A FULL-SIZE longboat could be among the attractions at this year's Jorvik Viking Festival in York, which begins on Friday.

A consortium led by the city's King's Arms pub is hoping to build a full-size replica to take on all-comers from countries including Norway, France and Ireland in the city's annual regatta, a central part of the Viking festival.

This year's festival starts on Friday and runs until February 23. Events include a traditional Viking wedding, battle reconstructions, lectures from archaeology experts, including Time Team's Mick Aston, Scandinavian-themed evenings, a Viking market, study weekends and the Viking river challenge.

BBC presenter Julian Richards will give an evening lecture entitled Blood of the Vikings at the Yorkshire Museum on Friday.

If the full-size longboat comes to fruition, it would also tour the world, taking part in Viking events, and be based at Murton Park's Viking village for educational trips when in York.

The group JIVE, which stands for Jorvik in Viking Europe, has come up with the idea and is currently looking for sponsorship to fund it. If successful, it would be built in Murton's Viking village.

Group member and manager of the King's Arms, Mike Hartley, said: "We have already got a boat builder and now we just need to find the funding for it.

"The Scandinavians, the French and Irish come here with their boats for the regatta, and we don't have one, despite the city being steeped in Viking history. That's how it transpired."

The pub has been associated with the regatta for many years, and became involved in organising it after it was cancelled a couple of years ago.

Updated: 11:15 Wednesday, February 12, 2003