Sailing enthusiasts will invade Peel this weekend as the town’s annual Traditional Boat Weekend takes place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Boats arrive on Friday and there is a packed schedule of events over the three days, including a parade of the boats, a boat building competition, a car boot sale, a vintage car rally and performances by the St German’s Handbell Ringers.

One of the organisers, Lynn Craine said: ’We are expecting 30 plus boats, weather permitting and some of them are first time visitors to Peel Traditional Boat Weekend. Among the new boats are ’La Malouine’, a brigantine, and ’Soteria’, a schooner.

’We are welcoming back Gladys, a Manx nobby built in Peel in 1901. Gladys was originally owned by the Watterson family.

’We are also welcoming back many regular visitors such as ’Bridget’, an ex-RNLI lifeboat, ’Spray’, a Morecombe Bay prawner, ’Naomh Cronan’, a Galway hooker, ’Redwing’, a Cornish pilot cutter and ’Naiad’, a Harrison Butler seven ton cutter.’

Lynn added: ’Notable among the entrants is ’Molly Cobbler’, a gaff cutter whose lady owner sails her single-handed each year from North Wales.

’In 2016 she won the Denis Wright Trophy for best visiting boat.’

A new edition of the Traditional Boat Guide is available which contains even more boats.

It helps with the identification of boats because numbers displayed on the craft in the harbour match up with numbers in the book and help those interested find out information about the construction, history and age of each boat.

The book and other Peel Traditional Boat Weekend merchandise will be on sale at the Peel Sailors’ Shelter throughout the weekend.

Peel Sailors’ Shelter is the headquarters for the weekend and you can buy tickets for the raffle there.

Local artist, Peter Hearsey has donated an original painting which will be raffled over the weekend, with the winning ticket to be drawn on Sunday afternoon

Weather permitting there will be a ’Parade of Sail’ on Saturday starting at about 9.30am and on Sunday starting at about 10am.

The highlight of Saturday’s events on land is the Quick and Dirty Boat Building Competition with the boats then being raced across the harbour.

Building starts at 8am and the race is at 2.30pm.

The car boot sale will take place on Saturday next to the Transport Museum from 10.30am to 2.30pm with the vintage car rally in the same location from 9am on Sunday.

Winner of the ’Best Boat’ will receive the Henry Kelly Trophy.

Members of the public are invited to vote at the Sailors’ Shelter on Saturday between 10am and 4pm.

The Carnival Cup Yacht Race will take place on Sunday at 10.30am in Peel Bay.

A prize presentation takes place on Saturday evening at Peel Masonic Hall when the crews and sponsors are invited to a meal.

The main sponsor for the event is Bushy’s Brewery with Peel Town Commissioners also contributing financially to the event.

For more information contact Mike Clark on 450146 or email [email protected]

Peel will be a hive of activity this weekend with the town’s carnival also taking place on Sunday with events kicking off around the quay and promenade from 10am.

Expect a wide range of activities, street sideshows, music and entertainment for all the family. Special guests are theatrical musicians the Absurdist Pipe Band.

The carnival’s grand parade will start from the House of Manannan at 2pm. For more information contact Ian Baker on 201309.

Also taking place this weekend is the Tough Mann Adventure Challenge at Ballamoar Farm in Ballaugh.

The annual obstacle course race has been made twice as tough this year with the introduction of a 20km option, which is two laps of the traditional 10km course. Nineteen 20km competitors will set off at 1pm on Saturday with the 10km runners setting off straight afterwards.

The route includes the infamous ’killer hill’ climb as well as a range of 25 obstacles, many of which can only be tackled with the help of fellow competitors. It makes for a great spectator event.

Signing on takes place at Manx Telecom headquarters in the Isle of Man Business Park in Braddan tonight (Thursday) and Friday, between 5pm and 8pm on both nights.

Participants will only be able to sign on at the timing tent on Saturday morning between 10am and midday if they are travelling to the island.

For more information about the event visit www.toughmann.com