June 2007

Yarmouth's picturesque harbour was filled with life and colour for the eleventh consecutive year this June thanks to the presence of more than 100 visiting traditional sailing, steam and motor vessels, including the cream of the Old Gaffers fleet.

Over 25,000 people were said to have crammed into the tiny streets of the ancient West Wight village, where free entertainment, a craft fair and market, live music, visiting classic vehicles, fresh produce and a lifeboat demonstration were just a few of the attractions to feature as part of the busy Old Gaffers weekend line-up.

June also played host to the largest Isle of Wight Festival since the reawakening of the event back in 2002. 60,000 music fans made their way to Seaclose Park in Newport to see some of the finest live acts of our time come together on one stage. The crowds were wowed by widely anticipated performances from big name bands including Snow Patrol, Muse, Kasabian, Keane and Veteran rockers the Rolling Stones. Over 50 local bands and artists also performed during the three days, in what was a unique opportunity to showcase their talent in front of a huge audience.

Expected to have been the second largest gathering of contestants in the event's history, the JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race took place in June in Cowes. Nearly 1,800 boats and 14,500 competitors took part in the 55-mile course around the Isle of Wight in a race that saw some of the biggest names in the sailing world competing alongside weekend sailors and family crews.

The Island also paid homage to its war veterans in June. As part of the series of events marking National Veterans Day, a church service, parade and military display encouraged nearly 400 veterans to pack into the centre of Newport to attend the afternoon of events scheduled in their honour.

The Royal Corinthian Yacht Club in Cowes hosted the 2007 Etchells World Championship at the end of June. Forty-five teams from Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Hong Kong, Sweden, the USA and UK qualified and made the trip to Cowes for what was to prove to be a spectacular event with six different winners in seven races.