The international fleet is arriving in the second port of the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta… beautiful Sines, Portugal. Crew members and trainees have received an exceptionally warm welcome, ahead of the official event opening tomorrow (Friday 28 April).
This incredible Transatlantic event started in Royal Greenwich over Easter weekend, with huge crowds flocking to the Greenwich and Woolwich sites to check out the impressive Tall Ships first hand. After leaving Royal Greenwich, the fleet set sail along the English Channel toward Torbay, where the official race start took place on Wednesday 19 April.
Sunny Sines is proud to call itself the finish port for Race 1 of the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta… and the starting port for the awe-inspiring first Transatlantic leg across to Bermuda (featuring a 48-hour stop-over in Las Palmas en route).
“We’re here in Sines and the final ships are arriving after an epic race across the Bay of Biscay and down the Portuguese coast. Rona II had a fantastic result, only 17 minutes ahead of Peter von Danzig, after 1,000 miles of very close racing between the two of them. Jolie Brise, at the moment, is set to win on Corrected Time (CT). The Race Committee are now looking at the race declaration forms and confirming things and are hoping to publish the final race results tomorrow.”
Paul Bishop, Race Director.
Welcome to Sines
Sines is buzzing with activity, with final preparations underway ahead of the event opening to the public at 10:00 tomorrow (Friday 28 April). The three event areas are: Porto Vasco da Gama, Baía dos Piratas (Pirate Bay), and Ilha das Descobertas (Land of Discoveries). You can expect a fantastic selection of street food stalls, market places, fairground attractions, a sports area, and several stages.
In Sines, festivities will take place from Friday 28 April to Monday 1 May, with a truly enjoyable weekend of fun planned for the trainees, crew members and public. In particular, crew members can expect organised sports competitions, daily concerts and DJs, a trip to a nature safari park, and free entry to a local disco.
About Sines
Sines is a municipality located on the south-west coast of Portugal and is known as the “land of discoveries.” It’s proud to call itself the birthplace of the navigator Vasco da Gama, who discovered the Maritime Way to India. Until the 1970s, it was a small fishing village, and it retains this close-knit community charm. The town is located in one of the most preserved regions of the European coast and sits on a cliff overlooking a picturesque sandy bay.
News From Behind the Sails
We love to hear stories from the trainees and crews that take part in the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta. Today, Spaniel (Latvia) sent us this fantastic blog:
“Latvian yacht Spaniel has successfully arrived in Sines to take part in the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta. The crew was kindly greeted by Race Director, Paul Bishop and Race Chairman, Ross MacDonald.
“Spaniel has its own special project, and meeting Paul and Ross was a good chance for us to tell it.
“We are not participating in the Regatta only to greet Canada on their 150th anniversary, but also to tell a story of our country – Latvia – which is celebrating its own 100th statehood anniversary in 2018. For this reason, Spaniel‘s crew has designed its own uniforms, main sail cover, banner, and paintings on the sides of the boat with ancient Latvian symbols – each with their own special meanings and protection. Because we all know that sailors are superstitious!
“As well as racing, the Spaniel crew is eager to meet the visitors of the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta in every port and hopefully meet some local Latvians to tell our story to. We want everyone to visit our homeport of Riga and Latvia next year for the big celebration.
“Latvian ex-president Vaira Vike-Freiberga, who has spent most of her life in Canada and is awarded with the highest award of Québec – national order of Québec – has agreed to be a patroness of our voyage and is sending a special greeting to the mayor of Québec.”
About the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta
The Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta is truly the adventure of a lifetime. You could be sailing in the wake of the great explorers, travelling 10,000 nautical miles, visiting seven different countries (UK, Portugal, Canary Islands, Bermuda, USA, Canada, and France), taking part in seven races… and cruising to more than 30 beautiful Canadian guest ports. What are you waiting for?
Follow the Fleet
Watch the action as it happens and follow the fleet’s progress using YB Satellite Tracking.
What’s Next?
Want to get involved with the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta? There are still berths available – secure your place today! Check out our event page for more information. You can book your place directly with a participating vessel, or if you’d like help simply email our friendly team on enquiries@sailonboard.com who can make recommendations, answer questions and process your booking for you.
Photo: Paul Bishop and Ross MacDonald greeting the crew of Spaniel (featured image and banner image).