Tall Ships Races 2018: The 55 ships taking part in this year's sailing extravaganza

The Tall Ships Races is an exciting event in the sail training calendar and will see four fantastic cities and two challenging races across the North Sea.
The Tall Ships Races is an exciting event in the sail training calendar and will see four fantastic cities and two challenging races across the North Sea (Photo: Sail Training International)The Tall Ships Races is an exciting event in the sail training calendar and will see four fantastic cities and two challenging races across the North Sea (Photo: Sail Training International)
The Tall Ships Races is an exciting event in the sail training calendar and will see four fantastic cities and two challenging races across the North Sea (Photo: Sail Training International)

The City of Sunderland has the honour of being the start port for The Tall Ships Races in 2018, hosting the event for the first time.

From July 11 to July 14, the city of Sunderland will welcome up to 1.5million visitors all keen to see the 55 ships taking part in The Tall Ships Races 2018.

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Here are the 55 ships taking part in this year’s Tall Ships Races.

CLASS A

Alexander von Humboldt II, Germany

Six-year-old square rigger from Bremerhaven, 187 foot long.

Gulden Leeuw, Holland

Built in 1937, and one of the world’s largest three-mast-topsail schooners.

Christian Radich, Norway

The 80-year-old 200-ft long three-masted vessel has starred in the BBC TV series The Onedin Line.

Morgenster, Holland

More than 124 foot long and sails out of Den Helder in Holland.

Fryderyk Chopin, Poland

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A 26-year-old brig with 42 trainees, 8 permanent crew, from Szczecin.

Wylde Swan, Holland

98-years-old this year and the overall race winner and winner of the Friendship Trophy in 2011.

Sorlandet, Norway

First tall ship in the world to offer sail training for women, in 1981.

Santa Maria Manuela, Portugal

A 225ft gaff schooner with four masts.

Royal Helena, Bulgaria

A 9-year-old barquentine with a home port of Varna in Bulgaria.

Ossterschelde, Holland

100ft high, 130ft long, Rotterdam ship built in 1918.

Mir, Russia

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Mir is 350ft long, 170ft tall, built in 1987 and based at St Petersburg in Russia.

Loa, Denmark

Barquentine built in 1922, restored 2002/2009.

TS Royalist, UK

Four-year-old brig with a permanent crew of ten people and 24 trainees, 79ft tall and 76ft long.

Shtandart, Russia

Beautiful carvings adorn the 18-year-old St Petersburg ship. More than 75 foot high, 83 feet long.

Lord Nelson, UK

Barque from Southampton, 42 trainees, 8 permanent crew.

Tarangini, India

Tarangini, from Kochi, is a barque 3 ship around 110ft high and 140ft long.

Eendracht, Holland

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Height of more than 120ft and over 160ft long. Has a permanent crew of 15 people.

CLASS B

STS Atyla, Vanuatu

A staysail schooner built in 1984.

De Gallant, France

An 88ft gaff schooner which sails mostly in the North Sea, the Baltic and the English Channel as a sail training ship.

Dyrafjeld, Norway

One of the oldest wooden vessels in the world and was first built in 1889.

Caroline Af Sandnes, Norway

A 64ft gaff cutter, over 130 years old and was originally named Trine and operated as a sailing cargo vessel.

Maybe, UK

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This gaff ketch was in the very first Tall Ships Races in 1956 and is now 85 years old.

Vega Gamleby, Sweden

One of the last remaining traditionally built wooden vessels. The subject of a huge restoration project in 1985.

JR Tolkien, Holland

A 137ft gaff topsail schooner and a former sea-going tug which was originally called the Dierko, and was first built in East Germany.

Helena, Finland

A 26-year-old schooner and the flagship of the Finnish sail training fleet.

Rupel, Belgium

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The 21-year-old TS Rupel was built by unemployed youngsters on the bank of the river Rupel in the Flanders area of Belgium.

Morning Star of Revelation, UK

A gaff ketch from Chatham in Kent. Three permanent crew and 11 trainees.

Etoile, France

A topsail schooner which is 128ft long and 121ft high.

Betty, Denmark

Built in 1913 as a replica of the Cornish crab cutters.

Stina Mari, Norway

An 18 ton gaff rigged vessel which was built in 1987 in Hardanger.

Wyvern, Norway

Launched in 1897 and sailed under the German flag until after the First World War. Later owned by a British couple who sailed the ship for 27 years until 1973.

STS Atyla, Vanuatu

A staysail schooner built in 1984.

Froya, Norway

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Used to be called ‘Valentine’, was built in 1942 as a sail-powered fishing vessel.

General Zaruski, Poland

A gaff ketch which was first built in 1939 and then relaunched in 2012 after a four-year revitalisation programme.

Swan, UK

First built as a Fifie herring drifter in the Shetlands in 1900.

Jolie Brise, UK

Distinctive red sails and black wooden hull. Owned and operated by Dauntsey School in Wiltshire.

Skonnerten Jylland, Denmark

A 67-year-old topsail schooner from Gaerup in Denmark.

CLASS C

Black Diamond of Durham (UK)

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Hartlepool’s very own vessel and a regular on the tall ships scene for more than 20 years.

Challenge Wales (UK)

This 18-year-old cutter is based in Cardiff and takes trainees on adventures which include non-stop night-time trips called Sailing By The Stars.

Esprit (Germany)

A Schooner 2 rig from Bremen, launched in 1995.

Gorenjka (Slovenia)

Twenty years old and a sloop with one permanent crew and five trainees.

Hosanna (France)

The French Navy’s 29-year-old sloop was built in the Wauquiez shipyard in Saint-Martin in France in 1990.

James Cook (UK)

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A ketch from Newcastle, which is 89ft high with a length of more than 68ft.

Leonid Teliga (Poland)

A sleek 40-year-old sloop and one of five Conrad 54 type of yachts built.

Ocean Scout (UK)

An Oyster 49 ketch with three permanent crew.

Sila Sibiri (Russia)

A seven year old Russian ketch entered, more than 108ft high and 94ft long.

Spaniel (Latvia)

Spaniel was designed and built in Poland as a single handed ocean racer.

Tara (Denmark).

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Sixty years old this year, 68ft tall, 59ft long and has five crew and five trainees.

Vahine (Finland)

Helsinki is her home port and she has been sailing since 1973.

Zenobe Gramme (Belgium)

Built in 1961 and named after the man who invented the dynamo - the scientist Zenobe Gramme.

CLASS D

Aries (UK)

A Gosport-based ketch which is 28 years old, 50ft high and 40ft long.

Dasher (UK)

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Another Gosport-based ship which measures more than 60ft high and 50ft long.

Rona II (UK)

Rona II is an Oyster 68 vessel and one of three operated by the Rona Sailing Project.

Tuulelind, Estonia

Two years old and based at Tallinn.

Urania, Holland

The Netherlands Ministry of Defence has entered this ship in the races. She’s a ketch from Den Helder and was built in 2004.