Friendliest Port co-hosts Maritime Festival
Amble will host the start of a new sailing event, which aims to celebrate the maritime history of the Northumberland coast. The Northumberland Maritime Festival takes place from Friday 17 – Sunday 19 July.
Events begin at Coquet Yacht Club, the weekend activities include an exciting race to the Royal Northumberland Yacht Club at Blyth, concluding with further races and a Parade of Sail of over 40 vessels in Blyth Bay.
Yachts will race for the inaugural Northumberland Yachting Plate, which will start outside Amble Harbour at 9.30am on Saturday 18 July. There will be three classes, Sportsboat, Spinnaker and White Sail. Competitors will race around Coquet Island, continuing to two further marks and then a fairway finish in Blyth Harbour at approximately 3pm.
Sunday will see a return race to Coquet Yacht Club for those boats based there, and further day races and activities at RNYC. It is expected that this will become an annual event, alternating the starting port each year.
The Northumberland Yachting Plate will be awarded to the yacht with the best time for the course on handicap. The event is sponsored by the Royal Northumberland Yacht Club Club, Coquet Yacht Club and Northumberland County Council.
