The third day of festivities in Szczecin, Poland, continued the Tall Ships celebrations with thousands of spectators again making their way to the Order river to see the majestic fleet…
Amongst all of the exciting activities happening throughout the port, a special presentation was made on board Shabab Oman II (Oman) of the Tall Ships Races 2017 Friendship Trophy.
The Tall Ships Races Friendship Trophy is awarded to the vessel – on the votes of all the Captains and crew – which has contributed the most to promote international friendship and understanding throughout the race series.
The crew of Shabab Oman II are presented with the Friendship Trophy in Szczecin.
What the Trainees told us
The Tall Ships Races are always the adventure of a lifetime, but what is life really like on board for trainees having an adventure under sail? We caught up with Athur Robert, a 17 yr old from France who sailed on Black Diamond of Durham (UK) in Race 3 to see how he found life at sea.
Arthur sailed on board Black Diamond of Durham from Klaipeda to Szczecin.
Have you sailed before?
I have sailed before – on dinghys and small cruise vessels – but this is the longest time I spent at sea by far.
Why did you apply?
I signed up to learn how to live at sea and sail for more than one day at a time without stopping. Also, I really wanted to meet new people from around the world and discover some new European countries and to have fun!
How was your journey and what was your favourite part of the adventure?
It was really nice and I really enjoyed it! The crew were great, and we had a good time at sea. The weather conditions were really variable so it wasn’t always the same type of sailing which was really good for overall sailing experience.
The departure from Klaipeda was really nice because we could see all the Tall Ships sailing not far away from us, it was a beautiful race start! Some watches were also great because of the stars, beautiful sea and good wind conditions.
What was your least favourite part of the adventure?
When we underway using our engine because of light wind conditions after the end of the race, and trying to eat hot rice pudding whilst sailing!!
What is the most valuable lesson you learned on board the vessel?
Tidy tidy tidy, clean clean clean!!!
What would you say to someone thinking of taking part in sail training?
Choose the vessel that you think will suit you the most and don’t think… Just book and come for a fantastic experience!! You will not be disappointed.
A Goodbye Parade with a Difference
As is customary at the end of every Tall Ships event, the Tall Ships Races 2017 fleet will take part in what promises to be a spectacular Parade of Sail tomorrow, Tuesday 8 August. This parade will come with a slight twist though. Instead of taking part in a parade out of the port of Szczecin, the fleet will begin undocking at 06:00 local time, and make their way along the Order river and put on a majestic Parade of Sail off of the coast of Poland in the Baltic Sea. The parade is due to start at 14:00 local time.
Weather conditions for the Parade promise to be favourable for onlooking spectators with South Easterly winds of 15 knots along the Order river that will break into Westerly winds as the fleet enter the Baltic Sea area.
ABOUT SZCZECIN
Szczecin is one of the largest cities in the north of Poland. It’s known as Poland’s “green city of ecology” and it’s famous for its yachting. It also brings the brave vision of the Floating Garden to life. It’s surrounded by water and is situated on the banks of the Szczecin Lagoon, which is the country’s largest reservoir. The western Oder flows into the lagoon, carrying the greater part of the waters from the Oder Basin, which covers nearly one third of the area of Poland.