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See also Exhibitions and Art Exhibitions
Wed 10 - Sat 13 Sep.
Falmouth’s association with the sea and ships has been a part of Cornwall’s heritage for centuries, as have the people of the area, many of whom have derived a living from the mercantile trade.
The Packet ships, ocean going clippers and the coastal trading sailing vessels have long ceased their trade, being superseded by their modern equivalent, that still come to Falmouth for many reasons.
So it is not surprising that Falmouth always gives an enthusiastic welcome to these ships of bygone times. The world is fortunate that many of these vessels have been restored and looked after and that they still ply the oceans, albeit in a different capacity, that of sail training.
The organisation that has taken the lead is Sail Training International, who annually host races and Falmouth has been chosen on three occasions in 1966, ‘82 and ‘98 to be the start port for the Tall Ships’ Race.
Some of the Falmouth organising committee, who have been involved with the staging of these events, decided to form an association with the express purpose of inviting and looking after tall ships, whether in a race gathering or individually.
The Falmouth Tall Ships Association, with the enthusiastic support of the people in the region, have been responsible for welcoming many of these sail training vessels and their crews to the port.
The financial risk is considerable and fundraising is a continual process, but the sight of a square-rigged ship, alongside or anchored in Falmouth Harbor, open to the public, their crew given a warm welcome, is a sight that is reward enough for the Association.
Sail Training International will hold a race for sail training Tall Ships to Funchal, Madeira, in September 2008 and assist with arrangements for the Funchal Festival Do Mar to help celebrate the city's 500th anniversary.
Falmouth, in the south west of England, has been selected as the start port for the race.The ships will be open to the public from Wednesday 10th September to Friday 12th September. The start of the race takes place on Saturday 13th September 2008. A Parade of Sail, starting around noon, will lead the ships from the Docks and Carrick Roads out to Falmouth Bay for the start of the Regatta at the end of the afternoon.
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The course is close to the trade route chosen by traditional sailing ships of the past when crossing the North Atlantic, a southerly route to take advantage of the prevailing winds.
Race 1, Falmouth to Ilhavo.
Ilhavo is some 630 nautical miles southwest from Falmouth. With Ushant and Cape Finisterre to negotiate, and the prevailing winds from the west to north west, the first leg of the race may present a number of tactical challenges for the fleet. This will be particularly true for the square rigged ships which cannot sail as close to the wind as those with fore-aft rigs.
Race 2 Ilhavo to Funchal is a further 630 nautical miles south west across open sea, but the tactical challenges to use wind and current to best advantage may just be as critical in determining the end result
“The Regatta fleet will be the focus of a major festival in Funchal celebrating the port's five centuries of maritime heritage,” said Nigel Rowe, President and Chairman of Sail Training International. “We wanted to select other ports for this event that also have very strong but quite different maritime histories and traditions. Falmouth and Ílhavo bring these qualities, along with a firm commitment to sail training and the promise of providing a large number of trainee crew from their communities to sail in the Regatta.”
“The Funchal 500 Tall Ships Regatta will be the centerpiece of year-long celebrations in 2008 commemorating the 500th anniversary of Funchal's founding,” says Miguel Filipe Machado de Albuquerque, Mayor of Funchal. “By 2008 the commercial port in the heart of our city will be transformed into a leisure destination port to attract tourism. Funchal now plans to join the growing international family of 'sail training friendly' ports.”
“Ílhavo, with the Port of Aveiro, has been an important hub of the fishing industry for centuries, but is now a commercial port adjacent to extensive beaches and a rapidly growing centre for tourism in Portugal,” says José Ribau Esteves, Mayor of the Municipality of Ilhavo. “We look forward to welcoming the fleet and to sharing both our maritime heritage and vacation facilities with the participating trainees.”
“Falmouth has played host to the international Tall Ships fleet before and now has a permanent organisation in place to welcome sail training ships,” said Councilor Mike Cox, Chairman of Carrick Council. “Hosting the fleet for the Funchal 500 Tall Ships Regatta will serve to strengthen this activity, as well as the tourism and economic interests of this part of Great Britain. We are delighted with the decision”
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The Fleet
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Name
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Nationality
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Class
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Race 1
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Race 2
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Alexander Von Humbolt
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Germany
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A
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Yes
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Yes
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Astrid
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Netherlands
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A
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Yes
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Yes
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Creoula
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Portugal
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A
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No
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Yes
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Mir
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Russia
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A
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Yes
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Yes
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Pogoria
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Poland
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A
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Yes
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Yes
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Sedov
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Russia
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A
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Yes
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Yes
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Shabab Oman
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Oman
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A
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Yes
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Yes
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Cuauhtemoc
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Mexico
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A
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Yes
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Yes
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Capitan Miranda
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Uruguay
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A
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Yes
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Yes
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Tecla
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Netherlands
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B
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Yes
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Yes
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Far Barcelona
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Spain
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B
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Yes
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No
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Spaniel
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Latvia
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C
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Yes
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Yes
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Viva
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Latvia
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C
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No
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Yes
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Sarie Marais of Plym
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UK
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C
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Yes
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Yes
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Challenger 3
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UK
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D
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Yes
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Yes
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Challenger 4
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UK
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D
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Yes
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Yes
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Endeavour
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UK
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D
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Yes
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Yes
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Kaliakra
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Bulgaria
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D
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Yes
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Yes
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Steppe
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Belgium
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D
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Yes
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No
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