On the third day of the The Tall Ships Races 2022, Captains and crews began preparing for Race One from Esbjerg, Denmark, to Harlingen, The Netherlands…
Held in the Esbjerg Performing Arts Centre, the Captain’s Briefing provided details of the race conditions to come. All the information provided will be crucial for the Captains as they plan their race tactics. Race One is due to start at 1600 UTC, approximately seven miles west of Esbjerg. Once at sea, the fleet will race around way points and south to Harlingen, Netherlands.
WEATHER REPORT
As the fleet makes its way across the race start line, the weather conditions will make for a challenging start. Strong winds have led to the decision to provide the fleet with a virtual start gate and, with winds expected to continue through the course, success will be down to the tactical decisions made by the Captains and crews.
Sail Training International Race Director, Paul Bishop, provided an insight into the race start and how the race may go.
“The ships have been busy today preparing for the race start tomorrow. There will be some fairly strong winds, and because of this forecast the Race Committee have made the decision to use a virtual way point start.
“This means there will be no start line vessels and the ships will take their own start line by going through a three-mile-wide start gate and proceed from there. We will be able to track and confirm their start times using the YB satellite trackers and AIS.
“The course is about ten miles to the southwest with a good fresh breeze, then a long leg due west and a final leg around 30 miles south to the finish line around 80 miles north of Harlingen.”
Sail Training International Race Director, Paul Bishop
FOLLOW THE FLEET LIVE WITH YB TRACKING
Once again, you will be able to follow the Tall Ships fleet as they make their way along the race routes thanks to the YB satellite tracking system. You can keep up to date with who is leading each race leg and ensure you miss none of the sailing action.
Each participating ship in the Races is fitted with a YB satellite transponder, a self-contained battery operated tracker which allows tracking of a vessel’s position from anywhere on earth. All vessels taking part in the Races are equipped with one so spectators can follow the fleet – anytime, anywhere – as they sail from Esbjerg (Denmark), to Harlingen (Netherlands), to Antwerp (Belgium), finishing in Aalborg (Denmark).
You can see a wide range of race information including; route mapping, real time vessel positions and their historic tracking, vessel details, replay of vessel tracks over time, leaderboards per division/group and current weather conditions.
You can also download the YB Tracking app for your phone and tablet from the App Store and Google Play Store. You will find all the functionality of the web dashboards accessible on the go.
You can find instructions on how to use the YB Tracking system over on our YB Tracking page.
ABOUT THE TALL SHIPS RACES 2022
The Tall Ships Races 2022 will see the international fleet of Tall Ships and Small Ships return to the North Sea. From 7 July-7 August, we will visit Esbjerg, Harlingen, Antwerp and Aalborg.
The event will mark a welcome return to all four Host Ports who have hosted a total of 16 Tall Ships Races and Regattas so far. The series will see the Tall Ships sailing from Esbjerg, Denmark, south through the North Sea to Harlingen, Netherlands, as part of an exhilarating Race One.
Following this they will enjoy a stunning Cruise-in-Company leg further south to Antwerp, Belgium, enjoying spectacular coastal sailing. Race Two will take the fleet from Antwerp, Belgium, back north through the North Sea to Aalborg, Denmark, for the final celebrations.
Participating in The Tall Ships Races 2022 is a fantastic experience that you can take part in too! There’s zero experience necessary and there are places are available on ships across the fleet on the remaining Cruise-in-Company and Race Two legs. There’s no need to wait – just do it!
Esbjerg, Denmark 7 July – 10 July
RACE 1
Harlingen, Netherlands 14 July – 17 July
CRUISE-IN-COMPANY
Antwerp, Belgium 22 July – 25 July
RACE 2
Aalborg, Denmark 4 August – 7 August