A busy start to the festival

An estimated 37000 people visited the quaysides yesterday evening to look at the ships and to listen to the bands playing on the various stages around the port, and also onboard some of the ships themselves.  On Dewaruci (Indonesia) visitors were invited to join the crew who were line dancing on the deck to music played by their own talented musicians while the drummers from Shabab Oman (Oman) had people dancing on the quayside.  

A press conference took place on board Brita Leth where the Mayor of Aalborg, Henning G Jensen, welcomed everyone and said how delighted the people of Aalborg are to have the fleet here, and how hard everyone had been working to make things as good as possible for the crews.  

Race chairman Christer Samuelsson thanked Aalborg for such a wonderful welcome and said that over 80 ships from 18 flag states are here in Aalborg carrying 2600 trainees of 34 nationalities.     

More ships arrived throughout the evening, including Tenacious (UK), Wyvern av Aalesund (Norway) and Rona II (UK) amongst others.

Pic:  Race Director Paul Bishop, Chairman of the Steering Committee Anni G Walther, Race Chairman Christer Samuelsson and Mayor of Aalborg Hanning G Jensen at the press conference.

To view the current (provisional) placings of the race, click here.

All results remain provisional until declaration forms have been submitted and reviewed by the race committee in Aalborg.

To see more images from The Tall Ships Races, click here.

The Tall Ships Races, presented by Szczecin and organised by Sail Training International.