Shetland Tall Ships Limited is delighted to share the news from Tall Ships Races International, a subsidiary of Sail Training International, that Arendal has been confirmed as the fifth Host Port of The Tall Ships Races 2023. The Norwegian municipality joins Den Helder, Hartlepool, Fredrikstad and Lerwick in welcoming The Tall Ships Races as the final Host Port, from 3-6 August.
The Tall Ships Races 2023 will be the first time the spectacular event has visited Arendal and the town on the Southcoast of Norway is eager to welcome the international fleet of Tall Ships. Situated in the Raet national park, one of only four marine national parks in Norway, it has a enjoyed a special connection with the sea throughout its history.
Arendal will welcome the Tall Ships fleet during a year of celebrations as it marks its 300th anniversary, making the town, with its idyllic archipelago, stunning old town and rich cultural history, the perfect backdrop to the close of the 2023 series.
Chief Operating Officer, Alan James, welcomed the news of Arendal joining the event, stating:
“We’re thrilled to welcome Arendal as a Host Port of The Tall Ships Races 2023 and excited for the magnificent spectacle of the Tall Ships fleet to join such a milestone anniversary. With such an extensive and storied maritime history, we have no doubt that Arendal will extend a warm welcome to ships and trainees alike.
“We are delighted to welcome Arendal to the Sail Training international family and very much hope that this will be the first of many events we will work on together.”
The Tall Ships Races 2023 will take place from 29 June-6 August and will offer a range of sailing experiences for trainees and crews. Lerwick will host the event from 26th to 29th July when the fleet arrives in port from Fredrikstad in Norway.
The arrival in Lerwick will be following a Cruise in Company – as with the last visit of the Tall Ships in 2011, the crews will have the opportunity to visit a number of other guest harbours on their way to Lerwick. There will be opportunity for smaller harbours in Norway as well as the Scottish mainland, Orkney and Shetland to take part and host their own Tall Ships visit.
Shetland Tall Ships Ltd Project Manager Emma Miller said:
“It’s great news that Arendal are joining us as a Host Port for the 2023 race event and that the Cruise in Company leg will once again be part of the Shetland visit. This gives a great opportunity for us to show off the other beautiful areas of Shetland to these visiting ships and engage with other harbours outwith Shetland too.
“We will look to start recruiting other guest harbours next year, but if anyone wants to get in touch to discuss involvement they can email me directly at emma@tallshipslerwick.com or give me a call on 07706 365020.”
In each Host Port, this fantastic race series will offer a wide range of festivities, attractions and crew activities during Europe’s largest, free, family festival. All of which is sure to make this edition of The Tall Ships Races a truly unforgettable experience.