RACING yachts have started gathering in Falmouth for what promises to be the most exciting Pendennis Cup competition ever.

The final list of entries is confirmed as 13, doubling the fleet from 2010 and including an impressive number of 40m and over yachts.

Many have already arrived and have started sailing around the bay, practising race tactics, putting the crew through their paces and gaining an understanding of local tidal and topographic influences.

The schooner Adela is a regular visitor to Pendennis having been rebuilt by the yard in 1995, and won the cup in 2010, so will be defending her title vigorously.

Another eye-catching yacht will be Athos, who at 61.2m is the world’s largest privately-owned two-masted schooner and one of the world’s most technologically sophisticated classic sailing yachts.

The racing, which starts on Monday, is organised by the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club, with the daily battles taking place against the beautiful backdrop of the coastline surrounding the area running from Gull Rock situated North off the Roseland Peninsula down to the Manacles which are located by the Lizard Peninsula further South.

The entrance to the harbour, overlooked by the castles of Pendennis and St Mawes, will provide a striking start and finish line, with each race following a pursuit format.

Yachts will be presented with awards at the final ceremony and party to be held at the spectacular Pendennis Castle on Saturday, July 7. The fleet will be moored at Port Pendennis Marina throughout the week and easily seen from the town’s main Events Square or the viewing gallery at The National Maritime Museum, Cornwall.

A race office situated in Events Square will provide the public with an overview of the participating yachts, a daily update on the performance of the yachts and race conditions, as well as screening footage from the previous days’ racing.

The public will also be able to see some of the on-water action from Pendennis Point, Gyllyngvase Beach and St Mawes.

With just over a week to go, the yachts are arriving daily and the excitement building before the first race kicks off at 11.30am on Tuesday, July 3.

Daily updates will be posted to the Pendennis Cup website, with on-water reports posted to Twitter and Facebook as the action happens.