Tall Ships Races

The Great Adventure!

Posted on 08. Apr, 2009 by admin in Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge

The Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009 is a spectacular odyssey around the North Atlantic Ocean of more than 7,000 nautical miles following the traditional route taken by sailing ships of a by-gone age.

The event starts at the end of April and concludes in August 2009. A fleet of Tall Ships will compete in each leg of the race which is open to any monohull sailing vessel that complies with the Sail Training International Racing and Sailing Rules and Special Regulations.

Anyone with a sense of adventure can sign up to take part as a trainee crew member in any of the race legs for an experience of a lifetime!

Sailing in the Challenge will be exciting and competitive … and host ports in mainland Spain, the Canary Islands, Bermuda, the US, Canada and Northern Ireland are preparing a fabulous welcome for the fleet and trainee crews.

The Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009 will be the sixth time the Tall Ships have raced around the North Atlantic. Previous races took place in 1964, 1976, 1984, 1992 and 2000. Each time, thousands of people experienced something they will never forget and became part of history. 

No engines, just the wind, nature and you!

On board the crews will experience the highs and lows of racing across the Atlantic… when the wind drops, when a pod of dolphins join you as you sail on… when all you can see are the stars. Each day they get to hear their race position in the fleet from race control, which can act as a spur to make them and their watch determined to work harder to get the very best out of their vessel and improve their placing.

Friends and family at home will be able to watch progress via the fleet tracking on the website and be with the crews as they read the blogs!

Arrival in port is always warm with thousands of people expected in each port where they will line the quays as the ships sail into the harbour. 

During the port days, the crews will get to experience an unforgettable Crew Parade when they parade through the streets, making as much noise as possible! It’s the tradition! They will also take part in a Crew Party and enjoy some wonderful cultural trips to the areas around the port so can get to see some of the country too. Leaving port the vessels will take part in a Parade of Sail surrounded by hundreds of little pleasure boats. It’s a sight to behold!

The crews will make friends for time and have memories that will last a lifetime.

Have you got the bottle? If so, we have the ships!