50 ships confirmed to set sail for Hartlepool
Tall ships bosses are delighted to announce yet another milestone in the lead up to this year's spectacular maritime event. 50 of the world's most impressive vessels have now signed up to The Tall Ships Races 2010.
The latest vessel to confirm is the Aglaia, a Class B ship from Austria. It is a distinctive 50 foot red sailed vessel built in 1998 which is berthed in Vienna's port. It joins the stunning Class A Mir from Russia which has also recently registered for the race. 17 of the registered vessels are the impressive Class A ships, providing a rare opportunity for visitors to see these magnificent vessels at close quarters.
A further three vessels will also be in Hartlepool for the Tall Ships spectacle before taking part in the North Sea Regatta, bringing the total number of ships so far to 53.
Hartlepool will be centre stage when it welcomes up to one million visitors for the finale of the prestigious sailing event. The ships are expected to arrive in Hartlepool on Saturday 7 August after sailing from Kristiansand in Norway in the second and final race. They will stay until Tuesday 10 August when they will bid a grand farewell in an impressive Parade of Sail.
Michelle Daurat, Tall Ships Project Manager with Hartlepool Council, said: "It's fantastic to reach such a milestone when we still have seven months to go. It is such an achievement for everyone involved to see that people from all over Europe want to visit our town."
"We have been told by Sail Training International, the organisation behind The Tall Ships Races, that this is an impressive number of vessels since some previous Tall Ships events didn't have such a successful take up by this stage," she added.
Hartlepool Borough Council has teamed up with PD Ports and Hartlepool Marina to organise the event.
The large Class A and B vessels will be berthed in Victoria Harbour at PD Ports, with the smaller ships berthed in Hartlepool marina. To keep up to date with the list of registered ships visit www.hartlepooltallships2010.com.
For further information about the event or tall ships generally, contact the Hartlepool Tall Ships Office on 01429 284278 or e-mail tallships@hartlepool.gov.uk.
