International events heading for Shetland next week
Lerwick’s international reputation as a popular destination for yacht crews will be reinforced next week, with around 60 craft expected to arrive from Scandinavia and Europe.
The annual Bergen-Shetland yacht race will be in port from Thursday 19 to Saturday 21 June – for the 37th time – with the 29 yachts entered a mix of repeat visitors and newcomers.
The fleet will leave the Norwegian port on Wednesday 18 June and are expected to reach Lerwick from the Thursday afternoon if winds are favourable.
There is Shetland interest with James Anderson’s Swiftwing taking part.
The friendly competition may see one of the larger racing yachts leading the pack – the 76-foot Enderpearl which is making a return visit before heading off to the Fastnet Race.
Yelllowbrick tracking will again be used to provide up-to-date positions of the fleet to monitor their progress.
Around 150 crewmembers will have a couple of days in Shetland, with the main event being the prizegiving in Mareel on the Friday evening. Yachts will leave Lerwick on the return leg of the race at 5pm on Saturday 21 June.
Immediately preceding the Bergen-Shetland Race, a fleet of Dutch yachts will be in port from the North Sea Triangle event, last at Lerwick in 2019. The 31 cruising yachts from Harlingen, in The Netherlands, are expected from Monday 16 June onwards, sailing at their own pace.
Bringing 91 crew, the fleet will depart on Thursday morning (19 June) for Flekkefjord in Norway. The Triangle event concludes with a return to Harlingen.
Lerwick attracts over 500 yachts annually – individual craft and entries in national and international events. Chief Executive, Calum Grains, said: “The sailing community is an important element of our marine tourism activities each year, with yacht crews always ensured a warm Shetland welcome and a wide choice of attractions and coastline to explore."
