The Whitehaven Maritime Festival has been a bi-annual success since it began, so much so that the event has now been branded 'International'. The small port community of Whitehaven which is beautifully situated on an idyllic portion of the Cumbrian coast line has been host to the festival since 1999. Boasting an array of both maritime and aerospace displays as well as a plethora of celebrity guests, it is easy to see why the success of the festival has been growing exponentially. This years festival sees the return of ships the Matthew of Bristol and star of the silver screen The Grand Turk as well as air shows from the Red Arrows and possible celebrity appearances from star of Floyd on Food, Keith Floyd and celebrity chef Jean Christophe Nouvelle. It goes without saying that Taste of the Lakes.com are excited to be involved.

Among many ships visiting Whitehaven over the festival weekend the Grand Turk will be amid the most impressive. A superb replica of a three-masted sixth-rate frigate, both ornate and striking in size and decoration, the same boat in fact which represented HMS indefatigable in TV’s Hornblower series. Although being built in Turkey in 1996 she is an authentic reproduction of HMS Blandford built in 1741. This beautiful ship, constructed primarily for the silver screen will be sailing into Whitehaven on a sunset tide on Wednesday June 13 and will be present at the port for the duration of the festival.

Also making an appearance at this years celebration will be The Zebu, built in Raa, Sweden in 1938. After serving over 30 years as a fully operational merchant vessel carrying timber between Sweden and Denmark she then became the adventure flagship of ‘Operation Raleigh’ in the 1980’s sailing an impressive 69,000 miles and visiting over 40 countries on a 4 year circumnavigation.

There will also be the opportunity to go aboard the Matthew of Bristol, a replica ship of the original Matthew which navigated international waters some 500 years ago. In 1497 John Cabbot and his crew set sail for Asia on a trade expedition. However without reaching Asia Cabbot and crew landed on the coast of North America, before Christopher Columbus who most believe discovered America. So don’t miss your chance to look around the stunning Matthew of Bristol and get a feel for what it would be like to be part of the crew which beat Columbus to the new found land.

And if that wasn’t enough the Whitehaven Maritime Festival also features the opportunity of an Edwardian style coastal cruise on board the luxurious Balmoral cruise liner, or if you fancy a more high-tech venture onto the waves there is also the chance to catch a ride on an eight seated hover craft and glide away from the shore 4ft above sea level.

There is as much planned for the skies above Whitehaven as there is for the seas around it. Aerial displays from the world famous Red Arrows will no doubt keep audience captivated this year as they have done in previous festivals. The Battle of Britain Display team will be exhibiting among other planes a Spitfire and a Hurricane, both of which attractions for flight enthusiasts and combat historians alike. There will also be appearances from the Hunter Flying Club, demonstrating the Hunter T bird. Notably flying boat the Catalina is proving to be a crowd puller this year, as the planes near their 60th anniversary in flight the Catalina is a true wonder in aero technology.

All this aside the Whitehaven Maritime Festival 2007 will surly be a great day out for all the family. Side shows include clog dancing, fun fair and fireworks display. So come and be a part of what is fast becoming an internationally recognised event and experience a piece of not only Whitehaven’s maritime history but the sea faring history of the world.