Mayor Medina said that the arrival of the 50 tall ships and 3,500 crew members was a “very important event to the city” with the last visit in 2012 seeing “over a million people” visiting the ships and generating in the region of €10 million in additional direct expenditure.
Medina described the hosting of a leg in the race’s 60th anniversary would “boost the city’s profile” and further deepen perceptions of its maritime history with the race representing one of the “world’s great international events.”
The Tall Ships Races is an annual sailing competition that provides the opportunity for young people to gain experience of sailing with the first ever event running from Torbay in the United Kingdom and Lisbon, Portugal in 1956.