MANY Wirral yachting enthusiasts will be heading for Anglesey next week for the annual Menai Strait Regattas Fortnight.

Classes in action will include the Royal Mersey Mylnes, the Hoylake Operas and the West Kirby Stars, Falcons and Hilbres.

The Falcons which are also based at Fiddlers Ferry and were formerly sailed at Hoylake and Dee are celebrating their Diamond Jubilee this year.

Royal Mersey Yacht Club and West Kirby Sailing Club will host Regattas during the second half of the Festival.

Preliminaries include the Round Anglesey race for Offshore craft which starts at Menai Bridge this Saturday at 8.30am and the Red Wharf Bay Anglesey Offshore Dinghy Race from Beaumaris to Traeth Bychan on Sunday at 10am.

The Regattas open with the Royal Dee Yacht Club event at Beaumaris on Monday.

The popular race from Beaumaris to Caernarvon through the treacherous Swellies where spinnakers are banned will be today week.

The West Kirby Regatta is on Wednesday of the second week off Beaumaris with Royal Mersey hosting twenty four hours later at the same venue.

The Round Puffin Island race for the Beaumaris Town Regatta is on Tuesday week.

The full regatta programme with first race start times is as follows: Monday, August 5: Royal Dee YC at Beaumaris, 11am.

Tuesday, August 6: Bangor Town at Glyn Garth,11am.

Wednesday, August 7: Beaumaris to Caernarvon Race, 1pm.

Thursday, August 8: Royal Welsh YC at Caernarvon, 10am.

Friday, August 9: Caernarvon SC, 11am.

Saturday, August 10: Port Dinorwic, noon.

Monday, August 12: Menai Bridge BC, 11am.

Tuesday, August 13: Beaumaris Town (Puffin Island Race,) 1pm.

Wednesday, August 14: West Kirby SC at Beaumaris, 1pm.

Thursday, August 15: Royal Mersey YC at Beaumaris, 1pm.

Friday, August 16: Conway YC at Beaumaris, noon.

Saturday, August 17: Royal Anglesey YC at Beaumaris, noon.