Something for everyone at Route des Princes in Plymouth

The Plymouth waterfront © Dominique Leroux / Route des Princes

Trimarans on the dockside in Plymouth © Dominique Leroux / Route des Princes

The arrival in Plymouth on Wednesday of the Route des Princes 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 & 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

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

• Throughout the day:
  Local food stalls on Sutton Harbour & 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 & Cockney Rebel including the farewell to Route des Prince as the race begins its final leg to the Bay of Morlaix

• 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

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