The first leg of this year’s epic Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge is set to start on Sunday 3 May and the Tall Ships taking part in the event are now in Vigo, Spain. The 7,000 mile odyssey around the North Atlantic will see a variety of Tall Ships from Europe, South America and the US competing in an event involving seven ports, five countries and hundreds of crew members. 

  
While in Vigo, the ships’ crews are preparing for the first part of the adventure which will take the fleet south-west to Tenerife, where more ships will join the fleet ready for the transatlantic race to Bermuda. The race across the Atlantic will take between three and four weeks to complete, during which time the crews will have to take it in turns to be on watch, helm, navigate and get the best out of their vessel. 
 
Every day during the race, each vessel will be contacted by race control to establish their positions as at 1400 hrs GMT. These positions will then be plotted onto a map allowing friends and relatives to follow the fleet as they progress across the Atlantic. The fleet tracking can be viewed on www.tallshipsraces.org <http://www.tallshipsraces.org> . The class positions of the vessels will also be available on the website. 
 
When the fleet arrives in Bermuda they will form part of island’s 400th anniversary, an event that is sure to make history. From 12 to 15 June the Tall Ships can be seen in Hamilton, the capital of Bermuda, before leaving in a spectacular Parade of Sail on 15 June. 
 
A third race will take the Tall Ships to Charleston, South Carolina, USA. There the ships will form part of the Charleston Harbor Fest from 25 to 29 June before departing for another race up the east coast of the USA to Boston, Massachusetts where they will join Sail Boston from 8 to 13 July. A short hop up the coast to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in Canada where the Tall Ships Atlantic Fleet will gather from 16 to 20 July before departing for the second Atlantic crossing eastbound to Belfast, Northern Ireland, where they will have their final festival and prize giving from 13 to 16 August.
 
“This race series has been planned for a long time and we are delighted with the quality of the fleet, offering the opportunity to visit seven ports in one event,” said Bernard Heppener, the Chairman of the Race Committee. “The economic situation has meant some ships were unable to take part, but for those that are, the Challenge will provide their crews with an experience of a lifetime that will be unique and personal to each one.”
 
For the more adventurous, there is still time to sign up to sail on board one for one of the later races. No prior experience is necessary so as long as you have the spirit of adventure and a pair of deck shoes and shorts, you can be off to sunny climes. Imagine departing Bermuda on a Tall Ship surrounded by a flotilla of pleasure boats in the turquoise seas and racing to the southern charm of Charleston! Those with more time may like to experience the highs and lows of sailing across the Atlantic to Belfast on either a square rigged ship or one of the smaller and faster racing yachts that will be taking part. 
 
More information on the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge can be found on www.tallshipsraces.org <http://www.tallshipsraces.org>  where there will be regular updates, pictures and access to the fleet tracking.
 
 
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For further information on this event, contact Corinne Hitching, Media Manager for Sail Training International. High resolution images are available to download on: 
http://www.sailtraininginternational.org/page.asp?eventID=471&isSubmitted=1&partID=470
Tel: +44 77641 83866, 
email: Corinne.hitching@sailtraininginternational.org

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Driving rain and increasing winds in front of an approaching cold front failed to dampen the spirits of those on land or those on board The Spirit of Bermuda – Bermuda’s first purpose built sail training ship – as she left the Atlantic Island this morning for her first Trans-Atlantic crossing to Europe. As the ship sailed out of Hamilton Harbour to the cheers of onlookers, John Wadson, Director of Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge; Tall Ships Bermuda and Sail Training Bermuda enthusiastically declared: “This is the beginning of the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009 Race!”

 
“This will be our most challenging voyage yet”, Malcolm Kirkland, Executive Director of the Bermuda Sloop Foundation added. “It’s our first offshore voyage operating in Northern latitudes, up to 40 degrees north, and we have purchased thirty ‘survival suits’ which takes us well over and above the safety requirements. This is all about a challenging, mission critical, operating community, with all the best safety “nets”.
 
First stop for The Spirit of Bermuda will be in Horta and then Ponta Delgada in the Azores and then Porto, Portugal, before the ship heads to Vigo, Spain for the start of the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009 Race on 3 May.  That Portugal is her first port of call is significant in that the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009 race is designed around Bermuda’s 400th Anniversary of Permanent Settlement and a large proportion of Bermuda’s strong Portuguese community originates from the Azores.
 
John Wadson, Malcolmn Kirkland, and Sutherland Madeiros, the Mayor of Hamilton joined an excited throng of family members, friends and supporters at dockside to bid the ship, its trainees, crew and captain ‘Bon Voyage’  as it sailed out of Hamilton Harbour in southwesterly 22 – 28 knot winds.
 
Bermuda Sloop Foundation official Jay Kempe said this first transatlantic leg will be something of a pilgrimage for the ship as the stop in the Azores will honour Bermuda’s strong cultural ties with those islands that began in the 1840’s.  The pilgrimage will no doubt be especially meaningful to Portuguese-Bermudian Brian Bulhoes and his family.  Brian, 16, is a veteran of the Public Middle School Waterwise Programme (Yr 1), the 5 Day learning expedition aboard The Spirit (Yr 3) and a world class U16 sailor.  Though born and raised in Bermuda, his
 
large family hails from Ponta Delgada, San Miguel. He is looking forward to meeting other members of his family when the Spirit arrives there and his passage has been sponsored by D&J Construction, one of the Island’s leading construction companies.
 
Also crewing onboard The Spirit for this historic voyage are five Bermuda Regiment soldiers and three members of staff from the Department of Marine and Ports. “This is important for us”, said Kirkland. “These two institutions are strategic partners and offer important disciplined training for young Bermudians. We are really delighted to have them aboard.”
 
The Spirit of Bermuda has eight professional crew members under the command of Capt. Simon Colley and 15 trainees. Four seasoned public school students Vershon Simmons, 16; Michael Byron, 15; Cameron Joseph, 16; and Denzel Todd, 18, are on board for the complete round trip of two transatlantic crossings of some 7,000 nautical miles. Spirit will race from Vigo, Spain to Tenerife in the Canary Islands before embarking on the second race of the series to Bermuda.  She will continue racing to Charleston, SC, then on to Boston MA and Halifax NS before returning to Bermuda to commemorate the actual landing of the crew and passengers from the ill-fated Sea Venture after her shipwreck on July 28, 400 years ago.  It was this event that started the settlement of Bermuda.   
 
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If you watched Master and Commander or the Pirates of the Caribbean and fancied yourself at the helm on a Tall Ship, now is your chance!  A few of the Tall Ships taking part in this summer’s Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge have berths available with some of them now offering discounted rates.

The famous British yacht Jolie Brise has a couple of places available on the Vigo to Tenerife leg open to anyone aged over 16 years. They also have one place spare on the transatlantic sector from Tenerife to Bermuda for a trainee aged from 16 to 25 years. Bursaries are available, so anyone who would like the rare chance to sail on Jolie Brise should contact them now.

The Dutch Tall Ship Tecla, which is owned and operated by a family, including their dog, has places available on all legs of the race, with discounts available. Only the final race from Halifax to Belfast has an age restriction of between 15 and 25 years.

Kaliakra, a beautiful Tall Ship from Bulgaria, also has a few places available with discounts available.  This ship will have a number of different nationalities on board, although the main language will be English. Great for anyone who would like to experience some cultural exchange on the way.

For those that like to be closer to the water and want to experience a modern yacht, the fast and high performance yacht Xsaar, from Belgium, has a few berths available.

Full details can be found on the website, www.tallshipsraces.org.

The race starts in Vigo, Spain (30 April – 3 May), from where the fleet will race to Tenerife, Canaries (14-17 May). The first Atlantic race will then take the fleet to Bermuda (12-15 June), and then on to Charleston, USA (25-29 June). The fleet will then wend their way up the east coast of the US to Boston (8-13 July) and then on to Halifax, Canada (16-20 July) before the final Atlantic crossing eastwards back to Belfast, UK (13-16 August).

Participants can take part in any one leg of the event, or multiple legs if time permits. No experience is necessary as all training will be given on board the ship. The only requirement is a spirit of adventure and the bottle to take on the challenge.

For further information contact

Corinne Hitching, Media Manager for Sail Training International.

Tel: 077641 83866, Email: Corinne.hitching@sailtraininginternational.org.

www.tallshipsraces.org

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An Isle of Wight teenager is preparing to cross the Atlantic on a 20.6m ketch, as part of the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge this summer. Imelda McGrath, 18 and currently at Carisbrooke High School, will be going to Tenerife in May to join the vessel Rona II to sail some 2,600 nautical miles west across the Atlantic to Bermuda.

“Living on the Isle of Wight I have learned to love the sea,” says Imelda. “I’ve tried out loads of different water sports from aqua skipping to surfing but have always wanted to improve my sailing. After a recommendation from a friend I decided to do a sail training voyage with the Rona Sailing Project and through that I won an Amory award which qualified me to attend a selection weekend for the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge.”

Imelda will be joining 17 other young women under 25 on the race across the Atlantic, together with five crew members. An all-boy Atlantic crossing will take place when Rona II does the return race from Halifax to Belfast in August. “All the trainee crews will need to work hard to get the best out of Rona II, with four hour watches day and night for the entire four week race,” says skipper Chris Wolley, for whom this Atlantic crossing will also be a first. “It will be hard work for everyone but we are also sure it will be great fun and something that all the young men and women will remember for the rest of their lives.”

The cost of taking part in the event is £1400 but all the trainees selected have been asked to fundraise half that amount through a series of activities. So far they have taken part in a London-Brighton bike ride, organised a concert and undertook a 24 hour rowing marathon at Tesco in Southampton. Before Easter they will be doing a round the Isle of Wight bike ride and then over the Easter weekend they will be sailing around the island.

Imelda has to delay taking her final A2 exams until January 2010 because she will miss them over the summer. “But I wasn’t about to give up a once in a lifetime opportunity to take part in the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge because of exams,” commented Imelda, who has been awarded a RAF sixth form scholarship and hopes to pursue a career as an Engineer Officer in the RAF after studying aeronautical engineering at university.

“I’m really looking forward to doing some proper sailing, it’s hard to imagine how awesome it will be to race with a full spinnaker across the Atlantic,” says Imelda. “I know I’ll be very homesick being away from everyone for such a long time but then again I’m already looking forward to ringing home when I arrive in Bermuda. I guess after five week of being together with other girls on Rona II we will become very close, so I expect it will be strange not to have them around every second of the day when I get home!”

The Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge will involve some 50 Tall Ships racing across the Atlantic, including the second largest Tall Ship in the world, Kruzenshtern. The Russian ship is 114.5m long and takes 257 crew members, making her an awesome sight. The competition for the race will be strong, with all the ships vying to be first across the finish line.

“This kind of challenge may not be for everyone but I’m definitely going to be giving my all to try and win. That’s a very important part of the trip for me,” says Imelda. “I will push myself as hard as I can over the course of the race, otherwise there’s no point in taking part. It’s a race after all, not a holiday and I want to win.”

More information on the race and the vessels taking part can be found on www.tallshipsraces.org.

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The Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge is open to anyone from 15 years of age upwards regardless of sailing experience. Trainees can take part in any part of the race and berths are still available on a number of the vessels.

For further information contact Corinne Hitching, Media Manager for Sail Training International.

Tel: 077641 83866

email: Corinne.hitching@sailtraininginternational.org

No Related Posts]]> http://www.pabloavanzini.com/isle-of-wight-teenager-to-take-to-the-high-seas/feed/ 0 http://www.pabloavanzini.com/feeling-rudderless%e2%80%8f/ http://www.pabloavanzini.com/feeling-rudderless%e2%80%8f/#comments Fri, 30 Jan 2009 16:01:23 +0000 Avanzini http://www.pabloavanzini.com/?p=157 Daunting Challenge for Gap Year Student A young student from Portsmouth is making plans to conquer... ]]> STI Press Release
30 January 2009

FEELING ALL AT SEA?
CHANGE YOUR LIFE WITH A TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE

Many of are feeling a bit rudderless at the moment. Uncertainly about your job and life in general is very stressful and knowing so many others are in the same boat, is of little comfort.  Life is never plain sailing but these difficult times are perfect for giving you the heads up to have a hard look at your life and figure out what you really want to be doing. It offers an opportunity to stop and take stock of your life.  Have you been sailing too close to the wind? Drifting? Maybe life at the sharp end has taken its toll and you feel all at sea.

If life has scuppered your chances of success and the wind has been taken out of your sails, then maybe it’s time to push the boat out and challenge yourself to see where your strengths really lie. It may seem like an odd thing to decide to do in times of trouble, but taking part in a Tall Ships Challenge, such as this summer’s race across the Atlantic, is a great way of finding your feet and putting you back on an even keel again.

Sailing on a Tall Ship is well documented to provide life-changing experiences. By putting yourself on a Tall Ship with a group of other people, you are literally all in the same boat. You will be welcomed on board and get to learn the ropes together, find strengths and weaknesses you didn’t know you had, discover the true meaning of team-work, learn when to pipe down and when to speak up, realise when to cut and run and determine how best to weather the storm.

On a Tall Ship you can nail your colours to the mast and work together with the crew to get the best out of your ship. You may occasionally need to batten down the hatches which could have you feeling under the weather, but you will get a square meal every day and even have the chance to sail three sheets to the wind, although this may not be recommended. On watch you may see some ships that pass in the night but the spirit of competition will be alive and well and by and large you will work to the bitter end to make sure your Tall Ship crosses the line before the others.

You will enjoy watching the sun move over the yard arm, you may even meet someone whose cut of their jib you quite like, although don’t go overboard as it’s difficult to give anyone the slip while on board a ship.

When your ship finally comes in, you will find you will have passed the test with flying colours and feel more shipshape than you ever have before. You will feel exhilarated by the experience, stronger and ready to cast yourself off into a new life, buoyed up, knowing that you can cope with life’s challenges and coast along into the future, leaving others in your wake. Sailing on a Tall Ship could well be the lifeline you need.

If you’ve got the bottle, then the ships are ready and waiting.

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Note to Editors:

The Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge is open to anyone from 15 years upwards and no experience of sailing is necessary or even desired. Tall Ships, classic boats and yachts will all be taking part in the event so there are berths available for anyone who has the spirit of adventure and wants to find themselves again.  ‘Trainee’ crew members can chose to do one or more legs of the event. Prices vary depending on the leg and ship.

Host Port dates
Vigo (Spain): 30 April – 3 May Tenerife (Canary Islands): 14 May  - 17 May Bermuda: 12 June  - 15 June Charleston (USA): 25 June  - 29 June Boston (USA): 8 July  - 13 July Halifax (Canada): 16 July – 20 July Belfast (Northern Ireland): 13 August – 16 August

For more information, visit the website: www.tallshipsraces.org . Email: office@tallshipsraces.org, or contact Corinne Hitching, Media & Publications Manager, Sail Training International. Tel: +44 77641 83866, email: Corinne.hitching@sailtraininginternational.org

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The first Tall Ships event this year starts in Vigo, Spain from 30 April to 3 May which is the start port for the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge. This 7,000 mile odyssey around the North Atlantic will see a variety of Tall Ships from Europe, South America and the US competing in an event involving seven ports, five countries and hundreds of crew members.

From Vigo the ships race to Tenerife in the Canaries where they will be from 14 to 17 May. The ships will then race westbound across the Atlantic, arriving in Bermuda to form part of their 400th anniversary, an event that is sure to make history. From 12 to 15 June the Tall Ships can be seen in Hamilton, the capital of Bermuda, before leaving in a spectacular Parade of Sail on 15 June.

A third race will take the Tall Ships to Charleston, South Carolina, USA. There the ships will form part of the Charleston Harbor Fest from 25 to 29 June before departing for another race up the east coast of the USA to Boston, Massachusetts where they will join Sail Boston from 8 to 13 July. A short hop up the coast to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in Canada where the Tall Ships Atlantic Fleet will gather from 16 to 20 July before departing for the second Atlantic crossing eastbound to Belfast, Northern Ireland, where they will have their final festival and prize giving from 13 to 16 August.

For the more adventurous, there is still time to sign up to compete on board one of the ships. No prior experience is necessary so as long as you have the spirit of adventure and a pair of deck shoes and shorts, you can be off to sunny climes. Imagine departing Bermuda on a Tall Ship surrounded by a flotilla of pleasure boats in the turquoise seas and racing to the southern charm of Charleston! Those with more time may like to experience the highs and lows of sailing across the Atlantic on either a square rigged ship or one of the smaller and faster racing yachts that will be taking part.

More information on the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge can be found on www.tallshipsraces.com/atlanticchallenge.

Meanwhile in Europe, The Tall Ships’ Races will once again take place in July and August, this year around the Baltic Sea. Starting in the Polish port of Gdynia from 2 to 5 July, a huge Tall Ship fleet will gather for their annual series of races. From Gdynia the fleet of some 100 ships will race to the beautiful city of St Petersburg in Russia, where they will be berthed in the city centre from 11 to 14 July.

From St Petersburg the fleet will cruise amongst the Finnish archipelago before arriving in Turku, a city surrounded by islands for festivities from 23 to 26 July. The final race will take the fleet south to Klaipeda in Lithuania, a beautifully located city that boasts miles of undiscovered sandy beaches, where the fleet will be alongside from 31 July to 3 August.

Trainee crew members are still being sought by a range of Tall Ships to take part in this event. Further information can be found on www.tallshipsraces.com .

Finally, Delfsail will offer a final chance for Tall Ships viewing as a fleet will gather in Delfzijl in the Netherlands from 22 to 26 August. Further information from www.delfsail.nl.

For further information any of these events, including more images, contact Corinne Hitching, Media Manager for Sail Training International.
Tel: +44 77641 83866,
email: Corinne.hitching@sailtraininginternational.org

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The eighteen year old is currently on work experience in Gloucestershire during her gap year before going to university to study mechanical engineering. Jocelyn has taken part in two Tall Ships’ Races before but realises the Atlantic Challenge will be something quite different.

“It’s not called a challenge for nothing so I’m well aware that it will be a life changing experience,” says Jocelyn. “But I want to take part to prove I can conquer my fears and see how far I can push myself. I realise it may be difficult at times but when I step ashore in Charleston after having sailed some 3,000 miles over two months I know I will have a sense of elation and achievement. This will be made all the more sweet as I have family in Charleston so arriving by ship will give me a great sense of pride.”

Jocelyn believes the experience will also stand her in good stead for her future. “Sailing on a tall ship requires good teamwork and self-determination and I believe this will be great preparation for study,” she says. “Not just because I will be meeting new people and living with them in close quarters, much like university, but because it will help me learn to motivate myself and others and that’s a great thing to learn in life.”

Kaliakra is just one of a dozen or so tall ships that will be racing across the Atlantic, arriving in Bermuda in time to coincide with the Island’s 400^th anniversary. The Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge is to form a key part of the Bermuda celebrations and special first day cover stamps are to be issued, featuring some of the tall ships taking part.

Captain Toma Tomov will be the master of the 52m three masted barquentine Kaliakra for the epic voyage. Captain Tomov has many years experience of sailing the seven seas with his ship, including taking part in a past Atlantic Tall Ships race in 1992 to celebrate the 500^th anniversary of the discovery of America when the ship came third of 143 participants.

“Kaliakra is one of the fastest and best looking tall ships in the world,” says Captain Tomov proudly. “She is owned by the Bulgarian Maritime Training Centre. We always have a wide range of different nationalities on board which creates a wonderful informal and fun atmosphere on board. We fully intend to race to win and so encourage others to come and join us. It will be a wonderful experience I guarantee!”

Jocelyn is hoping to get some sponsorship for her participation. “It is quite expensive to take part but I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she says. “I would like to donate some money to Cancer Research UK but obviously the current economic climate doesn’t smile upon sponsoring people but we’ll see how much I can raise. Thankfully my employers are happy for me to take two months off and then I’ll still have a month or two before starting university.”

The youngster believes her parents are more worried about it than she is. “My mother didn’t even know Bulgaria had a coastline, but I think my father is secretly very jealous of my impending adventure. The longest I’ve ever been without seeing land is six days so to spend a couple of weeks at sea is going to be a whole new experience,” says Jocelyn.

The Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge is being organised by Sail Training International and the full race will go from Vigo in Spain (30 April – 3 May) to Tenerife (14-17 May), across the Atlantic to Bermuda (12-15 June) to Charleston in the USA (25-29 June) to Boston in the USA (8-13 July) to Halifax in Canada (16-20 July) and then back across the Atlantic to Belfast (13-16 August).

Ships from all over the world will be taking part in the event and anyone is invited to get on board and have an adventure of a lifetime. No experience is necessary so if you fancy joining Jocelyn and others visit the website and get planning your own challenge.

www.tallshipsraces.com/atlanticchallenge.

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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.

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Entry Form (PDF file 220kb)

Download Brochure

The Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009 will start in Vigo, Spain from where the fleet will race to Tenerife in the Canary Islands, en route to Bermuda. The fleet will then voyage to Boston, USA for a series of races and cruises-in-company north to Halifax, Canada. From there the fleet will race back across the North Atlantic to Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Vigo, Spain	Thu 30 April – Sun 3 May
Tenerife, Canary Islands	Thu 14 – Sun 17 May
Bermuda	Fri 12 – Mon 15 June
Boston, USA	Wed 8 – Mon 13 July
Halifax, Canada	Thu 16 – Sun 19 July
Belfast, UK	Thu 13 – Sun 16 August

Ports in the USA are currently being finalised for this phase of the event. We are evaluating the possibility of a gathering port in the Channel or Western Approaches and will consult with the fleet in due course.

A Notice of Race is available to download above, with a more detailed event brochure due out towards the end of 2007. The Race Entry Form will be issued during the course of the winter.

For further information please contact the Race Director, Paul Bishop by phone (+44 239258 6367) or email: Paul Bishop

A specific website for the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge, www.tallshipsraces.com/atlanticchallenge, is being developed and will be live in mid November.

Sail Training International

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