A warm welcome from Largs and North Ayrshire

Competitors turned out in force for this evening's Opening Parade for the Laser Radial World Championships and enjoyed a warm Scottish welcome.

Largs and North Ayrshire offered a warm and enthusiastic welcome this evening to competitors from the Laser Radial World Championships when they marched through the town to the official opening of the event followed by a civic reception hosted by North Ayrshire Council.

The enthusiasm shown by a full turnout of over 220 competitors from over 40 different countries was evident by the high spirits of the athletes and coaches who marched to the bagpipes and drums of the Isle of Cumbrae Pipe Band.

Margo MacDonald, the popular independent Member of the Scottish Parliament warmly addressed the sailors, singling out the fleet’s three Olympic medallists Anna Tunnicliffe (USA), Gintare Scheidt (LTU) and Lijia Xu (CHN). She commended the recent performances of Scotland’s Charlotte Dobson, describing her as an ‘inspiration to young Scottish sports people.”
Councillors Alex Gallagher and Elizabeth Marshall represented North Ayrshire Council, one of the funding partners of the event and supporters of the Scottish Sailing Institute.
Fiona Barron chairperson of the Laser Radial Worlds event committee, a director of the Scottish Sailing Institute, addressed the assembled competitors, organisers, coaches and friends first, then as also did North Ayrshire’s recently elected Provost Cllr Pat McPhee. The civic reception was held at Vikingar.

Two large seagulls proved very popular with the competitors!

8/7/2010 21:56