Anchor Port Scheme

• Host Ports benefit from the certainty of hosting future Tall Ships Races events at regular intervals (for example, every four years)
• Host Ports will be assured that the Event will return to their port in their desired years
• Ports who qualify and are successfully selected as an Anchor Port will not be required to submit a full bid each time they host the Event. Instead, they will be required to confirm their commercial commitments such as number of Host Port funded trainees, initiatives to help generate income for ships whilst in port, and to communicate any changes to the Event and berthing area
• Host Ports will be able to to focus on promoting Sail Training to local young people on an ongoing basis, working with National Sail Training Organisations where possible
• Anchor Ports will benefit from being associated with Sail Training International’s charitable values of promoting youth development, international friendship and understanding and the protection of the environment and our oceans
• Anchor Ports will be able to retain a core team dedicated to hosting The Tall Ships Races and ensure continuity across their Events
• The certainty of hosting the Event will allow Host Ports to forge long-term partnership agreements with sponsors
• Running regular Tall Ships Races Events will generate efficiencies in the Event planning, organisation and delivery
• Anchor ports will work in partnership with Sail Training International to market and promote both the Events and our Charitable values on a long-term basis
• Anchor ports will have the opportunity of working closely with Sail Training International to ensure that the Events are as relevant and as successful as possible
• Being an Anchor Port will provide an assured regular boost to the local economy

The basic requirements in order to be considered to be come a Sail Training International Anchor Port are:

• You are prepared to commit to hosting The Tall Ships Races in your port/city on a regular basis at an interval to be agreed by both parties
• You have already successfully hosted a number of Tall Ships Races Events
• You have a proven track record of recruiting and funding local young people to take part in The Tall Ships Races
• You are prepared to commit to funding and sending a number of young people to take part in The Tall Ships Races every year and not only in the year that the Event is hosted by you (the number of young people to be sent each year, will be part of the negotiation during the anchor port selection process)
• You understand the requirement for ships to be able to generate income whilst in port and are committed to working with the fleet to ensure that their needs are met
• You will have a creative approach to finding solutions when working with the fleet in order to ensure that your in-port Event is attractive to them
• You are committed to promoting Sail Training International’s charitable values of Youth Development; International Friendship and Understanding and the Protection of the Environment and our Oceans
• You are committed to supporting Sail Training International by participating in the Annual Conference and taking part in relevant sessions; attend the Host Port Seminar and other events outside of The Tall Ships Races as may be relevant
• You are prepared to help support other host ports who may be new to The Tall Ships Races or may not have hosted a Tall Ships Race in a long time and act as a “Host Port Buddy” as required
• You are committed to promoting sail training as a way of helping the development of young people locally and, where relevant, to working closely with your National Sail Training Organisation to help them achieve their objectives.
• You are committed to helping promote Sail Training International Events to other ports

• There will be a maximum number of Anchor Ports to be selected in any one sea area cycle, ideally two or three ports maximum. This will other ports in the same sea area to bid to host the Event, even if they are not able to do so at such regular intervals
• Ideally, within the Anchor Ports selected per sea area cycle, there should only be one port per country. This will importantly enable us to ensure that The Tall Ships Races continue to be as international as we wish it to be
• Anchor Ports will need to state how they fulfil each of the criteria points, as set out above, in their application
• If you are interested in discussing the terms of the Sail Training International Anchor Port Scheme please contact vanessa.mori@sailtraininginternational.org for further details.