Last week saw Galway Swimming Club hosting the Blue Water Swimming Club, all the way from Brandon, Florida, for part of their week-long cultural and sporting visit to Ireland.

The latest water sports craze across the world has hit Galway. Stand-up paddle boarding is billed as "a cross between windsurfing, canoeing and surfing," and is now available to try out at Rusheen Bay.

Marine events for the coming week.

The Galway Green Party will hold a public clean up of Silver Strand beach next Saturday, 19 April at 11am. The clean up will start at Silver Strand near Barna church and make its way along the beach towards Barna village.

It's that time of year again and the tall ship, the Jeanie Johnston is preparing to take to the high seas.

Being a native of Kilkenny, PJ did not grow up around boats or sailing. In fact, he only came to sailing a year after finishing college. "So I was what? 23? Something like that. Summer was coming up and a friend of mine suggested having a go at sailing."

Conditions were very challenging for the competitors in race five of the Galway Bay Sailing Club Sunday Spring Dinghy Series. Although there was a flat sea, the wind from the north, gusting on occasions to 25 knots and over, made for cold and daring racing. Many of the competitors did not complete the course as a result. Race six was cancelled in the interest of safety as wind strength was rising. Race Officer, Miriam Croke, announcing the results, thanked the rescue boat drivers who provided safe cover to all those competing.

Last weekend, Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 April, the Royal Cork Yacht Club hosted the Schools National Team Racing Championship 2008.

A freshening West/North-West wind gave rise to near perfect conditions for the first race in the Falcon Fires Cruiser Race series. It was obvious to spectators from the beginning of the race, as the boats made their way to the start line, that the race would be between the leading pair - both 1720s.

Upcoming marine events.