Moments away from golden milestone for Sunderland leg of Tall Ships races

Only one more ship is needed before the Wearside leg reaches the golden number of 50 entries.

Officials behind the Sunderland leg explained more about the fast-moving plans to accommodate all the ships.

They will be berthed on both the North and South side of the River near the National Glass Centre on Manor Quay with some of the largest vessels moored on the opposite bank at Corporation Quay.

Hudson Dock will also be open to the public.

The arrangements mean huge numbers of visitors will get to see the ships close up and this won’t be the only attraction for visitors.

There will also be fireworks, live music and a Georgian Festival.

A map of where the ships will be berthed has now been released to explain more.

The vessel berthing areas are part of four main event zones.

They are Port of Sunderland, (Zone A) East End,(Zone B) St Peter’s Campus Zone C and on Saturday, July 14 the coast from Roker to Seaburn (Zone D).

All zones will all host a full entertainment programme with activities for all. Zone D, which runs the full length of Roker and Seaburn has been selected to give the perfect viewing area for watching the Parade of Sail as the ships leave Sunderland for the race to Esbjerg.

The Tall Ships Races Sunderland 2018 will also give many residents their first opportunity to see the workings of the Port of Sunderland. Recently celebrating its 300th anniversary the port continues to grow and is a positive contributor to the city’s economy.

Director of Port of Sunderland Matthew Hunt said: “This is both a challenging and exciting time for us here at the port. Working with other teams and organisations we aim to deliver an event the city can be proud of. It will be a fantastic spectacle and I, like many, look forward to welcoming the ships and crews from across Europe and beyond.

“We’re also delighted that many residents will get a rare opportunity to come down and visit the site and get an idea of the size and scale of operations here. For centuries the river and port have been at the heart of Sunderland and we are working hard to keep this proud tradition going.”

lThe Tall Ships Races Sunderland 2018 runs from Wednesday, July 11, to Saturday, July 14 July, concluding with a spectacular Parade of Sail along the city’s coastline.

For more information goto https://tallshipssunderland.com or follow on Twitter.@TallShipsSund