Thousands of people descended on Ryde for the pirate-themed Shipwreck Isle event on Sunday June 28, 2015.
Shipwreck isle
The beach was invaded by pirates who came ashore and entertained the crowds with cannon demonstrations, sword fighting and the Pirates of the Caribbean village.
One of Europe’s top Jack Sparrow lookalikes, Simon Newton, who doubled for Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, posed for photographs with visitors.
David Thornton, chief executive of Visit Isle of Wight (VIOW), which funded the event, said:
“I am delighted VIOW was able to secure Shipwreck Isle for the Island and we are excited about the obvious potential that the crowds indicated, and hope to be in a position to confirm next year’s dates by the end of July.
“VIOW and our partners Wightlink have done an excellent job in making sure this event has been marketed and promoted to off-island visitors in Portsmouth and Southsea.
“Wightlink also contributed hugely in the pre-event planning by making sure that all the ‘pirates’ were able to travel over with their various gear.”
The event was organised by Roger Crouch, who ran the Hastings Pirate Festival for five years.
Roger said:
“We created a true family day, which I am sure will grow to be an annual event for the Isle of Wight.
“My thanks to all that took part, the majority of which gave their time freely to participate, such as the Pirates of the Caribbean and the Living History groups.
“Huge thanks also to Visit Isle of Wight, Wightlink and John Hawkins and his team at Beach Events and Solutions, who co-promoted and helped event manage the day.”