Gibraltar’s Festival of the Seas comes to Ocean Village
Whether your little ones fancy hooking up with Captain Jack Sparrow for breakfast or you’re a serious yachtsman looking to win the Ocean Village Cup in the inaugural Yacht Rally, there is nowhere better to be than Gibraltar’s Ocean Village this May.
Packed with land- and water-based fun for all, the Festival of the Seas runs from Saturday 14 May to Sunday 22 May and is quite simply unmissable.
Ros Astengo from the Ocean Village Marketing Team enthuses, "Gibraltar is steeped in nautical history and sea-faring traditions so it's only fitting that we should celebrate a Festival of the Seas. The whole community is invited to come along and join in the fun and frolics whilst helping to raise a considerable amount of money for local charities. We’re thrilled that so many people are already lending their support. To boot, visitors will also be able to enjoy fantastic offers and discounts courtesy of the new Ocean Village Loyalty Card which we are launching the week of the Festival - so no excuse not to have a great time.”
The Festival kicks off on Saturday 14 May with a skippers’ breakfast and briefing ahead of the exciting Yacht Rally in aid of the GBC Open Day and Rainbow Ward at St Bernard’s Hospital. Leaving Ocean Village at midday, participating sailing yachts will follow a course round the Bay of Gibraltar with some surprise fun activities along the way. With entrance to the Rally priced at just £15 per person to include a meal and two nights’ free berthing for visiting yachts, there are big prizes up for grabs including an £800 yacht toolkit courtesy of Hire-U-Shop. A further Dragon Boat Race will appeal to those with impressive teamwork skills where up to 20 paddlers and one drummer will battle over a 200m course – fancy dress and a carnival spirit is essential.
Whilst Saturday’s Rally’s underway, landlubbers won’t miss out as Ocean Village becomes a hive of Festival activity. Following a welcome from Captain Jack Sparrow, the younger visitors will be let loose on a host of activities from trampolining to a ball pond, arts and crafts to face painting and temporary tattoos. Mini makeovers and a score-a-goal challenge should inspire a battle of the sexes and, regardless who triumphs, Clarence the Clown will be handing out lollipops, balloons and magic tricks to keep everybody happy.
Also on Saturday, children of any age (including those old enough to know better) can water orb across the Marina whilst the Royal Gibraltar Police will offer rides on their high speed RIBs. The competitive juices can flow with a fancy dress contest or perhaps avail yourselves of the Gibraltar Sports & Leisure Authority’s generosity as they make all their facilities available to include the climbing wall. Later on, the Minister for Culture will be presenting an award for the best outdoor painting whilst keen fishermen will be reeled into the Gibraltar Federation of Sea Anglers (GFSA) demonstration. For those who prefer a more leisurely pace, take a stroll around the market stalls along the promenade whilst listening to a full programme of live music and entertainment on stage in the sunshine.
Sunday 15 May brings plenty of the same with water orbs and the bouncy castle plus the added treats of a Where’s Wally treasure hunt, discounted dolphin trips, fashion show and diving experience by the lap pool. During the week, from 3.30pm to 6.30pm, children can descend on the arts and crafts corner by the Tahiti Hut on Leisure Island where local artist Giorann Henshaw will be holding outdoor painting classes for aspiring young artists. Meanwhile parents can grab the opportunity to take some ‘me’ time browsing the Ocean Village shops or having a bite to eat. Saturday 21 May will gather together an impressive fleet of motors from the Gibraltar Classic Vehicle Association for a mini Rally around the Rock.
The Festival of the Seas will conclude not on the water but in the skies with some of the world’s best aerobatic pilots putting on a breathtaking show in ultimate high-performance piston aircraft. Having flown well over 300 displays in front of more than 18 million people, there’s little doubt that The Blades Show, brought courtesy of Barclays Wealth and Bwin.party, will round off an incredible Festival with a first-class flourish. To make an afternoon of it, Ipanema are offering a ‘Meal & Show’ deal where diners can be whisked off by coach from the restaurant to Eastern Beach to see the air display - and back again for a cocktail. What better way to end the Festival?
A full programme of activities can be found on the Ocean Village Official Facebook Site. All Festival profits and donations will be made to the GBC Open Day and Rainbow Ward at St Bernard’s Hospital.
To register for the Yacht Rally on Saturday 14 May contact pieroffice@oceanvillage.gi. For the Dragon Boat Race contact thesafarishop@gmail.com. For general information on the Festival of the Seas contact Jeanette Obytz on info@medweddings.com. For more information on The Blades in Gibraltar visit theblades.biz. For “Meal & Show” Tickets email info@ipanema-restaurant.com.
