[BITList] Tall ships closing on our shores as Tassie gets back to its nautical roots | The Mercury

[John Feltham]

http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/tall-ships-closing-on-our-shores-as-tassie-gets-back-to-its-nautical-roots/story-fnj4f7k1-1226720526734

Tall ships closing on our shores as Tassie gets back to its nautical roots


Tall Ship Europa is part of a fleet coming to Tasmania as part of Tall Ships Hobart 2013. Picture/Image by Mornington Peninsula based photographer Dasha Foto. Source: Supplied

HOBART will get back to its nautical roots this week with the arrival of the world's biggest and best tall ships.

Seven international tall ships will sail in to town on Friday for Tall Ships Hobart 2013.

The event is being held in association with Sydney's International Naval Fleet Review, a celebration of 100 years of the Royal Australian Navy.

Tall Ships Hobart 2013 will herald an early start to the waterfront's summer season of festivals and events and will feature the biggest fleet of tall ships to visit Hobart since the Bicentenary.

Tall ships coming to Tasmania

It's Hobart's first festival since Dark Mofo brought revelry and warmth to the docks during the depths of winter.

Tall Ships festival director Paul Cullen said organisers were expecting more than 50,000 people to visit the festival over the six days, given 20,000 people went to view the fleet in one day when it visited Adelaide.

This year's Australian Wooden Boat Festival in February attracted 200,000 people over four days, demonstrating the popularity of maritime heritage.

Mr Cullen said Hobart was truly a sailor's town, having the advantage of a deep port right in the heart of the city.

"Hobart has a great reputation for these nautical events, we do the Sydney to Hobart every year and the Australian Wooden Boat Festival every two years. We have a reputation of doing well by sailors when they come to visit," he said.

The fleet departed Melbourne on Sunday and yesterday was near King Island.

Kind weather will allow the ships to go via Tasmania's West Coast.

"The people on those ships will have the very rare opportunity to see the South West wilderness and the Southern Ocean," Mr Cullen said.

The fleet will provide a spectacular sight as it sails into Hobart on Friday.

The vessels range in size from the 38-metre Dutch ship Tecla to the 58-metre Indonesian Navy training vessel Dewaruci.

Depending on the winds and weather, it is hoped that the ships will arrive between 10am and noon on Friday.

The visiting vessels from all corners of the globe will join local tall ships Windeward Bound and Lady Nelson at Hobart's docks and will be open for public viewing.

Tasmania's maritime history and fine food and wine will be on show at Princes Wharf No.1 throughout the festival.

Those wanting a closer look aboard the ships can buy a Tall Ships Passport from PW1. Passports cost $20 for adults and $10 for children.

 




ooroo

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