Wightlink will be operating extra late evening foot passenger sailings in February to support Isle of Wight schools to compete in the annual Dance Live! event at Portsmouth Guildhall.
More than 900 pupils, staff and helpers will be crossing the Solent across 6 nights to take part in the regional heats of the competition.
The extra sailings between Ryde Pier Head and Portsmouth Harbour will be operated by a charter vessel on the 20th, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 27th and 28th of February. They will depart Portsmouth Harbour at 21:20 and 22:45 and Ryde at 22:00.
Although the sailings are scheduled to support the schools, everyone is welcome to travel on these crossings and should book in advance on the Wightlink website or App.
The Island schools taking part in Dance Live! will be the Isle of Wight Education Federation, Ryde School, Ryde Academy, The Bay Primary, Cowes Primary, Lanesend Primary, Medina House School and the Federation of Newchurch and Nettlestone Primaries.
Wightlink Chief Executive Keith Greenfield.
“We wish our talented Island dancers the very best of luck in Dance Live! and hope to take many of them back to Portsmouth for the finals in April”
Wightlink has already announced extra late night FastCat services will resume from Monday 27 March when the summer timetable comes into operation. They will be the 21:20 and 22:45 from Portsmouth Harbour, returning from Ryde Pier Head at 22:00 and 23:10.
I like reading about venues upcoming in Southampton and also Portsmouth.. they sound really interesting, but sadly they do not finish until around midnight, so there would be no way to get back to Cowes and Ryde using a passenger ferry. Car ferry out of the question, am not paying £20+ for a taxi from Fishbourne.. if one was even available.. Seems Islanders have a curfew… ferry companies are not interested, and the council or government do not care !!! Never will it seems..