They're sailing - to Sunderland! More tall ships confirmed for 2018 Wearside spectacle

The James Cook and Rupel have become the latest vessels to confirm they are on their way to Sunderland for next year’s city leg of The Tall Ships Races.

And that’s on top of the recent announcement that the Dutch three-masted schooner is on the way, as reported in the Sunderland Echo last month.

The list of ships which have confirmed their attendance at Sunderland is growing fast.

Others which are on the way include the Lord Nelson; the Atyla; the Maybe; the Eendracht; the Hartlepool-based Black Diamond of Durham; and the Sorlandet.

Watch out for updates in the Sunderland Echo and at the Tall Ships Sunderland website at www.tallshipssunderland.com/

The two latest additions to the Sunderland races are the James Cook which is a stunning Class C vessel from the UK and the Rupel which adds to confirmed Class B participants, and joins the event from Belgium.

A fleet of 80 vessels is expected to arrive into Port of Sunderland for the leg from Wednesday July 11, until Saturday, July 14, 2018. They will stay for a four-day festival before taking part in a spectacular parade of sail at the start of the first race of the series to Esbjerg.

About 1.5million visitors are expected to be attracted to the city for the spectacle.

Just last month representatives of race organisers Sail Training International carried out their first inspection visit to Sunderland and said they were very impressed with how the city was doing.