The annual Ramsgate Week and Ramsgate Festival of Sound kicks off this week with a packed programme heading into the weekend.

The regatta, which has been held for more than 150 years, features racing yachts from Europe and across the UK is dubbed the "friendly alternative to Cowes" - the UK's major sailing regatta on the Isle of Wight.

Numbers are up for the sailing events which started yesterday with the famous Round the Goodwins Race.

The official start of the regatta kicked off this morning with the Mayor of Ramsgate, Cllr Raushan Ara, firing the cannon to get boats underway from the Royal Harbour.

The event is hosted by the Royal Temple Yacht Club and includes races involving various classes of yachts including IRC (International Rating Certificate) class, Cruiser class crews battling it out for a series of cups and championship races.

The East Coast Regional Championship starts on Wednesday, running until Friday, the QEII cup will be held on Thursday with two offshore races and another inshore race and the final title of the week will take place on Friday for the prestigious Gold Cup.

Spectators are invited to watch the action from the harbour wall or the beach from 11am each day.

The sailing coincides with the Ramsgate Festival of Sound which features a range of events, art, gigs, an interactive poetry tour, talks and exhibitions across the town until Sunday.

Grammy award winning artist Dame Eveline Glenny will headline the festival in a performance at the St Lawrence College Theatre on Thursday evening.

The history of Ramsgate's lifeboats at the Sailor's Church in Military, jazz sessions at the Albion House Hotel, displays of Ramsgate appearing in artworks and how it has inspired artists will go on show at The Oak Hotel are among some of the events.

The theme of this year's festival is 'It's A Matter of Time' and features a programme of 39 different activities.

The weekend will see free live music on stages outside Ramsgate Tunnels and in the harbour at Pier Yard featuring Annique, Irish guitarist and singer Amy Montgomery with Arcadia and Ramsgate Hovercraft seeing out the weekend in style on Sunday evening.

The festival is entering its ninth year after launching by voluntary group Ramsgate Arts in 2010 - in 2016 the festival moved to July to coincide with the sailing regatta.

For the latest during the regatta head to www.ramsgateweek.com on Facebook by searching RamsgateWeek and also on Twitter through @RamsgateWeek.

A full list of events and ticketing during the Ramsgate Festival is available at ramsgatefestival.org

For more ideas on days out and things to do, head to our What’s On section

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