Mediterranean Tall Ships Regatta unveiled at Toulon

by Barcelona World Race on 5 Jul 2013 The Mediterranean Tall Ships Regatta 2013, unveiled for the press at Toulon (France) today, will set depart from Barcelona. The tall ships will be mooring at the city's Port Vell from the 21st to the 24th of September. The event has been programmed as part of Barcelona's annual 'La Mercè' festival and will be fully open to the public. These tall ships are involved in numerous and diverse educational projects based on the values at the heart of traditional sailing. The boats will also share moorings with some of the Barcelona World Race's IMOCA Open 60s.

At the Tour Royale in the French city of Toulon yesterday the press were in attendance for the presentation of the Mediterranean Tall Ships Regatta 2013, which for this edition includes two legs: Barcelona - Toulon and Toulon – La Spezia (Italy). This is the third time that Barcelona will play host to these magnificent yachts. The first time was back in 2004 when they were at the heart of the Festival del Mar and in 2007 the city was the host port for another meeting of these extraordinary boats with an overwhelming wave of public participation. This year sees the consolidation of a relationship which has continually been a positive force for both the Sail Training International (STI) and the city.

The Mediterranean Tall Ships Regatta 2013 is organised by STI and STA Spain, a non-profit foundation and association which since its creation in 1956 has been promoting youth education and development for young people of any nationality, religion, and social background through sailing training and practice. The Fundació Navegació Oceànica Barcelona (FNOB) is organising the boats' stay in Barcelona in collaboration with the sailing consortium El Far and their Far Barcelona educational ship as well as the Maritime Museum and their training ship Santa Eulalia. TheFar Barcelona will be taking part in the regatta with a group of young people from Barcelona high schools, who will also be working on a range of projects based on sailing and the marine environment.

Joaquim Marías, Commissioner of the Mediterranean Tall Ships Regatta 2013 for Barcelona, said: 'This is a unique meeting which will offer the public the chance to visit boats which are steeped in culture and history and which provide an opportunity to cast our minds back to the days of the old trade routes with passenger and cargo ships which came from across the continents'.

Hubert Falco,Mayor of Toulon and President of Toulon Provence Méditerranée highlighted the importance of the event for his port and city: 'Toulon is a strategic port which is now playing host to a meeting of yachts which we are all able to be part of: Toulon, the bay and the community as a whole'. Falco also underlined the significant role of the boats in raising awareness of a sea culture as well as pointing out that Far Barcelona was the oldest of the ships taking part.

The event will be taking place as part of the city's annual 'La Mercè' festival which is the perfect framework for this celebration of the sea to be shared and enjoyed with the general public. The traditional tall ships will be tied up at the Port Vell in Barcelona and during thefour days the public will have access to and be able to get a closer look at these magnificent yachts, as well as being able to find out all about the educational projects they are involved in. The public will be invited aboard daily to see the boats and to have a chat with their crews. The city's seafront will provide the perfect viewpoint for the public to witness the spectacular departure of the regatta on the 24th of September.

The education within the traditional values of the sport of sailing is at the heart of the shared philosophy of both the tall ships and the STI. Visitors to the Port Vell will also be able to admire some of sailing's golden age stars; such as Kruzenshtern, one of the last merchant ships of its kind in existence, which sailed right up until the Second World War; or Belem, the only remaining representative of the legendary cargo ships from the Indies, which competed with steam ships in terms of speed and reliability on the trade wind routes until well into the start of the 20th century. Visitors will also be able to see Mir, one of the best examples of modern training ships which was designed along the lines of the late 19th century tall ships, but with the aim of maximising speeds. They can also visit Recouvrance, a replica of a gaff-rigged schooner and one of six fast courier vessels built in France and used for coastal surveillance and the fight against piracy in Africa and the Caribbean.

The Barcelona crowds will also be able to enjoy boats from the city's own maritime heritage such as the three-masted schooner Santa Eulalia, a replica of one of the many small schooners which filled mediterranean ports towards the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, which enjoyed decades of activity in coexistence with the diesel engine.

The projects carried out on STI boats are diverse, but one which sparks particular interest is the one run on Galaxie; an integration programme foryoung people from difficult social backgrounds built on the practice of traditional sailing and the teaching of the values underpinning the supportive spirit of the sea-going community.

The large yachts taking part in the Mediterranean Tall Ships Regatta will be sharing the Port Vell with some of the Barcelona World Race's IMOCA Open 60s. Visitors will be able to admire two entirely different concepts of yacht: one steeped in tradition and the other riding the crest of the very latest sailing technology. Both types of yacht are a driving force in the sport of sailing and together they encompass the foundations on which the culture of the sport exists.

The Barcelona World Race IMOCA Open 60s are veritable Formula 1 yachts which embody the very latest advances in science and technology in the race to compete; creating machines which require expert human handling to maximise performance. Traditional sailing is at the essence of a sea-going culture and has proved to be a powerful tool in the drive to pass on the values associated with the sport, which provide numerous essential benefits to society as a whole. Both the traditional ships and the IMOCA Open 60s represent the pillars of the sea-going culture: the importance of living in harmony, of reflection, training, team spirit and the fundamental role of scientific research and sustainable development.

An overview of boats will be recreated by entertainers and musicians and will be totally free and open to the public with the aim of boosting the profile of maritime activities and culture as well as passing on the knowledge of the traditional trade routes used throughout FNOB website