photo: Cisne Branco and Kruzenshtern

With several more months to go before the event starts, it is expected that more Tall Ships will enter this year’s race to once again make an impressive fleet of sail training Tall Ships. The event will start in Antwerp, Belgium from 10-13 July from where the fleet will race to Aalborg, Denmark, 21-24 July. A cruise in company will then take the fleet to Kristiansand, Norway, 29 July-1Aug, from where they will race once again across the North Sea to the port of Hartlepool, UK, where the event will finish with a four day festival from 7-10 August.
The Tall Ships Races are an annual event that bring together a large number of the world’s sail training Tall Ships so that young people can experience the fun and excitement of sailing together in friendly competition. A key rule of the event is that 50 percent of each vessel’s crew must be aged between 15 and 25 years. The sail training experience allows young people to understand the need for teamwork and find strengths they didn’t know they had when faced with the challenge of sailing a Tall Ship. The combination of in-port activities, cultural exchanges, sailing with like-minded young people and friendly competition makes The Tall Ships Races a favourite adventure activity.

Three Other Events
This year the organisers of The Tall Ships Races, Sail Training International, are also holding three other events that start in April and end in August, providing a full summer of sail training activities.

The first race of the year is the Garibaldi Tall Ships Regatta, an event that is being arranged to mark the 150th anniversary of of Giuseppe Garibaldi’s successful expedition from Genoa on the north-west coast of Italy to Trapani on the north-west corner of Sicily in the south. The event will take place between 8-19 April and is sure to offer the participating Tall Ships an interesting and warm welcome to the Mediterranean.

The second event is the Historical Seas Tall Ships Regatta, which will take place between 9 May and 7 June and involve four ports new to hosting Tall Ships events. Each of the ports has its own charm and character that will ensure a new experience for ships and crews alike. The route will take the fleet through the Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara, and the Bosphorus into the Black Sea and back through the Cyclades, visiting ports in Greece and Bulgaria as well as the exotic city of Istanbul.

After The Tall Ships Races in July and early August, the fleet are invited to take part in a final race of the season, the North Sea Tall Ships Regatta. This event will link The Tall Ships Races with Sail Amsterdam. The race will differ from other races run by Sail Training International in that the ships will be offered a number of waypoints around which they can navigate instead of going straight from the start to the finish. The race will be over six days – 11-17 August – and the ship that has covered the greatest distance in the six days, taking into account their time correction factor, will be declared the winner.

All four events will offer anyone with a sense of adventure a fantastic experience and many ships still have places available on each of the events.

Source: Sail Training International

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“Welcoming the Tall Ships fleet and its trainee crew members to Sail Amsterdam will be a great bonus for our event,” says Daan Meijer, Director of Sail Amsterdam. “The ships will add to the spectacle in the harbour for the visiting crowds, and the young crews will add to the colour and atmosphere of the event as well as having the opportunity to enjoy what the festival has to offer,”

“Organising a race for sail training Tall Ships to a major festival like Sail Amsterdam is a new departure for us. We will seek out other opportunities for similar arrangements with festivals that are organised at times that do not conflict with our regular schedule of races and regattas,” says Nigel Rowe, President and Chairman of Sail Training International.

The North Sea Tall Ships Regatta will be fourth event in 2010 organised by Sail Training International. The Garibaldi Tall Ships Regatta in April, from Genoa in northern Italy to Trapani in Sicily, celebrates the 200th anniversary of the unification of Italy. The Historical Seas Tall Ships Regatta, in May and early June, will be the first of what Sail Training International plans to be an annual series in the Mediterranean and adjacent seas. The regatta will start in Volos, Greece, and call at Varna, Bulgaria, and Istanbul, Turkey (European Capital of Culture 2010) before finishing in Lavrion, Greece. The Tall Ships Races, the traditional summer series event that began in 1956, starts in July in Antwerp, Belgium before calling at Aalborg, Denmark and Kristiansand, Norway and finishing in early August in Hartlepool prior to the start of the North Sea Tall Ships Regatta.

Sail Training International

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The start port will be Arhus, Denmark where the fleet will gather and all race formalities will be undertaken. From there the fleet will race to the capital city of Helsinki, Finland and then cruise-in-company to Riga in Lativa and then race once again to Szczecin in Poland. This combination of ports will take the fleet around the Baltic Sea, always a popular venue for the event and likely to attract a large fleet.

Firm dates have yet to be agreed, but it is likely the start from Arhus will be in early July, with the finish in Szczecin in early August.

Christer Samuelsson, for Sail Training International, said: “We are delighted to be visiting four ports that have all hosted the event in the past. In particular it is wonderful to have a capital city amongst those ports and Helsinki, with the Finnish archipelago nearby, will be an excellent port for the start of the cruise in company. As always there were many good ports bidding to host the Race Series in 2013 but these four ports offered the best combination.”

The port of Szczecin in Poland, has just been announced as being the Presenting Sponsor for The Tall Ships Races from 2010-2013. Hosting the event in their final year will be a culmination of their sponsorship and is sure to be a large and popular event.

Dates and more detail on planned arrangements will be announced later.

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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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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.

Ends

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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This voyage will take the ship and her crew over 30,000 blue-water, deep-sea miles circling the globe in fair winds and foul, pleasant trade-winds, calms and squalls. We will follow in the wake of great explorers and voyagers who came before us, sailing throughout the tropics, putting in at remote and storied ports of call. This voyage is expected to be the last world voyage of the Picton Castle under my command.

Captain Daniel D. Moreland

Dakar, Senegal

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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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During your stay it will be a very entertaining and cultural program.
We believe that we may offer you as a Journalist and/or Photographer many exciting and profitable experiences.

Måløy, which is situated in the Municipality of Vågsøy, in the County of Sogn and Fjordane, is a lively maritime town with fantastic and manifoldly nature.
This nature has given Måløy a perfect emplacement.
It is a great starting point for sportsfishing, diving, birdwatching and hiking.
You may also experience the known places of Maritime Culture in Vågsøy; such as the dignified lighthouses, the tradingplace Vågsberget, Seahouses in Torskangerpollen, and the barrel factory among others.

We wish that you as our guest should get the most out of the days that you wish to stay in Måløy and we are happy to present to you our press centre with all facilities, strategically placed in the centre of Måløy.

Regarding overnight stay we may offer you among others; sea houses, hotel ships, hotels and camping cabins.

There are few places where the landscape is more diversified and where the adventures
are as manifoldly as here in Nordfjord. We may offer you fantastic adventures such as hiking on glaciers, summer skiing or white beaches and surfing. If you would like to experience any of these attractions we recommend you to do that in connection to The Tall Ships’ Races.
We may assist you with information about guides and tour operators.

About The Tall Ships’ Races 2008
In 2008 the following cities are elected as mainports for The Tall Ships Races:
Liverpool, Måløy, Bergen, Den Helder.

The sailing will start in Liverpool with the first sailing competition north of Shetland, over the North Sea and in to Måløy. Here the boats will be staying for 4 days, some of the faster ships will probably arrive some days earlier. From Måløy the fleet will continue on a “Cruise in Company” – which is a cordial sailing where the ships sail together and choose the ports they would like to visit along the way. On the distance Måløy – Bergen the ships can experience the fantastic Norwegians fjords, which are on the list of UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage.

The Tall Ships’ Races are an annual international regatta that normally goes between four host ports. The event has been held in Europe since 1956. Around 70-100 ships take part, with the participants coming from many different countries and continents

The event is organised by Sail Training International (STI), which is a charitable organisation. It aims to teach young people from different cultures, religions and social backgrounds how to sail, in order to foster cultural exchange and friendship. The young people have to learn to cooperate under basic and strenuous conditions, whilst extending their personal horizons.

Each year there are two competitive races and one Cruise-in-Company, which involves the ships sailing together and visiting ports along the way. In 2008 the Cruise-in-Company will go between Bergen and Måløy, whilst the races will take place on the stretches Liverpool-Måløy and Bergen-Den Helder.

During the races the young people get a taste of what it is like to sail in an international environment of likeminded people, whilst also having to overcome the physical and psychological challenges posed by the sea.

The Tall Ships’ Races are much more than a regatta where the aim is to cross the finish line first. Teamwork, friendship and understanding are equally important, and these qualities are also rewarded. For example, there is an: “International friendship and understanding prize”.

The host ports are responsible for looking after the crews while the ships are docked, and for putting on an exciting programme of activities and entertainment for all of the participants and spectators.

This is the provisional programme for the days that the Tall Ships’ Races 2008 will visit Måløy. FRIDAY 1 AUGUST
- Parade for the final boats to arrive
- Ships and crews welcomed
- Opening parade
- Opening ceremony
- Street party in Måløy
- Cultural events
- Activities for spectators in the harbour area
- Ship party
- Marquees
- Crew activities
- Crew parade (17:00-18:00)
- Prize giving ceremony (18:00-19:00)
- Crew party (20:00-24:00)

SATURDAY 2 AUGUST
- Street party in Måløy
- Cultural events
- Activities for spectators in the harbour area
- Ship party
- Marquees
- Crew activities
- Captains’ Dinner

SUNDAY 3 AUGUST
- Street party in Måløy
- Cultural events
- Activities for spectators in the harbour area
- Ship party
- Marquees
- Crew activities
- Captains’ Briefing (11:00)
- Officers’ Party
- Closing ceremony

MONDAY 4 AUGUST
- Street party in Måløy
- Cultural events
- Activities for spectators in the harbour area
- Undocking / preparations for departure (11:00-13:00)
- Parade of Sail
- Farewell (Måløy/ both sides of Ulvesundet)

You may become accredited for the event in Måløy by logging on to our websites: http://www.tallshipsraces.no , under “Press”.

With Kind Regards

The media committee in The Tall Ships’ Races Måløy 2008

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Press offices will be set up in all the ports, close to the ships, where you will be able to collect your press accreditation. We recommend you register for accreditation in advance and details of how to do so, for each of the ports, is listed below:

Liverpool
Visit the Liverpool08 website to complete the online accreditation form: www.liverpool08.com/media/contacts.asp. Please note there are separate forms for access to the docks and on the river for the Parade of Sail.

Race Start
The race start on 23 July will take place off the north coast of Northern Ireland (55° 16′ N 006° 48′W). Media boats will be going out from Port Rush, departing at 12noon on Wednesday 23 July. If you would like to go out to the race start area please complete the attached registration form and return to corinne.hitching@sailtraininginternational.org.

Måløy
Visit their website and complete the online accreditation form:
http://www.tallshipsrace.no/
See also attached invite from Måløy.

Bergen
Visit their website and complete the online accreditation form:
http://www.tallshipsracesbergen.no/

Den Helder
Journalists and photographers wishing to gain accreditation should send their requests to Folke Luteijn on: pr@thetallshipsraces2008denhelder.nl.

If you have any other questions, please do ask! Visit the website: www.tallshipsraces.com

Kind regards
Corinne

Media & Publications Manager
Sail Training International
Office Tel: +44 23 9258 6367
Office Fax: +44 23 9258 4661
Direct Tel: +44 1730 810437
Mob: +44 77641 83866

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