The last 'Tall Ships Race' visit to Inverclyde was back in 1999, and what a wonderful and truly unforgettable experience it was. The numerous tales of pleasurable delight, the sun, the music, the carnival and festival atmosphere and fun-filled enjoyment that emanated from visitors and participants alike during the visit have become legendary throughout the region.
There was therefore a great deal of expectation for the 2011 'Tall Ships' visit and a hope for a repeat of the 1999 event, if only the sun would shine. The weather pattern in the earlier part of the year did not bode well for the event as Scotland had been taking far more than its fair share of the planet's rainfall! However, with a great assistance from a number of Jedi knights using the power of 'the force', the sun came out - and more or less stayed out - for the whole four-day extravaganza.
It was unfortunate that the 2011 event did not live up to the spectacle experienced in 1999, but at least the sun did shine, the ships were splendid, the fireworks looked expensive and the Red Arrows were brilliant!
The Wherries were in fine form on the Saturday night and played their way through the usual mix of traditional fun songs with much madness and mayhem, and they greatly appreciated the fabulous support given to them by an enormous and appreciative audience in the historic 'A-listed' Sugar Shed venue.
