J.P. Morgan Asset Managment FinN Festival 2012. Falmouth

Falmouth will be getting the party started for this Summer’s Olympics with the J. P. Morgan Asset Management Finn Festival, when top sailors from around the world will be competing in the last Olympic qualifier for the Finn Class dinghy ahead of the 2012 Games.

Finn sailors will be welcoming the Olympic Torch in Falmouth on Saturday 19th May on day one of the Relay around the UK. A host of activities are on offer ashore, many of them free of charge, to really embrace the Olympic spirit of friendship through sport.

Meet the competitors, potential Olympians and their teams before the start of the Finn Gold Cup Regatta on Saturday 12th May at 10.30am in the Festival Marquee at Events Square. The Gold Cup is one of the major competitions in world sailing, demanding the highest standards of race management and onshore facilities for some of the world’s finest young sailing talent. Close to 100 world-class sailors from 30 countries, from Australia to the Ukraine, will be competing in Falmouth.

J.P. Morgan Asset Management Finn Festival Closing Ceremony and presentation of the Finn Gold Cup will be held on Friday 18 May in the Festival Marquee on Events Square, after racing, further prizes and awards will be presented at 8.00pm. As a fitting crescendo to the Finn Festival in Falmouth, a free end of Regatta Party will be held in the marquee following on from the Closing Ceremony through to 11.30pm with live music from the hugely talented local band Area 51, before the Finn Festival grand finale firework display at 10.00pm, co-sponsored by Falmouth Harbour Commissioners.

Running alongside the J P Morgan Asset Management Finn Festival will be the Sail for Gold Exhibition at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall from 2 – 24 May. The exhibition will show how Great Britain cemented its place as the world’s most successful Olympic and Paralympic sailing nation, linking our heritage with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic sailing regattas taking place on the waters of Weymouth and Portland. Ben Ainslie, triple gold medallist and Britain’s greatest Olympic sailor, has already been selected to represent Great Britain and will be competing in The Finn Festival in Falmouth as a training event ahead of the Olympics.

In an exclusive, the National Maritime Museum Cornwall is also hosting a new interactive display, on behalf of Ben Ainslie, triple Olympic gold medallist. Ben is the only Olympian competing for a fourth gold medal in consecutive games, this year. The interactive display, includes the Finn dinghy being sailed by Ben in the 2012 games , asks you to show your support for Ben and his boat Rita. Ben has named all his boats Rita. He has competed in the current Rita since the 2004 Olympics and having won two consecutive Olympics they have a special partnership. Can they complete the triple in 2012? Get behind Great Britain’s most successful Olympic sailor by tweeting @ainslieben your support message, followed by #benandrita

Saturday 19 May, day one of the Olympic Torch Relay journey around Great Britain, will see the flame pass through Falmouth in the morning with the town celebrating this historic moment with a day long programme of activities and highlights making Falmouth a great place to watch the Olympic Torch in Cornwall. Highlights of the day include:

• The flame will arrive in Falmouth at 10.53 and take the following route: Dracaena Avenue (A39), Kimberley Park Road, Berkeley Vale, Killigrew Street, Webber Street, Market Strand, Market Street, Church Street, Arwenack Street, Grove Place car park, Arwenack Street, Bar Terrace, Bar Road, Melvill Road (A39), Western Terrace (A39) at 12.01
• Finn Class sailors have been invited to stay on to welcome the torch to Falmouth. Dressed in their national tracksuits, this will give a truly international sporting dimension to the day
• A 15 feet high replica flame will transform the iconic 29m tower at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall into Falmouth’s very own ‘Torch’
• Superb RNAS Culdrose Sea King helicopter flypast
• Over 30 Cornish Gig boats will be on display on the water around Custom House Quay. They will be headed up by the three oldest gigs in Cornwall dating from 1812
• On Events Square expect a series of dance and music performances and photographic exhibitions by University College Falmouth students in the Festival Marquee, 9.00am to 5.00pm

Many other fun activities will take place throughout Falmouth on Saturday 19th May from University of Exeter, Falmouth schools and Brownies, Falmouth Art Gallery and the Dracaena Centre, to name but a few. See www.falmouth.co.uk for full details.

“To complete this historic day, we will be holding the Falmouth Flame Party Night in the Finn Regatta Marquee on Events Square with headline band The Motown Pirates leading the festivities.” Announces Mike Rangecroft of Falmouth festivals Ltd
“Our grateful thanks are extended to Falmouth Town Council and Falmouth BID for their support of the day’s activities on Events Square. Festivities continue on Sunday 20 May with a Cornish Food Produce, Art & Craft Market from 10am to 5pm.”

Kernocopia will be adding an extra Olympic dimension to Events Square with a free event on 13 May at 2pm, with an explosive fusion of Cornish sporting treasures explored through words, music, dance and performance. The production will also feature at the Weymouth & Portland 2012 Olympic Opening Celebrations.

“May will bring an ‘Olympic’ buzz to Falmouth with a diverse range of activities, be it with the energy, excitement and drama of racing on the water in the world class sailing in the Finn Festival, or the Olympic Torch Relay and the impressive array of community celebrations surrounding this once in a lifetime event” comments Malcolm Bell, Head of VisitCornwall, the tourism service of Cornwall Development Company.
“Cornwall continues to be the number one destination for domestic tourism, and these key events will enable us to showcase the very best Cornwall has to offer to a global audience in the Olympic year.”