The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company saw further growth in the number of bikes carried to the Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling in 2015.

Compared with the 2014 event, there was a 4% increase in the number of motorcycles brought to the Island during the Festival, rising to more than 3,800.

There has been a steady increase in demand since the Festival of Motorcycling was introduced, particularly among fans wanting to bring their own bikes to the Island. During the 2015 TT there was also an increase in the number of motorcycles carried, up more than 16%, the highest level for any year outside of the Centenary celebrations in 2007.

Isle of Man Steam Packet Company Chief Executive Mark Woodward said: ‘The Festival of Motorcycling continues to go from strength-to-strength, as these figures show.

‘We recognised there was a rising demand from fans who wanted to be able to bring their own motorcycles to the Island, so over the winter we had a removable mezzanine deck fabricated. This substantial investment has created the additional capacity to allow more people to bring bikes, and help the Island’s motorcycling festivals continue to grow.

‘The Steam Packet Company is pleased to play its part in supporting the Island’s special events, not only in terms of providing capacity to meet demand, but also in direct support. For example, we have sponsored a parade lap at every Classic TT, this year celebrating Norton’s rotary years, have been headline sponsor of the Southern 100 International Road Races for more than 15 years and work closely with the TT Marshals Association to help attract volunteers through our discount scheme.’

He added: ‘We have already seen extremely high levels of interest in the TT for next year and expect a further increase in demand for the 2016 Festival of Motorcycling, so we look forward to welcoming even more visitors to the Island next year.’

Photo - The all-star line-up of racers and iconic machines in the Norton: The Rotary Years parade lap sponsored by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (iomtt.com).