Local business sponsors of this year’s Maritime Festival, organised annually by the Greater Yarmouth Tourist Authority, met at The Imperial Hotel, Great Yarmouth to cook up some ideas for the festival, which takes place on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September 2013. Dutch tall ship Morgenster will be in port, along with the historic steam tug Challenge. Norfolk celebrity chef Richard Hughes will return with a spectacular fish cookery demonstration.

Festival goers will be able to go aboard the beautiful Dutch tall ship, the brig Morgenster, a fully square rigged sailing ship. The Morgenster’s rigging is based on American clippers from the 18th century, which made the ships far more manoeuvrable  and faster.  The Morgenster was inaugurated in May 2008 and usually sails in Northern European waters, although also sails in warm winter regions across the world.

Visitors will be able to visit the steam tug Challenge, a true national treasure and proud to be registered in the National Historic Fleet.  Challenge was the last steam tug to work on the Thames, but is best known for the role she played in Operation Dynamo, evacuating troops from Dunkirk in 1940.

Five passenger sailing trips will be available on the Morgenster from Thursday 5 September until Sunday 8 September. The Morgenster will sail in the early evening on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with other trips available on Thursday at 9am and 2pm. Sailing duration will be dependent on tide, but will last from 2½ to 3½ hours.

Tickets go on sale on Friday 31 May from 9.30am at Great Yarmouth Tourist Information Centre on 01493 332200 or online at www.maritime-festival.co.uk.

Thursday 5 September at 09.00 and 14.00 – tickets cost £32 per person
Friday 6 September at 18.30 – tickets cost £35 per person
Saturday 7 September at 18.00 – tickets cost £39 per person
Sunday 8 September at 18.00 – tickets cost £39 per person.

Cllr Michael Jeal, Chairman of the Greater Yarmouth Tourist Authority and GYBC Cabinet Member for Tourism said: “Sailings on tall ships at previous Maritime Festivals proved very popular with residents and visitors who were keen to experience life under sail out on the high seas. The Morgenster is sure to be a great asset to this year’s annual Maritime Festival.”

Aileen Mobbs, Festival Chairman and GYTA Honorary President said: “This will be our fourteenth Maritime Festival and we’re delighted to be showcasing some more stunning sailing vessels to our visitors. We are enormously grateful to our festival sponsors who enable us to put on such a fantastic event every year. Our visitors are always delighted by the nautical nature of our festival as we celebrate the town’s maritime past, present and future.”

Great Yarmouth Maritime Festival will also feature music, street entertainment, arts, crafts, children’s activities and refreshments. More information about this year’s festival will be released as contracts are signed and acts booked, but to keep up with developments, more details can be found at www.maritime-festival.co.uk.

The 2013 Maritime Festival sponsors are

Seajacks UK Ltd, E.On Climate & Renewables,

Eastport UK, Great Yarmouth Borough Council,

ELM Contracts, Bunn’s Fertiliser, Gardline, BDO LLP, Petrofac, Bateman Groundworks & Wellington Construction

With thanks also to MDF Transport, Regional Scaffolding and Eastern Power

GYTA (Greater Yarmouth Tourist Authority) is a unique public / private sector partnership, founded in 1994. It brings together all partners from both the public and private sector to ensure that together we can collectively provide a better resort to help businesses survive and flourish and ensure that jobs are created and sustained.