Tall Ships Set Sail Again As Royal Greenwich Tall Ships Festival Return in August

by our Correspondent | Greenwich

The Royal Greenwich Tall Ships Festival is returning to Woolwich Arsenal next month for a myriad of maritime fun. Fifteen elegant tall ships will drop anchor for five days over the August bank holiday weekend providing a festival atmosphere and a huge boost to local business and tourism.

* The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson saluted Londoners
from British Tall Ship "Tenacious" when he visited the
 Royal Greenwich Tall Ships Festival
on Monday, 8th September, 2014.
(Photo Credit: Mayor of London).

Next month’s visit from the tall ships is part of the on-going Royal Greenwich Festivals programme which includes a series of performances, events and displays at venues across the borough. Visitors can admire the ships cruising majestically along the River Thames, be wowed by fireworks every evening after dark, and wave off the fleet from Greenwich on Monday August 31 as the ships leave in an elegant parade.

Last year’s Tall Ships Regatta proved to be a huge success attracting 1.1million visitors. The Royal Borough is building on this success by welcoming back a fleet of tall ships in 2015 and supporting the tourism industry, which contributes £1.1bn a year to the local economy.

Saturday August 29 sees the Royal Borough’s Tall Ships Festival day take place along Woolwich Riverside, featuring live shanty music, street theatre, historical characters and market stalls from 12pm to 10pm. Visitors will also have the chance to step on board selected tall ships for free as they are moored alongside the river.

Thirteen tall ships will be based at Royal Arsenal Woolwich and will make daily sails along the river to Greenwich and Tower Bridge. Residents can book tickets for the sails where they can see iconic landmarks on both sides of the river en route to Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site and Tower Bridge.

Visitors can also experience the majestic vessels first-hand at Tall Ships Island – a feature new to this year’s festival where two impressive tall ships, Dar Mlodziezy and Santa Maria Manuela will be moored at Maritime Greenwich. Tickets are £20 for adults; £10 for children aged five to 15, with under-fives admitted free.

Ticketholders will access the vessels via a special Thames Clipper service for an hour-long tour and will get the chance to speak to cadets and to hear from guides telling stories about life at sea.

Councillor Miranda Williams, Cabinet member for Culture and Creative industries said: “I am delighted to welcome back the tall ships in 2015 following the huge success of last year’s festival. Our stunning waterfront and historic maritime buildings provide the ideal backdrop for a large-scale event such as this. The economic benefits of our tourism industry are clear. It creates jobs, creates spend in our local businesses, and gives us a firm footing on the global stage. The return of the tall ships this year will provide a huge boost for our local economy with visitors enjoying events and directing their money towards local businesses.”

For all the details, go to:
www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/tallships2015. 

To buy tickets for the Tall Ship Island, visit:
www.thamesclippers.com.

To book Sail Royal Greenwich cruise tickets go to:
www.sailroyalgreenwich.co.uk

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