There are few sights quite as impressive as a fleet of Tall Ships arriving in port. From traditional square-riggers to smaller sailing vessels, the ships and their crews regularly attract huge crowds when they visit ports around Europe and further afield.
But the Tall Ships Races are about much more than the spectacle.
Behind the events is Sail Training International, a charity that uses sailing and life at sea to help young people develop confidence, resilience, teamwork and an understanding of other cultures.
The organisation runs both The Tall Ships Races and Tall Ships Regattas, with routes and host ports changing from one event to another.
What Are The Tall Ships Races?
The Tall Ships Races are an international series of sailing races and events held during the European summer.
Rather than following the same route each year, a series links several host ports, with the fleet sailing between them. Some legs are competitive races, while others may be sailed as a more relaxed Cruise-in-Company.
The routes also move between different parts of Europe. One year might see the fleet sailing through the Baltic and North Sea, while another takes it towards the Atlantic coast or southern Europe.
This changing programme is why places as varied as Falmouth, Lerwick, Lisbon, Antwerp, Stavanger and Szczecin have all welcomed Tall Ships over the years.
Who Organises The Tall Ships Races?
The Tall Ships Races and Tall Ships Regattas are organised by Sail Training International, a UK-based registered charity and the international organisation behind the events.
Its purpose isn’t simply to organise sailing races.
Sail training uses the experience of living and working aboard a sailing vessel to encourage personal development, particularly among young people. Crews have to work together, take responsibility and cope with the challenges of life at sea while meeting people from different countries and backgrounds. In an increasingly fractured world, opportunities for young people from different nations and cultures to meet, work together and form friendships feel perhaps more valuable than ever.
Young people are therefore central to The Tall Ships Races. At least half of the crew aboard a competing vessel must be aged between 15 and 25.
The First Tall Ships Race
The story began in the 1950s.
Retired London solicitor Bernard Morgan proposed bringing together some of the world’s remaining traditional sailing ships for an international race. At the time, many believed that the age of the great sailing ships was coming to an end, and the event was initially intended as something of a farewell.
The idea developed into a race from Torbay in the UK to Lisbon in Portugal in 1956.
Twenty vessels took part.
The event proved far more popular than expected, attracting considerable public and media interest. Instead of marking the end of an era, it helped begin a new one.
Further races followed and the organisation behind them developed through several incarnations before the modern Sail Training International was formed in 2002.
Seventy years after that first race, Tall Ships are still racing.
In 2026, Sail Training International celebrated the 70th anniversary of The Tall Ships Races, with one of the vessels from the original 1956 fleet, the Norwegian full-rigged ship Sørlandet, still sailing and participating in the anniversary year.
Tall Ships Races and Tall Ships Regattas – What’s the Difference?
The names can be confusing because Sail Training International organises both.
The Tall Ships Races are the main annual summer series in European waters. They usually involve a substantial international fleet travelling between several host ports.
Tall Ships Regattas are separate events Sail Training International organises in different sea areas around the world. They generally involve a smaller fleet.
That smaller scale means a Regatta can sometimes visit ports that lack the facilities required to accommodate the much larger fleet associated with The Tall Ships Races.
Regattas aren’t necessarily small events, though. A gathering of Tall Ships can still attract hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Sail Training International can organise up to two Regattas a year, generally in late summer and occasionally during the spring.
What Counts as a Tall Ship?
The name can be slightly misleading.
Mention a Tall Ship and most of us probably picture a huge square-rigged vessel with several masts and acres of sail.
Those magnificent ships certainly participate, but The Tall Ships Races aren’t restricted to them.
Sail Training International divides participating vessels into four classes.
Class A includes the great square-rigged Tall Ships over 24 metres in length, together with other vessels over 40 metres.
Class B includes traditionally rigged vessels such as gaff-rigged sloops, ketches, yawls and schooners.
Classes C and D include modern-rigged vessels, with the distinction between the two relating to their sails.
Eligible vessels must have a waterline length of at least 9.14 metres, so some competitors look very different from the huge square-riggers that tend to dominate photographs of the events.
What Happens at a Host Port?
For spectators, the arrival of the fleet is often the most visible part of The Tall Ships Races.
Host ports turn the stopover into a major maritime festival, often with ships open to visitors and a programme of activities and shoreside entertainment.
There are also events specifically for the crews, which can include sporting competitions, crew parades and prize-giving ceremonies.
One of the highlights is often the departure.
A Parade of Sail gives spectators a chance to see the fleet underway before the ships head towards the start of the next leg.
The events can be enormous. Tall Ships gatherings have attracted hundreds of thousands – and sometimes more than a million – visitors to a host port.
How Are Host Ports Chosen?
There isn’t one permanent Tall Ships route.
Sail Training International plans The Tall Ships Races several years in advance, selecting a sea area and then inviting suitable ports in that region to bid to become host ports.
This allows the race to visit different parts of Europe and allows new towns and cities to welcome the international fleet.
Being selected can be significant for a host port. As well as bringing the ships themselves, the events attract visitors, international crews and media attention, while creating opportunities for local businesses and communities to become involved.
What Is a Cruise-in-Company?
Not every voyage between two host ports is a race.
Some Tall Ships Race series include a Cruise-in-Company, during which the emphasis moves away from competition.
Instead of racing directly towards the next finishing line, vessels have opportunities to explore the coastline, visit smaller harbours and anchorages and spend more time socialising with other crews.
It provides a contrast to the competitive race legs and is another important part of the international sail training experience.
Can You Sail on a Tall Ship?
You don’t have to stand on the quayside and watch.
Sail training vessels take young people to sea as trainees, and you don’t necessarily need previous sailing experience to take part.
The experience isn’t simply about learning how to sail. Living aboard means becoming part of the crew, sharing responsibilities and working alongside people who may come from many different countries and backgrounds.
Trainees can join for individual legs rather than necessarily completing an entire Tall Ships Race series.
Although the races have a strong emphasis on young people aged 15 to 25, individual sail training organisations and vessels also offer sailing opportunities outside the races, with different age requirements.
The Tall Ships Races Today
From an event that was originally expected to mark the passing of the great sailing ships, the Tall Ships Races have developed into an international tradition.
The ships themselves are part of the attraction, but the purpose behind the events has remained remarkably close to the idea conceived in the 1950s: bringing young people from different countries together through sailing.
The locations may change, and the fleet may contain everything from spectacular square-riggers to much smaller yachts, but for the crews taking part, the real adventure happens at sea.
And for everyone ashore, the arrival of the Tall Ships remains one of sailing’s great spectacles.
Upcoming Tall Ships Races
The route of The Tall Ships Races changes regularly, with future host ports announced several years in advance.
Following the 2026 series through Northern Europe, future Tall Ships Races are scheduled to visit:
2027: Bordeaux, France → A Coruña, Spain → Sines, Portugal
2028: Kiel, Germany → Turku, Finland → Tallinn, Estonia → Szczecin, Poland
2029: Arendal, Norway → Delfzijl, Netherlands → Dunkirk, France → Esbjerg, Denmark → Oslo, Norway
As routes, dates and participating vessels can change, check the Sail Training International website for the latest information before planning a visit.
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Image courtesy of Krzysztof Romański – Sail Training International
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