When you think of the Tall Ship Races you may think of majestic ships and their young trainees, but the tall ship community extends far wider than that…
The professional port and Sail Training International teams, the hundreds of volunteers that enable the port events to take place, the emergency services, local traders, media and sponsors are just a few of the groups that come together to produce the port spectacle that many thousands of visitors can enjoy.
Community is definitely at the heart of Hartlepool’s mission, and one of those projects included reaching out to schools to involve young children. This innovative initiative began with all primary schools in Hartlepool being contacted and asked to get involved with the Education Plan with regards to the Tall Ships event. All 32 Hartlepool Primary Schools engaged in the programme.
‘Adopt a ship’
Each school ‘adopted’ a ship in the fleet and liaised regularly with them. They communicated with crews and captains and arranged to visit the vessel whilst here in Hartlepool. (Indeed, many ‘snakes’ of excited young children could be seen being led around the site by the teachers during the first two days of the event).
The project linked into the school curriculum, with the children learning about ‘their’ ship; it’s home country, their language, their food and other cultural elements.
The children made bunting, some of which can be seen here around the port, and a replica ship to test its buoyancy.
Bringing the children together, an event in the park was held where 22 schools participated. This was supported by Seascapes, Tees River Trust and the Fire Brigade. The young people learned about good beach/bad beach, talked about water safety, environmental issues and then had the opportunity to sail the replica ship they had created.
All in all, it was a fabulous way to engage with the local community making them feel part of the event, inspiring the young ones and, importantly, making learning fun! Who knows, may be some of them will one day sail on their ‘adopted’ vessel.
About The Tall Ships Races 2023
The Tall Ships Races 2023 will see the international fleet of Tall Ships and Small Ships return to Den Helder, Hartlepool, Fredrikstad, Lerwick and Arendal from 29 June to 6 August.
With four of the five Host Ports having already hosted the stunning Tall Ships fleet, we are excited to return to old friends and visit new frontiers for some exhilarating sailing, stunning cruises and celebrations across Northwest Europe.
As with every edition of The Tall Ships Races, the series will offer a range of sailing experiences for trainees and crews. The Race Committee will look at waypoint options to provide shorter and longer races for the fleet that will require a mixture of tactical skill and exhilarating speed to conquer.