Plymouth Aquarium announced as venue for final night of J-Cup
by Gemma Dunn 16 May 2013 06:30 UTC
21-24 August 2013
Plymouth Aquarium will host the final night of the 2013 J-Cup © NMA
The National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth will host the final prizegiving ceremony for the 2013 J-Cup hosted by the Royal Western Yacht Club, August 21st-24th. Though not the first time the annual regatta has visited the West Country, this will be the first time that the spectacular marine facility will feature in the regatta programme.
The National Marine Aquarium is the largest of its kind in the UK, with over 70 sharks and varieties of exhibits in both floor to ceiling and overhead tanks and tunnels. Centrally located and a must-visit for tourists to the maritime city, the glass-fronted aquarium boasts superb views of the Barbican and Plymouth Sound, where some of the J-Cup racing will take place. As well as a tourist attraction, the Aquarium is also a registered charity, committed to promoting a sympathetic understanding of the sea through programmes of education, conservation and research.
J-Cup competitors will have exclusive use of the entire aquarium and its gardens for the prizegiving, which will take place on the final night of the regatta; Saturday 24th August. Sailors will enjoy a locally sourced Best of the West supper, followed by dancing in the Upper Gallery, against a backdrop of Plymouth Sound.
The J-Cup is an annual regatta exclusively for boats of the J-Boats brand, and all J Boats models are eligible to compete. The 2013 event will introduce a class for the J/70, the exciting little 7m sportsboat which boasts 20knots+ of downwind boat speed. The J-Cup will also feature UK National Championships for the J/97 and J/109 Classes, in addition to the J/97 Eurocup.
Paul Heys of Key Yachting, the distributor for J Boats in the UK and the company who organise the J-Cup said 'We are delighted to be heading back down West where many of our owners sail, and are looking forward to a prizegiving party unlike any we've had before!'
Competitors can enter their boats and buy tickets for the prizegiving at the official J-Cup website, which can be found via www.keyyachting.com.