Charleston, South Carolina, is the seventh and final port to sign up to host the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009 and completes the course for this spectacular odyssey for sail training Tall Ships.The Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge is a 7,000 nautical mile race series around the North Atlantic will follow the traditional route taken by sailing ships of yesteryear. An international fleet and trainee crews from around the world are expected to compete in the Challenge series, organised by Sail Training International in collaboration with the American Sail Training Association.

“We are delighted to be joining in with what we know will be a memorable event for all concerned”, says Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. “The city is very used to hosting Tall Ships, so our community will ensure a warm Southern welcome for the crews when they sail into port.”The Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge will start in Vigo, Spain, (30 April – 3 May). The fleet will race to Tenerife in the Canary Islands (14 – 17 May), then across the Atlantic to Bermuda (12 -15 June) where they will form the centrepiece of year-long celebrations to mark the 400th anniversary of permanent settlement on the island. From Bermuda the fleet will race west to Charleston, SC, (25 – 29 June), then up the US east coast to Boston, Mass (8 – 13 July) and onwards to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (16 – 20 July). From there the fleet will race back across the North Atlantic to Belfast, UK (13 – 16 August) for the final prize-giving celebrations.

For more details go to: www.tallshipsraces.com/atlanticchallenge

Download Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge brochure.