Sail Training International Marks 70 Years with Quayside Drinks Reception
Guests gathered for the milestone event aboard the deck of Norwegian Tall Ship’ Sørlandet in Stavanger on Friday evening.
More than 200 guests from all over the world – trustees, directors and employees past and present, alongside captains, host ports and volunteers came together to celebrate 70 years of The Tall Ships Races.
The celebration was held aboard Sørlandet, the world’s oldest fully rigged ship still in active service. Moored alongside the quay, with the rest of The Tall Ships fleet providing a spectacular backdrop, she offered the perfect setting for the occasion.
The choice of venue was especially fitting. Sørlandet was one of the twenty ships that took part in the inaugural Tall Ships Race in July 1956, sailing from Torbay to Lisbon and helping to launch what would become a life-changing international event spanning seven decades.
Guests received a warm welcome aboard as the evening united the people who have made 70 years of The Tall Ships Races possible. Friends reconnected, stories were shared, memories revisited, and together they celebrated the lasting impact the races have had in changing lives over the past seven decades.
James George, Chairman at Sail Training International addressed attendees and reflected on this milestone:
“Sail training is one of those rare things that is both timeless and urgently modern. Timeless, because the sea still teaches the same enduring lessons: teamwork, humility, responsibility, and care for one another. Modern, because the world our young people are growing up in is changing fast, and real, hands-on adventure is getting rarer, not more common.
Our mission has not changed in all that time: the development and education of young people through the sail training experience, regardless of nationality, culture, religion, gender or social background. No experience necessary, and never has been. We take young people, most of whom have never set foot on a boat, from countries that do not always agree with one another, and we make them responsible for each other in conditions that care nothing for their passport or their politics.
All future success is built on the foundations of the past. None of us owns this mission; we are simply its custodians for a while, trying to hand it on in better shape than we found it. That is what a seventieth anniversary actually asks of us: not to preserve what we were, but to be worthy of what we could still be.”
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us, and a special thank you to the captain and crew of Sørlandet for hosting us in such a spectacular venue. The setting was not only breathtaking but deeply symbolic, making the evening all the more memorable.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thank you to everyone who helps to make this event happen:
– To our host ports, who open their cities, their harbours and their crowds to us, and turn a race into Europe’s largest free family festival: thank you.
– To the National Sail Training Organisations, and every sail training organisation around the world that sails alongside us: you are the movement. Thank you.
– To the vessel operators, who keep these extraordinary ships afloat, insured, certified and ready, which is neither cheap nor simple: thank you.
– To the captains, who carry the weight of every soul on board: thank you.
– To the volunteers, in ports, on quaysides, in offices and on the water, the quiet force that makes all of this possible: thank you.
– To the staff, past and present, for the planning, the delivery, and the constant care that keeps standards high and experiences safe: thank you.
– To the trustees and directors, past and present, who have held this organisation to account across seven decades: thank you.
– To our Youth Council, the voice of young people in this organisation, who keep us honest and keep us relevant: thank you.
And to the Race Operations Committee, who turn ambition into a start line that actually works: thank you.
Here’s to another 70 years of The Tall Ships Races!!!
During the reception, we premiered our official 70th Anniversary Film, celebrating seven decades of The Tall Ships Races, capturing the defining moments, remarkable people, and unforgettable memories that have shaped our events throughout the years.
Now, we’re delighted to share it with the rest of the world… enjoy!
