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Bergen Crew Parade, Tall Ships Races 2014

What is a Host Port?

Host ports are integral to the success of any Tall Ships event. Sail Training International organises races and events for sail training Tall Ships in many parts of the world and while these events may celebrate an anniversary or other event, the core reason for them remains the education of young people through the sail training experience.

The biggest single event we organise is the summer series in European waters for young people, The Tall Ships Races. The Tall Ships Races are planned four years in advance with the route carefully selected to enable visits to different sea areas around Europe, from the Baltic to the Mediterranean. Other Regattas are organised in close coordination with the ports involved.

Once Sail Training International has selected the sea area all the relevant ports in that region are invited to bid to be a host port. There are many economic, social and community-oriented reasons why a port may bid to become a Host Port for The Tall Ships Races.

Traditionally, huge crowds (from many hundreds of thousands to well over a million) visit a port during the four days of the event, bringing welcome income to the port, city and local businesses, plenty of national and international media attention, and a range of opportunities for community involvement and enjoyment.

Contracted Host Ports are invited to log into their own area of this website for additional resources including current branding guidelines, manuals and economic impact reports.

List of ports that have hosted the races from 1956 to the current year.

List of Tall Ships entries by year.

Visitor figures from recent years:

 

 Year

Port 

Visitor Numbers

 2003 Gdynia, Poland 1,000,000
Turku, Finland 800,000
Riga, Latvia 500,000
Lubeck, Germany 1,200,000
 2004 Antwerp, Belgium 1,200,000
Aalborg, Denmark 600,000
Stavanger, Norway 800,000
Cuxhaven, Germany 1,000,000
 2005 Waterford, Ireland 450,000
Cherbourg, France 500,000
Newcastle, UK 1,500,000
Fredrikstad, Norway 550,000
 2006 Saint Malo, France 500,000
Lisbon, Portugal 500,000
Cadiz, Spain 1,250,000
A Coruna,  Spain 750,000
Antwerp, Belgium 750,000
 2007 Arhus, Denmark 600,000
Kotka, Finland 300,000
Stockholm, Sweden 1,100,000
Szczecin, Poland 2,000,000
Alicante, Spain 300,000
Barcelona, Spain 425,000
Toulon, France 1,000,000
Genoa, Italy 450,000
 2008 Liverpool, UK 1,000,000
Maloy, Norway 40,000
Bergen, Norway 500,000
Den Helder, Netherlands 500,000
 2009 Gdynia, Poland 2,500,000
St Petersburg, Russia 1,000,000
Turku, Finland 530,000
Klaipeda, Lithuania 1,350,000
Vigo, Spain 400,000
Tenerife, Spain 10,000
Hamilton, Bermuda 65,000
Charleston, USA 50,000
Boston, USA 3,100,000
Halifax, Canada 750,000
Belfast, UK 800,000

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