Route des Princes - Ocean City’s Festival of Sail underway

by Sabina Mollart Rogerson on 28 Jun 2013 In the Route des Princes, the arrival in Plymouth on Wednesday of the fleet of grand Prix multihulls, which features top sailors from seven different nations racing around Europe, marks the start of the Ocean City’s Festival of Sail.

The eight multihulls, four Multi50 trimarans, three 70 foot MOD70 trimarans and the show stopping 80 foot trimaran Prince de Bretagne, arrived from Dun Laoghaire, Dublin Bay during Wednesday afternoon and evening, and will start their final leg to Morlaix, France on Saturday evening. The course has taken the crews from Valencia in Spain to Lisbon, Portugal and Dun Laoghaire Ireland before arriving in Plymouth.

During Friday afternoon and Saturday morning and early afternoon, the multihulls will compete over short courses off Plymouth Hoe when the final inshore race points will be available. With the top two teams in the MOD70 class, Oman Air-Musandam and Edmond de Rothschild locked together with the same points aggregate going into the inshore race series, the short, sharp courses can be decisive. These contests are raced close to shore so spectators can enjoy the spectacle with live commentary.

A prizegiving on Friday evening on Plymouth Hoe will see Lord Mayor Vivien Pengelly present the prizes for the Dublin to Plymouth leg between 8pm and 8.15pm.

As with other stopovers on the Route des Princes Plymouth welcomes visitors to enjoy a comprehensive shoreside festival, which will highlight local produce, and there will be live music and entertainment for all ages. Chef demonstrations kick off the days, there is stand up paddleboarding, live music for all ages and a great range of produce.

Programme:

Friday 28 June

Throughout the day: Local food stalls on Sutton Harbour and The Barbican selling an array of local produce from 10am until 7pm

The Boathouse Cafe will be serving up seafood BBQ specials in an English Garden Party setting on Commercial Wharf and David Fitzgerald from BBC Radio Devon will be hosting his radio show live from the waterfront between
12pm and 3pm

10am – 2pm Stand up paddleboard racing of Commercial Wharf

11am-2pm Chef demonstrations on Commercial Wharf until 2pm including demos by celebrity chef brothers Chris and James Tanner of the Tanners Restaurant, Plymouth

12.50pm Local fishermen, Ben Squire and Sid the Squid will be landing the Catch of the Day, identifying species caught in the day’s catch, talking about sustainable fishing methods and unleashing the ninja filleter on Commercial Wharf

2pm-5.30pm Route des Princes inshore racing in Plymouth Sound

5.45pm Live music on Plymouth Hoe headlined by Mad Dog Mcrea including the Route des Princes prize giving ceremony.

Live concerts on Plymouth Hoe:

5.45pm Paradox
6.05pm Joker
7pm ReZonance
7.50pm Route des Princes prize giving
8.20pm Supersonic
9.10pm Mad Dog Mcrea

Saturday 29 June:

Throughout the day: Local food stalls on Sutton Harbour and The Barbican selling an array of local produce from 10am until 7pm

The Boathouse Cafe will be serving up seafood BBQ specials in an English Garden Party setting on Commercial Wharf and David Fitzgerald from BBC Radio Devon will be providing commentary

10am-5pm Armed Forces Day on Plymouth Hoe
10am – 2pm Stand up paddleboard racing off Commercial Wharf
11.15-12.45 Route des Princes inshore racing in Plymouth Sound
1pm-5pm Chef demonstrations on Commercial Wharf including demos from Rob Deves from The Market Plaice and Paul Eynon from the Lemon Tree

1pm Local fishermen, Ben Squire and Sid the Squid will be landing the Catch of the Day, identifying species caught in the day’s catch, talking about sustainable fishing methods and unleashing the ninja filleter on Commercial Wharf

5.45pm Live Music on Plymouth Hoe headline by Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel including the farewell to Route des Prince as the race begins its final leg to the Bay of Morlaix

Live concert on Plymouth Hoe:

5.15pm Devon Youth Wind Orchestra
6.15pm Christian Sleep
7pm Freshly Squeezed
7.50pm Route des Princes farewell
8.20pm Rockafella
9.15pm Steve Harley performing an acoustic set with his Cockney Rebel band mates

Sunday 30 June:

Throughout the day: Local food stalls on Sutton Harbour and The Barbican selling an array of local produce from 10am until 4pm Route des Princes