Tall Ships Challenge
Encyclopedia
The Tall Ships Challenge is an annual event organized by the American Sail Training Association
alternating in a three year cycle between the Great Lakes
, the Pacific
and the Atlantic
coasts of North America
.
The event draws hundreds of thousands of people to witness beautiful tall ship
s from the age of sail and provides a unique opportunity for the participants to interact with the crews of different vessels in friendly rivalry as they race from port to port.
The series began in 2001 on the Great Lakes and saw vessels from six countries and visited seven US
and Canadian
ports. It has since continued to grow and is an eagerly anticipated event in the seaside communities that host the vessels (see, for example Philadelphia's Summer Sail
2007).
Since its launch in 2001, the Tall Ships Challenge series has visited 32 North American cities, bringing over 8,000,000 spectators down to the waterfront to experience the tall ships and creating a cumulative estimated economic impact of over $400,000,000 for host communities.
In 2009 the Tall ships which left from Halifax in Canada raced to Belfast on the first leg of their Atlantic challenge.
Each year, the Tall Ships Challenge series is designated a Marine Event of National Significance by the US Coast Guard.
ASTA summer interns maintain a blog about their experiences called the Official Blog of the Tall Ships Challenge series
The 2010 race will take place on the great lakes. It starts in Toronto,Ontario and ends in Chicago.
American Sail Training Association
Founded on April 3, 1973, by Barclay Harding Warburton III, the American Sail Training Association is currently the largest sail training association in the world and a founding member of Sail Training International....
alternating in a three year cycle between the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
, the Pacific
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
and the Atlantic
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
coasts of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
The event draws hundreds of thousands of people to witness beautiful tall ship
Tall ship
A tall ship is a large, traditionally-rigged sailing vessel. Popular modern tall ship rigs include topsail schooners, brigantines, brigs and barques. "Tall Ship" can also be defined more specifically by an organization, such as for a race or festival....
s from the age of sail and provides a unique opportunity for the participants to interact with the crews of different vessels in friendly rivalry as they race from port to port.
The series began in 2001 on the Great Lakes and saw vessels from six countries and visited seven US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
ports. It has since continued to grow and is an eagerly anticipated event in the seaside communities that host the vessels (see, for example Philadelphia's Summer Sail
Summer Sail
Summer Sail 2007 was a sailing festival sponsored by the American Sail Training Association as part of the larger ASTA Tall Ships Challenge 2007, which continued until September 2007. Well-known tall ships such as Prince William, Bluenose II and A.J. Meerwald were expected to attend...
2007).
Since its launch in 2001, the Tall Ships Challenge series has visited 32 North American cities, bringing over 8,000,000 spectators down to the waterfront to experience the tall ships and creating a cumulative estimated economic impact of over $400,000,000 for host communities.
In 2009 the Tall ships which left from Halifax in Canada raced to Belfast on the first leg of their Atlantic challenge.
Each year, the Tall Ships Challenge series is designated a Marine Event of National Significance by the US Coast Guard.
ASTA summer interns maintain a blog about their experiences called the Official Blog of the Tall Ships Challenge series
The 2010 race will take place on the great lakes. It starts in Toronto,Ontario and ends in Chicago.
See also
- American Sail Training AssociationAmerican Sail Training AssociationFounded on April 3, 1973, by Barclay Harding Warburton III, the American Sail Training Association is currently the largest sail training association in the world and a founding member of Sail Training International....
- Cutty Sark Tall Ships' Race
- Sail trainingSail trainingFrom its modern interpretations to its antecedents when maritime nations would send young naval officer candidates to sea , sail training provides an unconventional and effective way of building many useful skills on and off the water....
- Tall shipTall shipA tall ship is a large, traditionally-rigged sailing vessel. Popular modern tall ship rigs include topsail schooners, brigantines, brigs and barques. "Tall Ship" can also be defined more specifically by an organization, such as for a race or festival....