ACE Winches confirmed as sponsor for Scottish Traditional Boat Festival in Portsoy
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A NEW main sponsor has been secured by the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival.
The festival – one of the largest maritime events in Scotland – will celebrate its 30th anniversary on Saturday and Sunday, July 1 and 2.
ACE Winches, based in Turriff, has been confirmed as the headline sponsor.
The weekend will see more than 12,000 visitors flood into Portsoy with some of the finest traditional boats, crafts, traditional music and food and drink.
David Urquhart, chairman of the festival, said: “Sponsorship is an essential element and without this, we simply would not be able to maintain and develop the quality and diversity that the festival is renowned for.
"Since the first event in 1993, it has grown year on year to become a vital contributor to the local economy.
“ACE Winches has been a long-term supporter of the event, providing significant sponsorship from 2017-2019 and we are delighted to welcome them back on board for 2023.
"I’m confident that this sponsorship deal will bring mutual benefits for both parties, having this commitment from ACE Winches enables us to proceed with our plans and further promote the event on a national and international scale, attracting more visitors to the area."
Mr Urquhart said many special features are planned to mark the 30th anniversary.
Alfie Cheyne, founder and chairman of ACE Winches said: “As a globally operating business based locally, we are committed to providing support and assistance to the community, which is a core element of our corporate social responsibility strategy.
The firm recently established a base in Houston, Texas and formed a subsidiary company in the United Arab Emirates.
Added Mr Cheyne: "The event, much like us, has grown significantly from when it was first launched and has become the largest gathering of traditional boats in Scotland, whilst playing a vital role in upholding maritime traditions.
“The festival tells the story of the north east’s rich cultural heritage and aims to keep traditional skills alive by inspiring the next generation to learn the art of boat building and engage with age old crafts.
"It continues to attract thousands of people to enjoy its unique atmosphere in Portsoy and we are looking forward to working with the board to deliver another successful event.”
Applications are now open for food and drink producers, craft businesses and local community groups or charities to attend the event and showcase their products to the thousands of visitors over the two days. To take part visit www.stbfportsoy.org/take-part.
Meanwhile, festival will hold its annual fundraising dinner on Saturday, March 25 at the Fife Lodge Hotel in Banff at 7.30pm.
Retired Royal Air Force pilot Nat Haggar is the guest speaker for the evening, who will share his story of flying the Avro Vulcan Bomber and the Canberra PR7s and PR9s.
There will also be a raffle and an auction which will be led by Aberdeen and Northern Mart’s auctioneer and star of the BBC TV series, The Mart, Colin Slessor.
Tickets are £41 per person or £400 for a table of ten. To book contact Sandy Thomson on sandy@portsoy.org.
The festival is set around Portsoy’s 17th Century harbour and is run by Portsoy Community Enterprise which also manages Portsoy Links Caravan Park, The Sail Loft Bunkhouse, The Salmon Bothy and The Boatshed.
