The Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta was truly the adventure of a lifetime. Sailing in the wake of the great explorers, an international fleet of Tall Ships and Small Ships travelled 10,000 nautical miles across the Atlantic, visiting seven different countries, and taking part in six races.
The event was organised to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation through its founders and founding provinces, which was a unique chance to commemorate the rich history of sailing in Canada and around the world.
Over 60 vessels took part in the international event with over 8,000 crew and trainees in attendance throughout the course of the six races.
Royal Greenwich, UK
Over the 2017 Easter weekend, Royal Greenwich welcomed the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta before the start of the first race to Sines, Portugal – off the coast of Torbay, Devon. Hundreds of thousands of visitors headed to both the Royal Greenwich and Woolwich Tall Ships sites when the international fleet returned to the River Thames in London.
Sines, Portugal
Beautiful Sines was the finish port for the first race leg of Rendez-Vous 2017 – it was also the starting port for the race across the Atlantic to Bermuda. By the end of the four days of festivities, over 100,000 spectators had flocked to see the international fleet!
Bermuda
Bermuda hosted the Tall Ships Races and Regattas for the sixth time in 2017 with the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta. In 2017, Bermuda was also centre stage as the island welcomed the 35th America’s Cup, presented by Louis Vuitton. Tall Ships crews were joined by teams and their fans from the US, UK, New Zealand, Japan, and France, to enjoy an unprecedented period of exceptional sailing.
Boston, USA
Boston was delighted to welcome the Tall Ships fleet back to its waters as part of the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta and hosted over 3 million spectators over the five day festival. This was the first time in 17 years that Boston welcomed so many ships into its harbour. Spectators enjoyed hundreds of family friendly activities all over the city and a glorious Parade of Sail from the 50 vessel strong fleet.
Québec City
Québec City is one of the oldest European settlements in North America, and was the perfect place to host the arrival of the fleet along the Saint Lawrence River. As the first world class Transatlantic Tall Ships Regatta event in Quebéc since 1984, the city and surrounding area came together in an breathtaking celebration.
Halifax, Canada
Halifax welcomed the international Tall Ships fleet as the penultimate port of the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta. Halifax is the largest city in Atlantic Canada, and its marriage of rich maritime history with a modern energy made the perfect welcome for the Tall Ships fleet. Against the backdrop of a bustling commercial harbour, Halifax proved to be a fantastic host to the the grand Tall Ships again.
Le Havre, France
Le Havre was the final port of Rendez-Vous 2017 and it closed the prestigious event in dramatic style. Across the event, hundreds of thousands of spectators flocked to see the Tall Ships, with over 100,000 thousand attending the final day of festivities. During the summer 2017, Le Havre also celebrated its 500th anniversary. This major cultural event saw the city and its harbour infused with artworks in public areas, landscaping, prestigious exhibitions, festive gatherings, gastronomic delights, and more.
The GUEST PORTs PROGRAMMES
The Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta Guest Ports Programme provided an opportunity for the international fleet to sample the hospitality of over 31 different and beautiful Canadian guest ports in the region.
Far away from the high energy of racing and four-day host city festivities, it was a chance for vessels to enjoy a pre-planned 48-hour stop-over, or longer, in order to sample the diversity of maritime heritage and different cultures that each Canadian guest port has to offer.
Crews had the chance to explore the beautiful maritime provinces of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick, as well as the provinces of Québec and Ontario. Plus, take advantage of a programme of events and crew facilities which will be provided in each port.
