12 June, 2007

ALMOST 50 yachts will be visiting Shetland over the next two weeks as part of two separate North Sea races.

A flotilla of 15 two-man yachts left Ijmuiden, in the Netherlands, on Sunday on their way to Bergen, Norway as part of the '1000 Mile Race'.

They will then be joined by a further 34 fully crewed vessels competing in the annual 'VisitShetland-Bergen Race' which will see them all cross the North Sea to Lerwick.

The 49 yachts will leave Bergen on 20 June, reaching Lerwick on midsummer's day when the town's annual Johnsmas Foy celebrations will be getting underway with the Flavour of Shetland food festival. After three days of festivities they will head back to Bergen on 24 June.

The 1000 Mile Race involves yachts from The Netherlands, Norway, Britain, Belgium and Germany, and despite the significance of Shetland as a location in both races no yachts or crew from the isles will compete.