Atlantic Challenge Tall Ships Festival 2009

Posted by admin

May 1, 2009

This summer’s Atlantic Challenge Tall Ships Festival will begin on May 2nd.

The ships will cross the North Atlantic twice, over 4 months, and cover a total of 7,000+ nautical miles, following 500 year-old trade routes.

On their initial journey they will benefit from the reliable, westward trade winds. With peaks to 13 meters per second (30 miles per hour) they’ll provide for spectacular racing conditions.

The vessels will congregate in Spain’s busiest fishing port, Vigo , between April 30 - May 3 for the start of the first leg of the race. On May 3rd they will begin a 900 nautical mile journey south-south-west to Tenerife , the Capital of the Canary Islands archipelago.

After four days (14 - 17 May) the armada’s off to the 21sq. mile island of Bermuda - 2,600 nautical miles to the west. They’ll begin sailing into town on June 1st and will be the centerpiece of the island’s 400th Anniversary of permanent settlement.

Beginning on June 15th, the fleet will slowly disappear over the western horizon, towards Charleston , SC. The ships will remain in port for six days (June 26th - 28th) before parading northward to the largest city in New England, Boston , Mass.

Boston previously hosted the tall ships in 1992 and 2000 and has history on every corner. It is where the American Revolution began and is also the site of the Boston Tea Party, the Battle of Bunker Hill and Paul Revere’s house. The festival will continue here for seven days from July 7th-13, it will include public cruises, the Salute Ball and of course the Parade of Sail .

Then it’s 370 miles north-north-east to Halifax , NS (July 16th - 20th) where celebrations include the 250th anniversary of this Canadian Naval Port and its rich seafaring traditions. Having hosted the tall ships four times in just over two decades, Nova Scotia is no stranger to the hundreds of thousands of people who come to witness these amazing festivals. More than 600,000 visited Halifax for the 2007 event.

The final race leg, starting on Monday July 20th, is 2,350 nautical miles eastbound across the mighty North Atlantic to the final port of Belfast , Northern Ireland (13 - 16 August). During this crossing the vessels will take advantage of the prevailing westerlies (predictably winds from the west to the east).

Belfast will play host to the tall ships Grand Finale Celebrations .

12 ‘Class A’ vessels - the largest class of all the Tall Ships - will provide a magnificent backdrop to four days and nights of nautical nirvana!

Brian McNeil