Forty Westerly boats to celebrate 50th Jubilee at Gunwharf Quays

This week will see an invasion of sailing boats at Gunwharf Quays, when more than 40 Westerly vessels will pack the marina for a 50th Jubilee celebration. From June 22nd-29th, the celebrations’ main focus will be Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth, alongside other events across the UK. About 50 years ago, a company called Westerly started building small sailing boats. Their yard was at Waterlooville. In quick time, Westerly became a huge success story, in what at that time was a new market, and they helped make sailing accessible for the average family. Westerly built more than 12,000 yachts in the period 1965-2000, making it the most prolific boat builder this country has ever seen. Its 26ft Centaur model became the biggest-selling boat of its kind in the world, a record still unbroken. They are now found all around the globe. Colin Wilding, General Manager at Gunwharf Quays, said: “Welcoming 40 yachts into our beautiful marina will be a fantastic spectacle for all sailing enthusiasts. Gunwharf Quays is the only shopping centre in the UK that you can sail into, and the arrival of the Westerly boats will perfectly celebrate our unique location on the waterfront.” Events during the week at Gunwharf Quays will include a celebratory sail past of many different types of Westerly, a Jubilee dinner at the Royal Maritime Club in Portsmouth which has attracted guests from as far away as Australia, and a re-enactment of the first event staged by the owner group in the mid-1960’s, a friendly race from Portsmouth to Beaulieu.