Skip to content

Bristol Harbour Festival: Cardboard boat racing participants wanted

Bristol Harbour Festival A woman racing in last year's competition - she is directing a carboard boat in the harbourBristol Harbour Festival
Cardboard boat racing was described as a highlight of last year's Bristol Harbour Festival

Festival organisers are looking for people to take part in "the must-see spectacle" of cardboard boat racing.

Families, schools and businesses are invited to take part in cardboard boat making workshops ahead of the race at Bristol Harbour Festival in July.

Last year's festival saw more than 100 cardboard boats take to the water, built by 700 school children.

Bristol's Lord Mayor said: "We look forward to seeing the creations this year's cohort will mastermind."

"It will be interesting to see how they will fare on the water.

"The races are an absolute must-see spectacle and it's an honour to be launching them," councillor Paul Goggin added.

Bristol Harbourside Festival A group racing in last year's competition - they are directing a carboard boat in the harbourBristol Harbourside Festival
Last year's festival saw more than 100 cardboard boats take to the water

Numerous mass launches will set sail from the Pontoon area near Prince Street Bridge throughout the festival weekend on 15 and 16 July.

The first boat over the finish line last year was built by Ashton Gate Primary School, which claimed a £100 prize for the four successful young boat-makers.

Bristol Harbour Festival is one of the UK's largest public events, attracting around 250,000 visitors to the harbourside to enjoy aquatic events, circus stunts and music acts.

Bristol Harbourside Festival People setting off their carboard boats in the competitionBristol Harbourside Festival
Families, schools and businesses are invited to take part in boat-making workshops

Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said: "The festival is at the centre of our internationally renowned cultural programme and the biggest showcase of Bristol's culture and heritage that there is.

"The festival provides inspiration and entertainment for communities across the city as well as the thousands who travel huge distances to take in its sights and sounds.

"The cardboard boat races are always a highlight of the weekend's festivities."

Presentational grey line

Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]