All ships taking part in the North Sea Tall Ships Regatta 2016 have now crossed the finish line and Gothenburg – the finishing port of the North Sea Tall Ships Regatta 2016 – is ready and waiting to welcome them and the crews.
It’s been a successful and sometimes challenging voyage across the North Sea, with the entire fleet travelling over 600 nautical miles in excellent time. We’re expecting 18 vessels (representing 10 different flag states) to arrive in Gothenburg by Saturday (3 September). A great weekend of celebrations, events and fun are promised in the beautiful second city of Sweden, with around 660 crew members and trainees arriving to join in with the festivities.
The early arrivals have already enjoyed a warm and hospitable Scandinavian welcome ahead of schedule, following fair winds and favourable conditions during the race from Blyth, UK. The rest of the fleet is due to arrive later today (Friday 2 September) and tomorrow (Saturday 3 September), in time for the midday Saturday deadline.
“It has been an interesting race with favourable winds the whole way. This has enabled all ships to finish ahead of the latest finish time which was to be 2300 tonight. Although the winds were from a good direction throughout the race, the seas have been challenging; particularly so in the approaches to the Skaggerak with wave heights up to 2.5 metres and quite disturbed seas.”
Mike Bowles, Race Director, Sail Training International.
Provisional Race Results
Class A
- Shtandart (Russia)
- Christian Radich (Norway)
- Oosterschelde (The Netherlands)
Class B
- Vega Gamleby(Sweden)
- Maybe (UK)
- Brabander (Lithuania)
Class C and D
- Black Diamond of Durham(UK)
- Urania (The Netherlands)
- Challenger 3 (UK)
Full provisional race results have been published and can be seen here.
Exact final race placings are all subject to confirmation. We’ll publish the final results once the STI Race Committee has checked written race declaration forms.
Welcome to Gothenburg
There’s an air of excitement and anticipation in cultured and creative Gothenburg, as the ships, crew members, trainees, and spectators get ready for the event to kick off at 10:00 tomorrow (Saturday 4 September). This is only the second time that the North Sea Tall Ships Regatta has been held in six years… and we’re continuing to celebrate the Diamond Anniversary of the first Tall Ships Race, with original participants Maybe (UK) and Christian Radich (Norway) in the fleet.
What Crews Can Expect
Over the next few days (Saturday 3 September to Monday 5 September), crew members will take part in a variety of sporting and cultural activities, in and around Gothenburg. The stakes are high, as there will be prizes awarded for some of these games and competitions at the Prize-Giving Ceremony (Sunday 4 September).
The city has also granted crew members and trainees special access to Liseberg (Scandanavia’s largest amusement park), Paddan Sightseeing river tours, an outdoor swimming pool and sauna at Jubilee Park, Rosenhill Seaman’s Centre Gym, Gothenburg museums, the Garden Society of Gothenburg, and the Volvo Museum.
Crew activities include:
- Saturday 3 September, 17:00, Main Stage: Crew Stage Challenge
- Sunday 4 September, 10:00, Rosenhill Seaman’s Centre: Football Tournament
- Sunday 4 September, 10:00, Sjumilahallen, Friskväderstorget 13: Basketball Tournament
- Sunday 4 September, 10:00, Action Hall Hisingen: Action Hall Hisingen (BMXs, skateboards, kick bikes)
- Sunday 4 September, 12:00, Frihamnen Pier: Rowing Competition Against Navy Professionals
- Monday 5 September, 12:00: Boat Trip to Älvsborgs Fort
- Monday, 5 September, 14:00, Odinsgatan 8: Star Bowling
You can check out the full programme of activities and events at www.tallshipsgothenburg2016.com/en/programme-2/.
About Gothenburg
Gothenburg (also known in Swedish as Göteborg, pronounced “yer-te-bore-eh”) is situated on the west coast of Sweden, nestled within the Kattegat body of water. It’s the country’s second-largest city, and is often considered more chilled-out, easy going and cutting edge than the capital, Stockholm.
This engaging city boasts a reputation for producing noteworthy musicians (such as José González). You can also expect daring architecture, neoclassical and modern art, stunning 17th-century canals, boutique shops, and a thriving café culture at every turn.
Gothenburg has garnered a well-earned reputation for its highly proactive environmental work (more on this later), and it prides itself on its vision for sustainability. The city has high ambitions for all three areas of sustainability (economical, ecological and social).
The city boasts a long history of hosting some of the biggest and most successful events in Sweden – including the Volvo Ocean Race (which will visit again in 2017-18). Gothenburg has a strong and longstanding relationship with the Tall Ships Races and Regattas – it’ll welcome the international fleet for the fifth time since 1968 (past events include 1968, 1978, 1986, and 1997), as part of this Diamond Anniversary event.
You can find out more about Gothenburg on our port page, and about the North Sea Tall Ships Regatta 2016 on our event page. Don’t forget to check out our blog for the latest from the event.
You can also check out our latest photos on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Photo: Welcoming the fleet to Gothenburg.
