Visitors to York City Centre today were treated to the sight of a ‘parade’ of yachts and riverboats passing under the city’s major bridges on their way from Naburn to Clifton and back.
More than 30 boats took part in York Marina’s annual fancy dress ‘floatilla’.
And, as the event’s name implies, many of them were decked out in colourful fancy dress.
One, the ‘All Gud’, was disguised as an exhibit from Jurassic Park – complete with inflatable dinosaurs on the prow.
That’s because her grandson Finley is dinosaur-obsessed, said the boat’s owner Carole Goodfellow – who was herself sporting a dino costume.
Carole, who lives in Barnsley but keeps her boat at the Marina and visits most weekends, said: “It’s a really fun event.”
Another boat was decked out in Mexican colours – complete with a giant sombrero and cactus plant on the prow – making for a great sight as it forged up the river.
The boats all gathered at York Marina this morning, and lined up along the pontoon.
Then, at 1pm, many of them sounded their horns, making a cacophony of noise, before setting off in parade – at 30 second intervals - for York city centre.
York Marina owner Richard Bleakley said they’d be heading up to Clifton Bridge in parade formation, before returning to the marina later in the afternoon.
Richard said the annual floatilla had become a yearly tradition over the last few years.
“Everyone wears fancy dress – just to have a bit of a laugh,” he said. True to form, he and his staff were all decked out in costumes resembling the chocolate factory workers from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
For those lucky enough to have tickets, there are live events all day at the marina – including performers such as fire-breather Sidney Sparks Live, an awards ceremony for the ‘best dressed boat’, food and drink and, from 7.30pm until about 11, live music.
Tickets are all sold out, Richard confirmed.
But the rest of us still got to enjoy the sight of those gleaming white boats parading beneath York’s bridge’s on an early summer’s day…
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