2011 Tall Ships Race

Lerwick is the welcoming port after the "Cruise in Company" leg and the starting port for the second race leg to Stavanger.

Between Thursday June 30 and Sunday July 3, 2011, ships participating in the 2011 Tall Ships Race will be in Waterford, where there will be an entertainment programme with Irish music, food, and street theatre for participants. The first race leg will embark from Waterford on Sunday July 3, bound for Greenock, where they will berth in James Watt Dock between Saturday 9 July and Tuesday 12 July. An entertainment programme with a contemporary twist is being planned for participants.

On Tuesday 12 July the fleet will embark for Lerwick in the "Cruise in Company" leg of the event, which allows participating vessels to sail non-competitively for nine days, and to visit selected guest ports on the voyage, which passes through one of the world's most attractive coastal environments. The fleet will remain in Lerwick between Thursday 21 July and Sunday 24 July, where participants will receive a traditional Shetland welcome and hospitality, including first class music, first class food, and an almost endless wealth of maritime heritage.

On Sunday 24 July the fleet will embark on the second leg from Lerwick to Stavanger, where they will remain between Thursday 28 July and Sunday 31 July 2011, berthed in the inner harbour, which is central to the city, and within walking distance from all amenities. Stavanger promises participants the "experience of a lifetime", including a celebration of sea shanties and songs, which they describe as being the music of the first rock 'n' rollers! Tough young sailors from the great days of sail!

On Sunday 31 July the fleet will embark from Stavanger to Halmstad, where they will remain from Friday 5 August until Monday 8 August before setting sail for their respective ports. Halmstad will be offering crew parties, activities, sport events, music and barbeques.
The SWAN will have twenty Sail Training Shetland trainees aboard over the duration of the race. On the Waterford to Greenock leg there will be four; on the Greenock to Lerwick leg there will be four; on the Lerwick to Stavanger leg there will be eight; and on the Stavanger to Halmstad leg there will be four. On the "Cruise in Company" leg from Greenock to Lerwick, there will be four trainees from Orkney aboard, and the SWAN will be calling in at Stromness as one of the guest ports. It's hoped that four trainees from Waterford will join the SWAN to sail on the Waterford to Greenock leg, and four trainees from Halmstad, who will sail on the Stavanger to Halmstad leg.

None of the trainees have been selected yet, and there are significantly more applicants for Sail Training Shetland places than there is funding to support.

Sail Training Shetland hopes to place more than thirty trainees between the SWAN and other participating vessels.

For more information on Sail Training Shetland visit their website at: http://www.sailtrainingshetland.com/