Tall Ships: History

Sail Training International (STI)

Over 50 years ago, a small group of Tall Ships enthusiasts, the Sail Training International Race Committee, introduced their plans for an event to celebrate sail training.

Several hundred trainees, on board 20 sail training ships from ten countries, took part in the first event in July 1956.

Departing from Torbay on the south coast of England, the fleet raced to Lisbon, Portugal.

Annual Events

Races and other events now take place annually throughout the World. The majority of these are either organised or endorsed by Sail Training International and its many members.

These include the sail training organisations from Australia, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, UK and US.

STI organise an annual summer series of Tall Ship Races for young people in European waters. This usually involves between 70 and 100 vessels from 20 or more countries, crewed by around 4,000 young people from over 30 countries worldwide.

The event combines four days of activities in each port with racing or cruising-in-company between ports. During the race series, the young crews get the chance to gain experience by sailing with people from other countries.

Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge in 2009

Besides their annual race, STI also occasionally organises other events such as the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge - the next of which will be held in 2009.

The Tall Ships last came to Belfast in 1991 when they berthed at Pollock Dock and were visited by 250,000 people. In August 2009 Belfast has been chosen to be the finish port for the Atlantic Challenge.

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 race to Charlestown on the east coast of the USA before proceeding to New York or Boston to Halifax, Canada. From there the fleet will race back across the North Atlantic to the finish in Belfast.

The purpose of the race is sail training for young people from all over the world, giving them the wonderful, unforgettable experience of sailing these magnificent ships and fostering friendship and understanding between different nationalities and backgrounds.