Tall Ships’ Races

Report and photography

by Gunn Hole

Usually The Tall Ships’ Races go to big harbours like in Liverpool, but this year, a small town at the west coast of Norway, Måløy, had the honour of being one of the hosts.

The event has been planned for 5 years now, and many of the 3,000 inhabitants were involved, most of them as volunteers.

Then imagine the joy and excitement when for example “Cuauhtemoc” from Mexico entered the harbour!
More than 75 sailships came one by one, and all were wholeheartedly welcomed.

The sun was shining, a record amount of people was gathered, it was a perfect surrounding for an extraordinary show. The mood of a carnival in Rio swept through Måløy as the Crew Parade found its way through town. 3,000 sailors danced or marched through the crowd gathered along the street.

From Thursday to Monday (August, 4^th) thousands of people came together to see the ships, join the ships parties, listen to concerts, dance, see and be seen.

An invisible fog of testosterone could clearly be sensed!

Sunday night a fantastic display of fireworks could be seen from any part of the town, announced as the biggest ever in Norway.

The ships left the harbour the next day, crews and inhabitants waved, saying goodbye as the vessels slowly disappeared in the horizon. The town suddenly felt empty. Until next time, then!

References: Sail Training International website