24 October, 2008

THE COUNTDOWN to Shetland hosting the Tall Ships Race has begun in earnest with the launch of a website.

In 999 days, Lerwick will welcome thousands of international sailors when the ports plays host to around 70 ships between 21 to 24 July in 2011.

The ships travel to Shetland for the “cruise in company” leg after the first race from Waterford in Ireland to Greenock on 30 June. Lerwick will then act as the starting point for the second race to Stavanger, Norway.

Shetland’s organising committee intends to work closely with port communities between Greenock and Lerwick, such as the western isles and Orkney, to arrange a programme of events for crews to enjoy along the way.

Organising committee chairman Sandy Cluness said: “The Tall Ships’ Races are an exceptional opportunity for Shetland to host an international event and to celebrate our community, our facilities and heritage with a huge audience.”

The Shetland leg may coincide with a proposed Year of Culture for Scottish Islands and Mr Cluness said the councils on the western isles and Orkney have agreed to help make the trip a very memorable experience.

Lerwick’s event coordinator Fiona Dally said there is a lot of hard work ahead to “ensure we organise an excellent event” and locals are encouraged to get involved

She said: “We’ll be looking for Shetlander’s to get involved to make sure we deliver to the highest standards.

“We also want to keep everyone informed and are pleased to launch our website, www.tallshipsraceslerwick.com which will be updated as the event takes shape.”

The Tall Ships’ Races are organised by Sail Training International and Lerwick hosted the event for the first time in 1999. The final race this year will take place between Stavanger and Halmstad in Sweden.