A BOAT race off Inverkip is on course to be the biggest in over 30 years with an iconic British clothing brand on board and more than 60 crafts from across the UK and Ireland set to compete.

The annual regatta at Kip Marina has attracted sponsorship from fashion firm Henri Lloyd and takes place on Saturday May 9 and Sunday 10.

It has also been endorsed by the Year of Coasts and Waters campaign being run by tourism agency VisitScotland.

Bosses say the racing event - run in partnership with the Royal Western Yacht Club - is shaping up to be one of the busiest on record.

Kevin Blamire, Holt Leisure Group's marketing manager, said: "We have around 60 boats involved this year and they come from across the Clyde, Scotland, Ireland and some from England. "It's the first major regatta of the Scottish sailing season. "The biggest one is the Scottish series the week after us and you get a lot of boats arriving on the Clyde and using the Kip Regatta as a warm-up and to fine tune.

"The Royal Western do a fantastic job managing the racing. "The fact that Henri Lloyd are happy to get involved speaks volumes for the standard of the Kip Regatta and Scottish sailing.

"We're also delighted that it's part of the Year of Scottish Coasts and Waters 2020.

"It's a real spectacle on the river."

The event is one of the first to be sponsored by Henri Lloyd since the brand relaunched at the start of this year.

The clothing brand, which was founded in 1963, but went into administration in 2018 before being taken over by Swedish investment company, Aligro Group.

Gavin McDonagh, managing director of Holt Leisure Group, which runs Kip Marina, said: "We're delighted to see Henri Lloyd back in the marketplace. "We're especially delighted to welcome them as sponsors of the Kip Regatta - the first major event in Scottish sailing each year."

Ross Partridge, performance sales manager for Henri Lloyd, says the Inverkip link-up is an ideal fit.

He said: "With the brand relaunching in 2020, we have a focus on grassroots sailing and racing, as well as having key retail presence around the UK, and that combines perfectly with Kip Chandlery and Kip Regatta." The clothing company will be supplying prizes to accompany prestigious silverware which is up for grabs.

Commodore Ross Lang, of the Royal Western Yacht Club, said: "The Kip Regatta is one of the big events of the year for yacht racing in Scotland - one of the big three - and signals the start of the season. "It's a big activity and it wouldn't happen without Kip Marina and the Royal Western working together."