Ocean to City is set to return to Cork Harbour next weekend with organisers promising the biggest edition of the event to date. More than 640 participants are expected to take part in the annual long-distance rowing and paddling race on Saturday, May 30, as part of the wider Cork Harbour Festival.
Crews from Ireland, the UK, France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and the USA are due to compete across a wide range of craft, including currachs, kayaks, rowing boats and dragon boats.
A new Race Hub on Kennedy Quay in Cork city will form the centrepiece of this year’s event. Running from 1 pm to 6 pm, it will feature live music, food stalls, family entertainment and front-row views of the race finish.
Festival organisers said the Race Hub had been developed with support from Fáilte Ireland and would transform the finish area into “a full festival destination”.
Live performances throughout the afternoon will include DJ Stevie G, The Roaring 40s, Rebel Brass and The Last Call, followed by a waterfront ceilidh.
The Tall Ship NAO SANTA MARÍA, a full-scale replica of Christopher Columbus’s famous vessel, will also be berthed beside the Race Hub across the weekend. Visitors will be able to tour the ship and learn about 15th-century seafaring life.
Tall Ship Tales — The full-scale replica NAO SANTA MARÍA will berth beside Kennedy Quay during Cork Harbour Festival as part of the Ocean to City weekend celebrations. Photo: Cork Harbour Festival
Organisers say Ocean to City has grown beyond a sporting event into a wider harbour celebration attracting spectators, families and visitors from across the region. The wider Cork Harbour Festival programme includes cycling events, harbour tours, seaweed baths, family workshops, surf sessions and tours of Spike Island, Fort Camden Meagher and Elizabeth Fort.
Ocean to City takes place on Saturday, May 30, with festival events continuing across Cork Harbour until Monday, June 1st.
