LOCAL

Andy Potts

The Moscow Yacht Festival is more than just plain sailing - beyond the displays of classy vessels the show ripples into cool music and top-class water-sport as well.

With a new venue at the Stalin-eraVodnoi Stadion, or water stadium, the event neatly blends the charms of Moscow's northern waterways with the cutting edge of nautical design, maritime technology, shipshape fashion and music.

On the water there's plenty to choose from. The event includes the Business FM Moscow Regatta, a waterborne battle between Russia and Monaco in dragon class yachts and, for those who like a faster pace of life, a motorboat day including all the thrills and high-octane spills of the latest stage of the Russian Thundercat speedboat racing championships.

The international clash, which involves Prince Albert of Monaco's favourite class of racing yacht, promises to be an uncompromising spectacle of tactical nous and nautical derring-do, and forms the centrepiece of the Moscow regatta. The organisers expect a hard-fought battle between the local crews and the jet-set yachtsmen of the Cote d'Azur.

With crews doing battle from the Royal Yacht Club, spectators in the stands of the Water Stadium can listen to professional commentators interpreting every twist and turn of the action.

While the pros strut their stuff on July 3 and 4, the bulk of the regatta is geared for hobbyists and first-timers eager to learn the skills of competitive yacht-racing.

It's the first time the event has featured a chance for land-lubbers to test out their sea legs and corporate packages, largely geared for business teams, include full training in how to handle your vessel, sponsorship opportunities and free tickets to the musical highlights of the festival.

Back on dry land, there's as much water music as anyone could handle. The renowned Café del Mar clubbing team are at hand to put on a top-notch party programme, but the highlight is set to be the "White Concert" on July 4.

Headlined by Mumiy Troll, Russia's most engaging leftfield rockers, and with a support bill including British guests The Invisible, and up-and-coming local acts Sakura and Dsh! Dsh! gracing the specially-built floating stage, this looks well worth the 2,000-rouble cover charge.

The Azure Concert on the previous evening has a slightly more obscure line-up, from the Belarussian grunge-folk of Treya to the Anglo-phone French electro-rock of Pollux from Rio, headlined by Pyotr Nalich, the online Russian sensation. The event is dedicated to the ecological problems of the Moscow River, which may explain the sky-blue double-headed skeletal fish on the posters.

In addition to these, the Royal Bar hosts Ibiza-themed after-parties featuring big-name DJs Gordon Edge and Bruno from Ibiza.

Outside of the main events, the festival, which runs from July 2-5, also includes free sailing lessons, an ecosphere in support of the Moscow River Days campaign to clean up the city's waterways and a display of the latest yachting technology.

July 2-5, 11 am - 7 pm, Royal Yacht Club, Vodnoi Stadion Dinamo, m. Vodny Stadion, www.yachtfest.ru