The Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy, which last year won the Cumbria Tourism Event of the Year Award, is being held at Ullswater Yacht Club on July 1 and 2 .
The quest for the ‘Holy Grail’ of a Birkett win attracts keen sailors from national champions to novices from all over the country in a huge range of different boats. All boats race from one mass start with the line stretching across the full width of the lake. On both days, they race down the lake, a distance of around 7 miles, round an island at the southern end, and back.
One of the most high profile sailing events in the North, the Birkett was rated number eight in the top 50 ‘must do’ sailing regattas by Yachts and Yachting magazine. The celebration event was first raced in 1963 in honour of Lord Norman Birkett who died two days after making a successful speech in the House of Lords which prevented Ullswater from becoming a reservoir. Every year since then, the club has held the prestigious two-day round-the-island race in memory of the ‘Saviour of Ullswater.’ It has become a festival of sailing and so popular with racers from all over the country that a limit of 230 boats has been placed on entries.
The sailing boats make a spectacular sight and can be seen from the lakeside or vantage points on the surrounding fells. The races start at 1pm on Saturday, July 1 and 11am on Sunday. July 2. Or you can get close to the action on the water on the special 3 hour Birkett Cruise run by Ullswater Steamers which leaves Pooley Bridge Pier at 12.30pm on July 1 and follows the racing down to Kailpot Crag where the Lord Birkett memorial plaque is placed. Book direct with the steamer company at www.ullswater-steamers.co.uk