A total of 22 Fife yachts – the largest gathering of William Fife yachts ever – will take part in the Fife Regatta which starts this weekend. Boats dating back as far as 1890 will grace the Clyde from 20-26 June. Racing will take place around the Great and Little Cumbrae islands before sailing to Helensburgh, Rhu, Rothesay and returning to Largs.

The largest yachts expected at the regatta include the 105ft Moonbeam IV built in 1914, Belle Adventure the 93ft 9in Burmudan ketch, and a couple of 85 footer – Kentra and The Lady Anne. At the other end of the scale at just 19ft loa is Hatasoo, the gaff sloop built in 1894.

News from the Clyde this morning however, shows that the weather situation is looking fairly unsettled for the weekend with rain and a building fresh westerly wind. While these sort of conditions don’t cause too much problems for modern yachts, the skippers of these classic yachts, most of which are nearly 100 years old, will undoubtedly have concerns as to whether the conditions are suitable.

For more information on the race schedule log on to fiferegatta.com. For news updates on the racing log on to yachtingworld.com