Solitaire sailors arrive at Sutton Harbour

If you look out over Plymouth Sound at around 4pm yeserday you would have seen La Solitaire du Figaro – Eric Bompard cachemire race boats making their way into Sutton Harbour.

To welcome the thirty-seven of the world’s top sailors The Barbican and Sutton Harbour had been decorated to give a festival feel – with bunting, flags and stalls.

With the start of The Barbican International Jazz and Blues Festival kicking off tomorrow (Friday) at midday the race village will be buzzing all weekend.

Children can be entertained with rides and free sailing taster sessions being run every hour between 10am and 5pm on Friday and Saturday by Horizons Children’s Sailing Charity and Mount Batten Watersports Centre.

People can also talk to the skippers and view the 33ft racing boats moored in Sutton Harbour before the sailors begin Leg 2 of the race on Saturday afternoon. They will start to leave Sutton Harbour at approximately 4pm with a short race inside the breakwater from 6pm. This will be an incredible spectacle with all 37 boats racing between Jennycliff, Mount Edgcumbe and the Hoe.

This event is supported by Plymouth City Council, Experience Sutton Harbour, Plymouth University, Destination Plymouth and Plymouth Waterfront Partnership.

For more information about this event and to track where the boats currently are, including Team Plymouth, visit www.visitplymouth.co.uk.