Spirit of Bermuda to race home in Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge

by Lynn Fitzpatrick www.worldregattas.com on 3 May 2009 The Parade of Sails and the Start of the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge 2009 takes place on Sunday, May 3rd. Thousands have been taking advantage of this sunny, warm May Day holiday weekend to stroll the docks of Vigo, Spain and soak up the atmosphere of this Tall Ships Festival.

Vigo, at 42°15’ N 8°46’ W, marks the start of a 7,000 nautical odyssey around the North Atlantic that a dozen tall ships from all over the world and hundreds of crew have been looking forward to for months. Following Sunday afternoon’s start, the sail training vessels will point their bows in the direction of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. When the ships arrive in Tenerife, at 28°29’ N 16° 14’ W, they will enjoy the concerts, dances, exhibits and other cultural events that are part of the island’s Festivities of May celebration.

During the stretch of the Atlantic Ocean that takes them past the coast of Spain and Portugal toward the coast of North Africa, the professional and amateur crew will learn how to handle sails and will learn a lot about themselves.

For some, it will be their first offshore sailing experience. They will do their part to keep their vessel in ship shape. Some may focus will be navigation. Others will learn more about on board mechanical systems, and for a large part of each crew, being aboard will mean keeping watch, keeping things spic and span above and below decks, cooking and adding what they can to their floating community.

Following their stay in Tenerife, The Spirit of Bermuda, the only representative from the other side of the pond, will lead the fleet, literally and figuratively, back to Hamilton, Bermuda. Tall ships sailing from North America and South America will converge on 21-square mile North American island nation along with those in the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge ’09.

For Bermudians and all of their guests who arrive by air, cruise ship or private vessel, the mid-June Tall Ships festival is sure to be the highlight of Bermuda’s year-long 400th Anniversary celebration.

The Spirit of Bermuda was launched in September 2006 and provided training for over 700 young people and sailed over 15,000 miles. The Atlantic crossing in which it made calls in the Azores and Porto, Portugal en route to the start of Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge ’09 was its first Atlantic crossing.

The Spirit has received numerous awards including: Sail Training Program of the Year (2007) from the American Sail Training Association and Sail Trainer of the Year (2007/8) from Sail Training International. This purpose-built sail training vessel often a first to finish boat in tall ships races.


Spirit of Bermuda is a purpose-built sail training vessel is based on civilian Bermudian-type schooners built between 1810 and 1840. As in their heyday, Spirit of Bermuda is world-renown for its speed, maneuverability and the seamanship of the multi-racial Bermudian crew.