The House of Waterford Crystal is a host partner sponsoring Ireland’s largest free summer festival, the Waterford Tall Ships Festival, one of the highlights of 2011.

The Race

Thursday-Sunday, June 30-July 3, 2011 will be four extraordinary days in Waterford as Ireland once again hosts The Tall Ships Races.

This is one of the most spectacular and colourful events in the world and Waterford is gearing up to host over 70 majestic Tall Ships; 1,500 sail trainees and an anticipated 500,000 maritime, music and festival fans on the quays of Irelands oldest city. Tall Ships Races is set to be the biggest event in Ireland in 2011 and the return of The Tall Ships to Irelands South East region will be celebrated with a festival programme capturing the very best of Irish and international acts; street theatre; fireworks; music and food.

On board The Tall Ships will also be dozens of Irish young people enjoying the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate as trainees, alongside their international peers. This will be an unforgettable occasion and four days of incredible festival fun.

 

The Tall Ships

At the end of June 2011, over 70 of the world’s most beautiful Tall Ships will sail up the River Suir and take up residence on Waterford’s famous quayside, before setting sail for the first leg of the famous Tall Ships Races on Sunday, July 3rd.

WYLDE SWAN Class: A

Flag: Netherlands                                                                                                                                                                                       

Length: 56.82m                                                                                                                                                                                               

Rig: Schooner 2                                                                                                                                                                                              

Year Built: 1920                                                                                                                                                                                           

Home Port: Makkum, Netherlands                                                                                                                                                               

Entered By: Swan Fan Makkum

Biographical Data:

The hull of Wylde Swan started life as a ‘herring hunter’ in the 1920’s, working off the Shetland Islands – a ship built for speed, ferrying the fresh catch from fishing grounds to the markets ashore. The Jemo, as she was originally called, was originally built by HDW in Kiel.

The ship was decommissioned sometime in the late 20th century and had changed ownership several times before Willem Slighting saw in her underwater ship the makings of a fast sailing ship. Her sleek underwater hull is now part of a rugged sailing ship, reminiscent of the large schooner yachts of the 1900 era. 

A Selection of Other ships may be viewed at

http://www.waterfordtallshipsrace.ie/the-race/the-tall-ships