For the town has been chosen as a port of call in this year's Round Britain Powerboat Race.

The event is guaranteed to be a huge crowdpuller.

The high-powered boats will race up the Forth and under the Forth Bridges on Friday, June 27, then set off the next day on the the stage to Newcastle.

Adam Cruttenden, manager at Port Edgar Sailing Club, who is assisting in the co-ordination of the event, said: "It will be a major event, the first of its kind for Queensferry and Port Edgar. We expect at least 50 boats with the super class first to arrive about 2pm on the Friday. The finishing and starting points will be under the bridge, so it will look pretty spectacular. There will also be a helicopter flying overhead to catch all the action for television."

He added: "We have been in contact with the organisers and plans are moving forward. We have been asked to accommodate the boats at the marina and also the entourage that follows such a prestigious racing event."

Already around 50 boats have entered the competition with more expected before the race date closes in April. Classes competing include Super Class — 50 foot boats with 23 litre engines which can travel at speeds of 115 mph — to the smaller Cruiser Class.

The Super Class race is a team event with the UK, USA, Austria and Germany all competing.

Also taking part will be TV presenters Nick Knowles and James May, of BBC's Top Gear.

The Round Britain event has only been held twice before, in 1969 and 1984. The 2008 event will see crews covering around 1600 nautical miles of Britain's coastline, in eight gruelling legs over 10 days.

The race begins and ends at Portsmouth. Competitors will speed along the English Channel making stops at Plymouth and Milford Haven before heading up into the Irish Sea to Bangor and then over to Oban. The boats will be ferried along the Caledonian Canal to Inverness. From there they head for Queensferry and then on to Newcastle, Lowestoft and back to Portsmouth.

Members of Queensferry's sailing fraternity are delighted to see the event coming to the Forth.
Murray Carmichael, rear commodore at Port Edgar Yacht Club, said: "It's great news. We have offered our assistance, providing ribs to meet the craft as they come in and helping to organise
hospitality on shore."

Queensferry councillor and Edinburgh's Lord Provost George Grubb said: "It is fantastic news. There is great potential at Port Edgar and the staging of this event will prove this but, at the same time, highlight the need for redevelopment at the marina."

The town's business community also welcomed the news.

Douglas Flett, chairman of the Queensferry Business Association, said: "This is a prestigious event and will attract spectators from across Central Scotland to the town over two days which will in turn, hopefully, prove be a major economic boost for local business."