For the first time in the history of the capital, this year's Tallinn Maritime Days will bring the magnificent Tall Ships Race fleet, which includes more than 50 sailing ships to Tallinn Bay. The last time a similar scene could be seen near the capital was in 1992, when the Cutty Sark Regatta visited Tallinn. The sailing ships of the 2017 learning regatta will visit the ports of Tallinn for the first time and stop in the capital until July 17 to 18.
According to the head of the Tallinn Culture Department Aini Härm, The Tall Ships Races sailing ships will create a lot of excitement in the capital this year. "It was 25 years ago that so many sailing ships last visited Tallinn," she says. “Although our city is small, we are a sea city with a rich history, and thanks to the fleet of The Tall Ships Races, the Tallinn Maritime Days are able to offer a similar atmosphere that is present in Amsterdam or Kiel on a daily basis, where sailing ships have conquered all ports. The sea parade of the departure of the fleet on July 18, will definitely be a grandiose spectacle”, adds Härm.
The Tall Ships Races 2017 is a learning regatta, where half of the crew of the sailing ships are sea lovers aged 15-25, who do not need to have previous seagoing experience. Professional seafarers are also teachers in this fleet. The Tall Ships Races 2017 learning regatta starts in Halmstad and ends in Szczecin. The learning regatta's sailing fleet visits Tallinn as part of a cruise in company, which means that the fleet does not race, Tallinn is a stopover before the Klaipeda race.
It is due to the Tall Ship Races fleet, that the Tallinn Maritime Days will be held this year for the first time in four days from July 15 to 18 including the Old City Port, the Seaplane Harbor, the Noblessner Harbor, Pirita Marina and Kakumäe Marina.