The Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta is just around the corner – less than 40 days away! But don’t worry, it’s not too late for you to get involved. There are still some trainee places available – don’t miss your chance to take part in the adventure of a lifetime. If you still need convincing, check out what last year’s trainees told us about their incredible experiences.
In this blog series, we’ve covered Race 1, between Royal Greenwich, UK and Sines, Portugal. We’ve looked at Race 2, from Sines to Bermuda, BOT. And we’ve covered Race 3, between Bermuda and Boston, USA. There are spaces still available on each of these race legs – why not book your place today?
This week, let’s take a more in depth look at Sines, Portugal.
About Sines
Sines is the second port of the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta, and festivities will begin in this beautiful city on 29 April 2017. The impressive international Tall Ships fleet will be fresh from the exhilarating first race leg from Royal Greenwich, UK. From Sines, the fleet will embark on an incredible voyage – the event’s first Transatlantic race leg to Bermuda.
Sines is a municipality in the centre of the south-west coast of Portugal, and it’s the country’s largest port area. It’s known as the “land of discoveries” and is the historical birthplace of the famous navigator Vasco da Gama. Get ready for stunning Blue Flag beaches, sand dunes, streams, moors, and regions of mountains in and around the city… not to mention the incredibly warm and friendly Portuguese hospitality.
Sines marina.
Welcome to Sines
The organisers of the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta met in Sines last week to discuss final plans for the event. The project team welcomed Race Chairman Ross MacDonald, Race Director Paul Bishop, Project Director Pauline Appleby, and Media Manager Sarah Pavey in true Portuguese style, ahead of this incredible event.
Team Sines: From left to right: Ross MacDonald, STI Race Chairman. João Lúcio da Costa Lopes, Aporvela. Sarah Pavey, STI Media Manager. Captain Pedro Proença Mendes, Aporvela. Ana Lima, Event Communications. Pauline Appleby, STI Project Director. Bruno Nunes, Project Manager. Carlos Messias, Aporvela. Eduardo Bandeira, Sines and Algarve Ports Administration. Paul Bishop, STI Race Director. Carlos Silva, Sines Municipality.
“This is an opportunity to give a different perspective to our harbour. Normally, our focus is economic activity. However, the Tall Ships shift this focus to culture and tourism. This event will benefit our harbour, our city and the whole of Alentejo economically. Our mission is also to contribute to the development of our region.”
Engº José Luís Cacho – President of the Administration for the Sines and Algarve Harbour, SA.
Ana Lima (Communications and Marketing in Sines) interviewed Race Director Paul Bishop during our visit. Check it out:
“I want to take this chance to launch a challenge to our youth: don’t be afraid to take part. The Portuguese people can be shy at times and might think this is not for them, but in my experience, I can say that many times they are wrong. People from 15 to 115 years are all invited to book a place on board these ships.”
Commander José Inácio – Director of APORVELA – Portuguese Association for the Training of Sailing.
“This is an event with two components. On one hand, there is the spectacle itself – there will be four unique days where 300,000 visitors are expected and I think Alentejo and Sines will be the centre of attention in the country during that period. On the other hand, it’s an event with great promotional power which will, no doubt, have a positive impact in the surrounding regions, not only through the coverage of the national and international press of the Alentejo region, but also through the word-of-mouth of all visitors, who will not only visit us again, but will pass on to their relatives and friends the idea that Sines and Alentejo are worth visiting.”
Dr Ceia da Silva – President of Turismo Alentejo – ERT.
Listen to Ana Lima’s interview with Race Chairman Ross MacDonald:
“It’s a great event for Sines and the whole of Alentejo. We are committed to making this event the biggest in the region in 2017. The city is ready to receive the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta, with all the experience and know-how gained from the other events we produce throughout the year. Everything is ready to make this event a great success.”
Dr Nuno Mascarenhas – Mayor of the City of Sines.
Sines service port.
Book Your Place On Board
Don’t miss out – there are only a handful of vessels taking part in Race 1 into Sines, and Race 2 out of Sines with places still available. We expect these to book up fast, so secure your place today.
Race 1 – Royal Greenwich to Sines
- Jolie Brise (UK), Wylde Swan (The Netherlands), and Christian Radich (Norway) have spaces available.
Race 2 – Sines to Bermuda (including a 48-hour stop over in Las Palmas)
- Jolie Brise (UK), Wylde Swan (Netherlands), Atyla (Vanuatu), and Blue Clipper (UK) have spaces available.
We’ve already featured Jolie Brise (UK), Wylde Swan (The Netherlands), Christian Radich (Norway) here. And we’ve covered Atyla (Vanuatu) and Blue Clipper (UK) here. By visiting these links, you can discover more about each ship’s background, interesting facts, what her crew says, voyage prices, and how you can book a place on board.
Sines service port.
What’s Next?
Want to get involved with the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta and experience the adventure of a lifetime? 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.