It was a very busy day for our trainees today, beginning with sports, then preparing for and taking part in the Crew Parade through Mariehamn and the day will end with a ‘rocking’ Crew Party within the confines of the Rockoff Festival, an annual Mariehamn event which this year has been taking place alongside the Tall Ships Races festival featuring live bands every night.
With international friendship at the heart of The Tall Ships Races, the sports programme in each port offers a great opportunity to meet other trainees as well as competing against each other in the various competitions. Here, as well as the always popular beach volleyball, options included water polo, archery tag, orienteering and a pentathlon and were played out in the very attractive grounds and adjoining beach of the Mariebad swimming pool, built over the Slemmern bay. It was as much a beach party as a sports competition.
Later in the afternoon the crew from each ship mustered for a crew parade, resulting in a colourful and noisy parade that snaked its way through the town streets, pavements lined with delighted and amazed onlookers. The parade ended when everyone had reached the prize giving stage in the RockOff Festival area. The party didn’t stop there though as a DJ was ready on the stage to keep them dancing.
Awards were awarded as follows:
3rd place Beach volleyball
Guayas (Ecuador)
2nd place Beach volleyball
Pogoria (Poland)
1st place Beach volleyball
Iskra Orp (Poland)
Well kept & handled traditional working ship
Excelsior (UK)
Most friendly vessel during cruise in company
Albanus (Finland) and Dar Mlodziezy (Poland)
Vessel furthest from home
Guayas (Ecuador)
Oldest vessel in the fleet
Christiana (Norway) – built in 1895
Youngest Crew (average age on Cruise in Company)
Belfer (Poland) average of 19 years
Youngest Captain
Julia Hein on Bies (Poland)
Most international crew (on Cruise in Company)
Johann Smidt (11 different nationalities)
Best crew parade – runner up
Excelsior (UK)
Best crew parade
Fryderyk Chopin (Poland)
Outstanding contribution in Cruise in Company
Albanus (Finland)
After a short break, those dancing shoes will be back on again for the Crew Party this evening back at the RockOff Festival.
Back to racing matters, earlier in the day, the Race Committee announced that for weather and safety reasons the race start for Race 3 of The Tall Ships Race 2024 from Mariehamn to Szczecin – which had been scheduled for Saturday – will now be a virtual start. This is a remote start procedure whereby ships cross a virtual line between two sets of provided coordinates during a set time limit and report their own start time to the race communications officers who will be on board Dar Mlodziezy. Details of the coordinates and timings will be given to the Captains at the pre-arranged Captains Briefing on Friday.
About The Tall Ships Races 2024
The Tall Ships Races 2024 began on Thursday 27 June and continues through until Monday 5 August, with three exhilarating races and two scenic Cruise-in-Company legs. With Host Ports from five countries – Lithuania, Finland, Estonia, the Åland Islands and Poland – The Tall Ships Races 2024 will take in all the Baltic region has to offer.
The event takes the majestic Tall Ships fleet back to the Baltic Sea for the first time since 2017. During our last visit, over four million visitors came to see the Tall Ships, and we’re sure that 2024 will be just as spectacular.
