AROUND 250 people from across Europe paraded along Weymouth seafront to mark the start of a fishing competition being hosted in the resort all this week.

Traffic was stopped on the Esplanade as the anglers and their families walked from the Jubilee Clock to the opening ceremony at the Pavilion for this year’s European Boat and Line Class Championships.

And Weymouth was heralded as the best venue in the country by organisers following the town hosting the event here in 2000 and 2007.

Tony Hudson, executive vice-president of the European Federation of Sea Anglers, said the competition brought in £300,000 to the local economy.

He said: “It’s always successful here because of the quality of the boats and the skippers.

“They are the best in the country without a doubt – and the town has the support from the council and the hotels.

“Weymouth is very much behind this and it makes it the top port to hold it in.”

A total of 150 competitors have been joined by their families for the competition.

Around 60 of the visitors are staying at The Venue Hotel on Portland with others in various hotels, bed and breakfasts and guesthouses.

The competitors will be on local fishing boats every day this week before the category winners – including the top individual – are awarded at The Venue next Saturday.

Yesterday’s parade was headed by a trio of African drum players as residents stopped to wave, cheer and clap.

Competitors included those from Italy, The Netherlands, Gibraltar, Denmark, Iceland and Portugal as well as traditional entries from affiliates to the European Federation from Russia and South Africa.

Francis Couzinet, said he loved coming to Weymouth as it is a seaside town similar to his home town – La Rochelle in France.

He said: “I feel very good coming back because I won the last time I came here.

“It’s a pleasure to come to the town as it’s historic like La Rochelle.”

Tom Unsgaard said he enjoyed Weymouth and is looking forward to welcoming competitors to his home country when the competition is held in Norway.

He said: “We’re very happy to come to Weymouth and we’ve been for the fishing before.

“It has brilliant hospitality and great fishing with the conger eels here.

“Weymouth is definitely a place we Norwegians want to come back to.”

• Follow the competition in the Echo’s sport pages this week