Faxaflóahafnir

Festival of the Seas a success

Westward Ho

The Festival of the Seas was held in Reykjavík during the weekend of 5th and 6th of June. Tratitionally, the festival used to be a one day event but 12 years ago it was made to a two day festival always held the first weekend in June. The Festival of the Seas celebrates the ocean, the seamen and the coastal culture which is particularly important to a nation living on an island. 

This time the festival was held during the weekend of June 5 and 6 in excellent weather conditions, sunshine and calm wind, with approximately 25 thousand people attenting. The venue for the event is the Port of Reykjavik, the old harbour, and most of the activities take place in and arround the Maritime Museum. The programme was quite extensive and rather family friendly. Over 100 species of fish were on show, music and song for all ages, taste of fish and whale meat was on offer and the special guests from the Faroe Islands danced and invited the icelandares to join in.

The highlight of the festival was perhaps the arrival of the 1884 built Cutter, Westward Ho, that sailed from Torshavn in the Faro Island to Reykjavik. It was a spectacular show when the Cutter entered the Port of Reykjavík,  under full sails, saluted with three gunshots