Whilst Oban may be the final stopover destination of the
global Clipper 2023-24 Race route before returning to Portsmouth, it is
certainly set to be a stopover to remember as it becomes the first ever
Scottish Host Port in the Clipper Race’s 27 year history.
While action on the water enters the final stages, shoreside
activity in Oban is gearing up as the Host Port gets ready to welcome some 200
Clipper Race Crew with a special programme of events forming a one-off Festival
of the Sea.
Showcasing the best of Scottish food, drink, music, sport
and culture, activities get underway from 12 – 21 July 2024. From learning how
to play shinty (a Scottish twelve-a-side game, played with curved sticks and
taller goalposts) and speaking Gaelic, to discovering the finest Scottish food
and drink (including a tour of Oban Distillery), to beach cleans,
behind-the-scenes yacht tours, ceilidh dancing and traditional music, there
really is something for everyone during Oban’s debut stopover.
Joining us on Oban? Here’s what you can look forward
to:
Spectator and Turn Up Events
- 12th
– 16th July – Welcome the Clipper Race Fleet – Yachts arrive in Oban and
will berth at North Pontoon. - 13th
& 14th July – WASZP Scottish Championships – A competitor only sailing
activity providing an exciting spectator opportunity from shore. - 14th
July, 11am – 4pm – RYA Coastal Beach Clean, meet at Dunstaffnage Castle
car park – No need to book, just turn up. - 16th
– 21st July – Clipper Race Fanzone – Do you want to learn more about the
Clipper Race, the world’s toughest ocean challenge? Then come and visit
Clipper Race Fanzone. - 15th
July – Oban Sailing Club Monday Mayhem event – see Oban’s young sailors
take part in water events in the bay. - 15th
– 19th July – Ocean Science Busking event, North Pier – Dive into some of
the latest advances in our understanding about the ocean: be inspired,
amazed, amused and entertained by the team of students, researchers and
conservationists. - 16th
July – See Oban Sailing Club Keel Boats Racing around the bay from 6pm. - 17th
– 21st July – Food Village – 10am to 4pm, Rockfield Centre – Come and
sample some of Scotland’s finest produce. - 17th
– 19th July – Introductory Gaelic lessons – 2pm to 3.30pm, Corran Halls -
no need to book! - 17th
July, 1pm – 4pm – Chop for Charity at Cuan Mor – join Clipper Race crew
for a haircut and/or beard trim with donations to UNICEF & The Little
Princess Trust. No need to book. - 18th
& 19th July, 11am – 3pm – See and visit Oban’s newest RNLI Lifeboat,
The Campbell-Watson at North Pontoon. - 18th
& 19th July, 10am to 6pm – Tour a Clipper 70 racing yacht – Bring the
family and step on board a Clipper 70 stripped down ocean racing yacht.
Take an above and below deck tour with the Race Crew that have called
these yachts home for eleven months – Free at North Pontoon – no need to
book! - 20th
July – Rotary Annual Duck Race, 3pm from Black Lynn River – Sponsor a duck
for charity at Station Square from Friday 19th. - 20th
July, 10am – 4pm – RNLI Lifejacket Clinic & water safety at North
Pier. - 21st
July, 10.30am – Parade of Sail – Watch as the Clipper Race Crew are piped
down to the North Pontoons for the race start preparations. - 21st
July, 12pm – Slip the Lines Ceremony, Dunstaffnage – the Clipper Race
yachts will start their final stretch to Portsmouth, to complete the
circumnavigation.
Book In Advance and Ticketed Events
- 17th
& 18th July – 11am & 2pm – Guided walking tours around the
town. £12 per person. Book
tickets here. - 18th
July – Ocean Kindness: how to use the sea sustainably. A free walking
tour with talks, demonstrations and hands-on science at Scottish
Association for Marine Science (SAMS). Free mini bus from Corran Halls to
SAMS, every 30 mins. Book
tickets here. - 19th
July – Clipper Race Discovery Talk: Become an Ocean Racer, 6.30pm – 7.30pm
– Hear from the Clipper Race crew and team all about the Clipper
Round the World Yacht Race. Register your interest here. - 19th
July – Join the Clipper Race crew of Ha Long Bay for
their UNICEF fundraiser. A night of quizzing, raffling, and assorted
hi-jinks! Ticketed event at The View – Tickets
here. - 20th
July – Come join us for an unforgettable night of music
with Skerryore in concert – Book tickets here
for Corran Halls. - 20th
July, 11am – Pirates, Mermaids and the Ocean at
Dunollie Castle – Spend the day and enjoy some nautical themed
fun for all ages. Take part in workshops, craft activities, storytelling,
and take the explorer’s quest through Dunollie’s enchanting woodland
grounds. Enjoy face painting , a special ocean themed lunch menu and
homebaking. Fancy dress is welcome. Book tickets here.
For those unable to be in Oban in person, be sure to follow
the Clipper Race Facebook and
Instagram pages and
check back on the News Hub
for all the latest from the West Coast of Scotland.
Be sure to keep an eye on the Race Viewer as
Race 13: Oban Atlantic Homecoming enters the closing stages.
