skills Day
22 September 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
For a very long time, the Snipe class Dinghy Ranger languished in the Boathouse at Crom Castle on Upper Lough Erne, but after lengthy restoration by Fred and George Ternan, Ranger has been afloat twice recently and last weekend (18th…
Ballyholme Yacht Club Laser Fleet's 50th Anniversary to be Celebrated with a Special Regatta
22 September 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Their names will be forever associated with Ballyholme Yacht Club's Laser class. Instrumental in getting the class going in 1974 were Ron Hutchieson and Trevor Millar. Ron persuaded Trevor to leave Newtownards SC and come to Ballyholme. And Ron bought…
Howth Yacht Club's Des Turvey Wins Optimist Ulsters at Larne's East Antrim Boat Club
20 September 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
East Antrim Boat Club on Larne Lough on the Antrim coast welcomed 60 Optimists from all over Ireland to the Ulster Championships last Saturday and Sunday 18th and 19th September. A stalwart of the club, Tom Jobling, reckons it may…
Donaghadee Lifeboat Evacuates Sick Passenger From Cruise Ship
18 September 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Donaghadee RNLI carried out a medevac of a passenger who became ill on a cruise ship that left Belfast Lough on Friday evening (17 September). The volunteer crew were requested by Belfast Coastguard to launch their all-weather lifeboat Saxon shortly…
Portaferry & Newcastle Lifeboats Launch to Sinking Cabin Cruiser
17 September 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Lifeboat crews from Portaferry and Newcastle RNLI were involved in the rescue of a man whose cabin cruiser was in danger of sinking off Co Down yesterday (Thursday 16 September). The volunteers were requested to launch their lifeboats at 6pm…
Annual Boat Fishing Competition Raises £1,300 for Kilkeel RNLI
16 September 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
On Tuesday last week (7 September), Merwyn Hanna MBE, president of Kilkeel RNLI and chair of the lifeboat station’s fundraising branch, received a cheque for £1,347.65 from Raymond “Speedy” Newell following a successful fishing competition off the Co Down coast.…
Belfast Lough Boat Firm's Decarbonised Crew Transfer Vessel Concept Wins £.5m Grant
15 September 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
A study, led by high-performance maritime design and applied technologies company Artemis Technologies based on Belfast Lough has been awarded £533,000 to investigate transformative solutions to decarbonise crew transfer vessel (CTV) operations in the offshore wind sector. The grant, announced…
Kevin and Debbie Aitken's First 36.7, Animal, has completed a three-peat as Scotia Handling Services Ltd RC35 Class Champions. The season-long championship was completed at the Clyde Cruising Club's GSS Regatta in partnership with CRhu Rigging on the 11th and…
Strangford Lough Yacht Club Big Boat Frostie Series Begins This Weekend at Whiterock
15 September 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
At Ballyholme Yacht Club, they call it the Icebreaker- it's for dinghies - and at Strangford Lough Yacht Club, they call it the Frostie Series (it's for big boats). The club lies on the eastern shore of Strangford Lough in…
Carrybridge Lifeboat Assists Two After Cabin Cruiser Breakdown
11 September 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Carrybridge RNLI’s inshore lifeboat was launched yesterday afternoon (Friday 10 September) to assess a cabin cruiser with two people on board which had broken down some two miles southeast of Knockninny in Co Fermanagh. Once on scene on Upper Lough…
Second Outing for the Restored Snipe Dinghy Ranger on Lough Erne
10 September 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
In late August, the Snipe dinghy Ranger, restored by Fred and George Ternan after sixty years lying abandoned on the Crom Estate, County Fermanagh, had her second outing on Upper Lough Erne at Crom. Ranger was one of two Snipes…
Tokyo 2020 Sailing Stars to Open Southampton International Boat Show
9 September 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The British Sailing Team’s Tokyo 2020 stars will officially open the 2021 Southampton International Boat Show on Friday, September 10. Gold medallists Eilidh McIntyre, Stuart Bithell and Dylan Fletcher will be among a host of Team GB sailors attending Mayflower…
Portaferry RNLI Aid Two Men on Vessel in Danger of Sinking West of St John’s Point Lighthouse
8 September 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Portaferry RNLI came to the aid of two men this morning (Wednesday 8 September) after their 9m rib took on water and was in danger of sinking off St John’s Point Lighthouse in county Down. Newcastle RNLI also responded. The…
Royal North of Ireland's Inaugural Glenarm Offshore Sailing Challenge
7 September 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Come Saturday 18th September, cruising boat owners from Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club on Belfast Lough will be sailing north on the club's inaugural 'Glenarm Challenge'. Glenarm is a small village on the famous Antrim Coast Road on the…
Mixed Fortunes for Northern Ireland Yachts at the ICRA Nationals on Dublin Bay
7 September 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Snoopy, the Joubert/Nievelt designed Quarter Tonner with bases at Courtown Sailing Club in Wexford and Royal Ulster on Belfast Lough can most certainly be classed Top Dog after Marty Mahon's consistent top three performance at the ICRA Nationals in Dublin…
Co Fermanagh Fish Kill Is Northern Ireland’s Third in Three Months
4 September 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Northern Ireland’s inland waters have seen a third fish kill in as many months after hundreds of dead trout were found in a Co Fermanagh river, as BBC News reports. The grim discovery in the Kesh River on Wednesday (1…
Five Northern Ireland Yachts for ICRA Championships on Dublin Bay
1 September 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Five boats based at Northern clubs are making their way to Dun Laoghaire Harbour for this weekend's three-day ICRA championships hosted by the National Yacht Club, which has attracted 77 entries. Two of the northern contingent are by the same…
200 Sea Swimmers Take to Belfast Lough from Ballyholme Yacht Club Slipway
1 September 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Nearly 200 swimmers took to the waters of Ballyholme Bay on Belfast Lough in perfect weather on Saturday 28th August, marking the culmination of a very successful season of regular Monday night swims off the Club slipway. Of the huge…
Co Antrim’s Three Mile Water Struck by Second Fish Kill Incident in Three Months
29 August 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Co Antrim’s Three Mile Water has been afflicted by a second fish kill this summer — and a local angling group says it could take years to recover. The Belfast Telegraph reports on the incident which was discovered on the…
Carrybridge Lifeboat Assists Five on Grounded Sports Cruiser
29 August 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Carrybridge RNLI’s inshore lifeboat and rescue water craft were launched yesterday afternoon (Saturday 28 August) to assess a vessel in distress with five people on board. The sport cruiser had run aground some two miles upstream from Bellanaleck in the…
National Yacht Club's Lavery & Green Take the Lead at Irish Flying Fifteen Championships
28 August 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Twenty-two entries to the Flying Fifteen Nationals translated to twenty boats on the water with 12 boats arriving from South of the border. Of these, all bar three were from Dun Laoghaire. Dunmore East had a 100% turnout with Lee…
Portaferry Lifeboat Rescues Three From Strangford Lough After Punt Capsizes
27 August 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Portaferry RNLI were called out yesterday evening (Thursday 26 August) at 5.44pm after members of the public reported three people in the water after their small punt capsized on Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland. Helmed by Fergal Glynn and with…
Runners & Riders for the Flying Fifteen Championship of Ireland
24 August 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
As we are days away from the Flying Fifteen Championship of Ireland, to be hosted by Strangford Lough Yacht Club in Whiterock, from Friday 27th to Sunday 29th August, it seems entirely appropriate to publish an assessment of who might…
Beneteau 40.7 Game Changer Tops IRC at Royal Ulster Yacht Club Keelboat Event (Update)
23 August 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The keelboat weekend held at Royal Ulster Yacht Club on Belfast Lough on 21st and 22nd August is a new venture and benefitted from generous sponsorship by Shortcross Gin. The nine-strong fleet included five visitors, and of these two were…
Butler & Oram Retain Fireball Ulster Championship Title at Newtownards Sailing Club
23 August 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Noel Butler and Stephen Oram retained their Fireball Ulster champions title after five races at Newtownards SC at the weekend. The event took place under something of a weather cloud – the forecast for the weekend was not good –…
Northern Ireland Youth Sailors Competing at High Levels
22 August 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
It has been a busy August for several young Laser sailors from Northern Ireland clubs who have competed at a high level in the RYA Youth Nationals at Plymouth, the UK Laser Association Nationals at Weymouth and the World Laser…
Bangor's Monson Wins RS Aero Northerns on Belfast Lough
17 August 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Sue Monson of Bangor Marina has won the RS Aero Northerns at Carrickfergus Sailing Club. The event was run as part of the RS Northern Championships which also featured the RS Feva, RS 200 and RS 400 fleets. On day…
The Snipe Class Dinghy Ranger Sails Again on Lough Erne
16 August 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The Snipe class dinghy Ranger appears to be first listed in the Ballyholme Yacht Club 1953 Regatta programme in Belfast Lough, owned by a Mr J Morrison. But by 1956 she had moved west and found a home in Lough…
Divers Warned Not to Disturb Key Wreck Sites Off Northern Ireland’s North Coast
15 August 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Shipwreck divers have been warned not to disturb two protected sites off Northern Ireland’s North Coast, as the Newry Times reports. Wreck diving has become a popular pastime this summer due to prolonged periods of sunshine and calm seas. But…
Antrim Boat Club Hosts Successful Open Day on Lough Neagh
13 August 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
For a relatively small club, Antrim Boat Club certainly achieved its aim of introducing to sailing and other water sports, many people who had never experienced the sport before – 150. Antrim Boat Club lies on the northeast shore of…
Former First Sea Lord Joins Harland & Wolff Board
13 August 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Parent company of Harland & Wolff, InfraStrata plc, is delighted to announce that former First Sea Lord & Chief of Naval Staff of the Royal Navy, Sir Jonathon Band, will be joining its Board of Directors. Sir Jonathon is expected…
New Pontoon at Antrim's Glenarm Marina Increases Berths to 50 Boats
11 August 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Glenarm Marina now has a new fully serviced pontoon increasing the berthing capacity of this Blue Flag popular spot to 50 within the picturesque village's historical limestone harbour on the east coast of County Antrim. Glenarm lies at the foot…
Bobby Driscoll from Royal North Wins Topper 5.3 Northern Ireland Championships
9 August 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
It was worth the wait for Ballyholme Yacht Club on Belfast Lough to stage a full-on Topper Northern Ireland Championships over the past weekend. Sixty-nine young sailors came from the length and breadth of Ireland; from Royal Cork and Waterford…
Royal Ulster Foray to West Cork's Calves Week Proves Fruitful for Mahon's Belfast Lough Quarter Tonner
8 August 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Martin Mahon from Courtown Sailing Club in North Wexford is also a member of Royal Ulster Yacht Club in Bangor, having lived in Holywood on the south side of Belfast Lough for some years. He regularly sails his Joubert-Nievelt 1/4…
Strangford Narrows Tidal Turbine Mooring System Undergoes Decommission
4 August 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Glasgow based Flex Marine Power has issued a Notice to Mariners regarding its activity within the Strangford Narrows in County Down in Northern Ireland. The turbine mooring system is being decommissioned and there is a workboat, and buoys marking the…
Portaferry Lifeboat Launches to Woman Injured on Yacht
3 August 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Portaferry RNLI’s inshore lifeboat launched yesterday evening (Monday 2 August) to the aid of a woman who had fallen onboard a yacht. The volunteer lifeboat crew’s pagers sounded just after 7.30pm and they launched amid good conditions to assess the…
New Scottish Sailing Scheme for Young People Affected by the Pandemic Begins
2 August 2021 Scottish Waters
On Friday last (30th July), a new scheme for young people affected by the pandemic began in Oban on the Argyll and Bute coast in Scotland. The first participants include a cabaret singer, intensive care doctor and a student. Named…
Dun Laoghaire Harbour Crew Saskia Tidey Drops to Fourth in 49erFx Tokyo Battle
30 July 2021 Scottish Waters
Unstoppable and steadier through high-speed manoeuvres in the stronger winds, Charlotte Dobson and her Dun Laoghaire Harbour crew Saskia Tidey have ruled the waves of Sagami Bay this week for Team GB but light winds on Friday dropped the pair…
Invasive Species Cost UK Economy Over £5 billion Over Past 40-50 years
29 July 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Research led by Queen’s University Belfast has shown that invasive species, such as the grey squirrel, European rabbit and Japanese knotweed, have cost the UK economy over £5 billion over the past 40-50 years, making the cost one of the…
Ballycastle Coastguard Launches to Reports of ‘Dolphin Harassment’ Off North Antrim Coast
28 July 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Ballycastle Coastguard joined officials from Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in responding to reports of dolphins being potentially harassed by personal water craft and other leisure vessels. The teams launched on Sunday afternoon (25 July)…
Royal Irish's Saskia Tidey Consolidates Lead for Team GB in 49erFX with Charlotte Dobson
28 July 2021 Scottish Waters
Dun Laoghaire's Saskia Tidey and Scotland's Charlotte Dobson consolidated their top position in the 49er FX with three top-five finishes in today's racing at the Olympic Regatta in Tokyo. There was sun, plenty of breeze and waves with 14 knots…
Restorer of MGRS 34 'Twenty Twenty' Has Round Ireland Race Ambition
26 July 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The MGRS 34 Twenty Twenty, originally owned by Bangor man, Jimmy Mackey, lay unused in the river Liffey at Poolbeg, Dublin for about seven years and now, like another Humphrey's design, Juno, will have a new lease of life. Rex…
Last Race Decider at Flying Fifteen Northern Championships at Portaferry Sailing Club
26 July 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
For those who were unable to make the first Flying Fifteen "away" regatta since the summer season of 2019, you missed glorious sunshine, great hospitality, fickle winds, and challenging tides! The venue was Portaferry on the northern shores of the…
McCarthy Leads Flying Fifteen Northerns at Strangford Lough
24 July 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
14 Flying Fifteens enjoyed glorious sunshine and light winds just inside the narrows of Strangford Lough for their Northern Championships on Day 1. Race Officer John McAlea had his hands full with fickle winds and a strong tide but still…
Personal Locator Beacon Activated on Lough Neagh
24 July 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Yesterday (23rd July) Lough Neagh lifeboats were paged in the mid-afternoon by Belfast Coastguard to reports of a Personal Locator Beacon being activated. Lifeboats launched quickly and a search area within the Antrim Bay at the north end of the…
Portaferry Lifeboat Rescues Two After Boat Breaks Down on Strangford Lough
22 July 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Portaferry RNLI launched to the aid of two people early yesterday afternoon (Wednesday 21 July) after their leisure boat broke down and was left adrift at the Narrows on Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland. The volunteer lifeboat crew’s pagers sounded…
Ballyholme Yacht Club Regatta Had Something for Everyone on Belfast Lough
19 July 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
There was non-stop activity at Ballyholme Yacht Club on Belfast Lough at the weekend (July 17th/18th) for the Regatta which enjoyed day-long hot sunny weather. Though lacking any decent breeze on a Saturday morning for the Cadet racing, just enough…
Royal North's Toy for the Boys Takes the Squib Lead at Kinsale
17 July 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Wins in the second and third races in the Squib Southern Championships at Kinsale Yacht Club this afternoon has handed the overnight lead to Northern Ireland's Peter Wallace and Fiona Ward. The Wallace and Ward partnership from Royal North of Ireland…
Five People Get into Difficulty at Ballycastle Beach
16 July 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The 1.2 km Ballycastle Beach is a popular tourist destination on the Causeway Coast Route on the Antrim Coast of Northern Ireland. It was the scene shortly before midday yesterday (15th July) of a serious incident, when as reported by…
Over 140 Boats for Strangford Lough Narrows Regatta
16 July 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The long-established Narrows Regatta held in that fast-flowing stretch of water between the towns of Portaferry on the east side and Strangford on the west side of Strangford Lough in County Down brought together last weekend over 140 boats for…
Emergency Response to Engine Room Fire on Belfast Lough Ferry
13 July 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
A multi-agency response was launched last night (Monday 12 July) to battle a fire on board a Stena Line ferry in Belfast Lough. As BBC News reports, the fire broke out in the engine room of the Superfast VIII around…
Several rescue teams went to the aid of a man trapped in mud near Holywood on the south coast of Belfast Lough this morning. (13th July). The tide was flooding, and Mud Rescue Technicians worked rapidly to free the man,…
Famous Belfast Lough GP14 Dinghy 'Ventura' is Restored & Sailing Again at Newtownards
10 July 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
A year and a half ago, Afloat reported on a famous GP14 called Ventura, which had been saved from destruction and was being restored by Derek McCune of Newtownards Sailing Club. Now Ventura, no 796 built in 1955 and once…
Waverleys on the Move from Ballyholme to Strangford Lough
10 July 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
The 18-foot Waverley open racing yacht has for many years been a Ballyholme Yacht Club class, and those which are still sailing have been berthed in Bangor Marina, which from when it was opened in 1989 proved to be something…
American Mega Yacht 'Liquid Rehab' Docks in Bangor on Belfast Lough
8 July 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Megayacht, superyacht – certainly bigger than any craft in Bangor Marina. Lying alongside the Eisenhower Pier in Bangor Harbour on the North Down coast on a recent visit, after a passage from the Clyde, the 39.62 m motor yacht, Liquid…
Carrickfergus Sailing Club's J80 Jezebel Takes First Gun at East Antrim Boat Club Regatta
6 July 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Despite a smaller than usual turnout at Larne last weekend for the East Antrim Boat Club Regatta, racing was keen, and on Saturday, the fleet enjoyed perfect conditions, with the breeze picking up for the second race on the Sunday.…
Royal Cork's Rian Collins Wins Topper Northerns at Donaghadee Sailing Club
6 July 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Donaghadee Sailing Club on the north County Down coast heard the first gun fired in the Topper Northern Championships on Saturday 3rd July with a sense of relief and excitement. Race Officer Aidan Pounder, Commodore of Ballyholme YC, assisted by…
Royal Ulster Beneteau 31.7 Victory for John Minnis & 'Final Call' Crew on Dublin Bay
4 July 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Royal Ulster's 'man on a mission' John Minnis lived up to his pre-championship word and delivered a perfect scoreline to win the Beneteau 31.7 Irish National Championships 2021 at the National Yacht Club this afternoon with five straight wins. The Gareth…
Lough Neagh Rescue of Speedboat Made Easier Through Lat & Long Position
4 July 2021 Northern Ireland Sailing & Boating News
Ardboe Point south of Ballyronan on the west side of Lough Neagh was the Lough Neagh Rescue team's call on Friday (2nd July). A speed boat had broken down about two miles off the Point with five people on board,…
