SAIL Training International has announced the dates for the prestigious Tall Ships’ Races in 2010.
Hartlepool can expect to host up to 100 Tall Ships after they arrive from Kristiansand in Norway following the second and final leg of the race.
The ships will set sail from Kristiansand on Sunday 1 August and they are expected to arrive in Hartlepool on Friday/Saturday 6/7 August. All of the ships will then stay in Hartlepool until Tuesday 10 August.
Hartlepool Mayor Stuart Drummond said: "These are excellent dates because they fall in the middle of the school summer holidays. The Tall Ships' Races attracts world-wide publicity and being a host port presents a great opportunity to showcase the town.
"The Council and other key organisations have already met on a few occasions to start to plan for the event and now we know the dates, things will be stepped up in the months ahead."
Hartlepool has already sampled what the Tall Ships have to offer when 37 vessels visited the town last year en route to Newcastle.
Newcastle/Gateshead estimated they had 1.5 million visitors and the local economy benefited by over £50 million. Such was the demand for hotels and guest houses, they launched a campaign to encourage visitors to stay with family and friends.
The first leg of the race will see ships sail out of Antwerp in Belgium on Tuesday 13 July en route to Aalborg in Denmark. The ships then take a break from the race and will cruise leisurely to Kristiansand for the start of the second leg.
For further information contact Lesley Strickland at Hartlepool Council on 01429 523420 or visit
http://www.sailtraininginternational.org/
