The City of Helsinki has been chosen as one of the organisers of the Tall Ships Races 2024, due to take place in July 2024. The other host ports of the event are Turku and Mariehamn from Finland, Tallinn from Estonia, Klaipėda from Lithuania and Szczecin from Poland.
An international sailing event for thousands of young people, Tall Ships Races is arranged in the Baltic Sea region for the first time since 2017, as the event planned for 2021 had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Helsinki has previously been a host port of the Tall Ships Races in 1972, 1988, 2000 and in 2013. In 2013, there were around 100 ships from all over the world participating in the event, which attracted some 500,000 visitors to the Hietalahti area.
— We are once again happy to welcome the ships sailing the waves of the Baltic Sea, as well as the wonderful atmosphere of the competition. At the same time, we are embracing our unique relationship to the Baltic Sea and our stunning archipelago. The competition brings visitors from all over the world to Helsinki and its significance to residents, businesses and communities alike is momentous, as it is also very much a joint effort of the entire city, which has positive financial consequences as well, says Helsinki Mayor Juhana
Vartiainen.
The annual Tall Ships Races event is held in the Baltic Sea region every fourth year. The Tall Ships Races is organised by Sail Training International (STI), a non-profit association founded in 1956 in London.
The event puts emphasis on youth work. The aim of the event is to promote the education and development of young people of all nationalities, religions and social backgrounds, through sail training.
Previously:
The Tall Ships Races 2024 - Helsinki application video(Link leads to external service)
Helsinki applies for participation in Tall Ships Races 2024 event. Hel.fi news article (in Finnish) 15 March 2021
Kuva: Kimmo Kivirinta