Portaferry on the east shore of the Strangford Narrows at the mouth of Strangford Lough is preparing for a four-day Festival of Sailing, Water activities and Competitions from 5th till 8th July.
The Narrows Series is one of the biggest events in the sailing calendar and draws boats of all classes in the Lough as well as from North Down, Scotland and the Isle of Man. It is supported by Ards and North Down Borough Council and will centre on the Shore Front, where the focus will be on celebrating the village’s maritime heritage. As well as a centre for shipbuilding dating back to the 1800s, it is more recently known for the celebrated Ruffian class yachts, notably the Ruffian 23, designed and built in Portaferry by local brothers Billy and Dickie Brown.
Ruffian 23s on moorings at Portaferry Photo: Karen Brown
The Narrows Series starts on Friday, July 5th, with the Barbuoy Race, which takes the fleet out of the Lough. It is expected that 150 boats will take part.
The festival highlight is a unique opportunity for the public to engage on the water and to cruise the Lough, and fans have an opportunity to sail past the original filming ground of Game of Thrones Winterfell in the National Trust’s Castleward in Strangford town across the Narrows opposite Portaferry. In addition, there will be guided walking tours, boat rafting, live music, sea shanties performance and kids entertainment, as well as local food outlets promoting local produce.
The Portaferry and Strangford Trust Museum is sure to be popular, as is the family-friendly treasure map trial, the National Trust’s Nugent’s Wood trail.
The festival programme can be found on www.strangfordloughregattas.co.uk, on www.facebook.com/Portaferrysailingclub and on X.
