TALL SHIPS FOR PORTRUSH
Belfast will be the home port for the first race in the 2015 Tall Ships Race series, but our local shores will be the start point of the 2015 race.
Around fifty vessels, with crews from across the globe, are expected in Belfast for the four day festival.
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Hide AdAfter the tall ships carnival in Belfast, the eyecatching ships will make their way north, and will be docking off the coast of Portrush, on Monday, July 6.
The Coleraine Times understands that race organisers, Sail Training International, will be meeting with Council and the Harbour Master at Portrush later this month to consider health and safety issues, location suitability and classification start times.
Sail Training International have provided the following information on their website.
“The planned starting point is approximately five miles off Portrush at 55.16N 006.48W - but this may be subject to change.
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Hide Ad“Sail Training International will be managing the arrangements for this and are taking local advice on location suitability.
“The route from Whitehead to the race start area (Portrush) will be a free passage, but some vessels will probably arrive in the start area in the early hours of the Monday morning and could choose to anchor for some hours before starting.
“The vessels that do not anchor will also get in closer than five miles to position themselves for the start of the race.”
When the vessels leave our north coast shores, the fleet will race north past the Outer Herbrides and Shetland Islands and across to Aalesund in Norway.
From there the fleet will sail through the Norwegian fjords to Kristiansand, before the final race down to Aalborg in Denmark.