Bridlington Sailing Coble Festival planning well underway

The largest gathering of traditional sailing cobles to be seen anywhere in Great Britain is without doubt a sight to behold.

Organised by the Bridlington Sailing Coble Preservation Society (BSCPS), this prestigious maritime event on the East Yorkshire Coast, first staged in 2016, is billed as ‘one not to be missed’.

Live music on the harbourside stage throughout the weekend will include the Hornsea Shanty Lasses, the headlanders, the Ramshackle Shantymen, Colleen's Fancy and of course the 'Brid Fiddler' Jim Eldon, accompanied by his wife Lynette, the award-winning clog dancer.

There will also be special performances by the Flamborough Junior Long Sword dance team on Sunday, August 9.

The festival will see various stands and stalls in the Exhibition Hall, adjacent to the stage on Clough Hole car park, including a display of traditional fishermen's ganseys.

This year the North Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority will also be in attendance to highlight its work along the coast.

Refreshments will be available courtesy of the Bridlington Lions with seating and tables around the stage area. The Harbour Heritage Museum will also be open with free admission throughout the weekend.

As a charity, the BSCPS relies on financial funding and support to stage the Sailing Coble Festival each year and without such help it would not be possible for the event to take place. This year funding has been received from The Lords Feoffees and Assistants of the Manor of Bridlington, the Dogger Bank Wind Farm, Trevor and Janet Kidd, with additional support from Harrison Leisure and the Wold Top Brewery.

The Festival Committee is also most grateful for the assistance given by the Bridlington Harbour Commissioners and Harbour Master for the use of the Vessel Maintenance Facility, together with allotting space in the harbourside car park around the stage.

This free event commences at 10am each day and the sailing cobles will be moored alongside Harbour Road, near to the Harbour Heritage Museum.

Before setting out for sailing, judging will take place for the ‘Steve Emmerson Award for the Best Turned Out Coble’ at the festival.

Steve, who sadly passed away in January 2025, was a regular attendee at the Bridlington event with his beautiful sailing coble Madeleine Isabella.

This perpetual award has been generously donated in Steve’s memory by his widow and will be presented by Gill on the Sunday morning.

Once the mainstay of the inshore fishing industry, the ubiquitous coble could be seen at every port, harbour and coastal village from the Humber to the Tweed.

Sadly their numbers have dramatically decreased in more recent years and Bridlington is fortunate to be able to showcase a glimpse of the past and that bygone age.

Fine examples of cobles built by renowned boatbuilders such as Dawson and Beverley at Seahouses, Siddalls of Bridlington, J&J Harrison at Amble and Dave Winspear of Whitby will be taking part.

One coble which will not be present at the Festival this year is the Flamborough coble Imperialist, built by Arg Hopwood in 1934 for the Stephenson family.

She is at present in the BSCPS workshop at Beck Hill having a complete refit.

Volunteers from the Society, under the leadership of retired coble builder John Clarkson, are making headway in restoring this significantly important coble, thought to be the only example of a Hopwood coble in existence out of the many built at Flamborough.

Further information about the BSCPS, the Sailing Coble Festival and the museum can be obtained from the Society Secretary at [email protected]