SAIL Amsterdam is a large maritime event that takes place every five years in the port area to the east and the north of the city. The five-day event was first held in 1975 as part of the celebrations marking the 700th anniversary of the establishment of Amsterdam. Sail Amsterdam 2010 is the eighth time the maritime extravaganza has taken place. Sail Amsterdam 2010 began on Thursday 19 August with the Sail-in parade and ended on Monday the 23rd with the Sail-out.
The Sail-in parade Photo Credit SAIL Amsterdam Foundation - Ewout Huibers
SAIL’s main attraction consisted of the impressive tall ships and the large fleet accompanying them. The SAIL-IN Parade set off on 19 August around 10:00 a.m. from IJmuiden and began arriving at 12:00 p.m. in the IJ harbour in Amsterdam. The tall ships were escorted by thousands of boats during their crossing of the North Sea Canal.
Tall ships from dozens of countries have participated in SAIL Amsterdam 2010. Striking newcomers include the Götheborg from Sweden and the Dhow Theyab from the United Arab Emirates. The Stad Amsterdam, which retraced the route of Darwin’s voyage on the HMS Beagle, moored along the quay during SAIL.
Among others, the following tall ships from the A class tok part in the SAIL-IN: Amerigo Vespucci (Italy), Dar Mlodziezy (Poland), Dewaruci (Indonesia), Dhow Theyab (United Arab Emirates), Gloria (Colombia), Götheborg (Sweden), Grossherzogin Elisabeth (Germany), HMS Gladan (Sweden), HMS Falken (Sweden), Iskra (Poland), Kaliakra (Bulgaria), Kruzenshtern (Russia), Loa (Denmark), Mir (Russia), Pelican of London (England), Pogoria (Poland), Sedov (Russia), Shabab Oman (Oman), Shtandart (Russai), Sørlandet (Norway), Stavros S Niarchos (England) and Thor Heyerdahl (Germany). The Stad Amsterdam clipper sailed at the front the parade.
Stad Amsterdam - Photo Credit SAIL Amsterdam Foundation - Sander Stoepker
From historical to modern
In addition to the renowned tall ships, a unique collection of about 500 ships from the Dutch sailing heritage fleet, naval ships, various replicas and modern ships moored in and around the IJ river. Other nautical highlights included the Ceremonial Salute, the Naval Review, the safety and rescue demonstrations by the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (KNRM) and the Royal Netherlands Navy, the so-called ‘Pieremachocheltocht’ involving rowboats decked out in carnival fashion, the Crew Parade through the city centre, the Aquacorso, the salute to the tall ships from approximately 1,300 canoers and rowers and the races in the SAILSation area.
At Night Photo Credit SAIL Amsterdam Foundation - Ewout Huibers
New: SAILSation
New to SAIL was SAILSation, the racing area on the north side of the KNSM island where various types of boats participated. Unique races between ‘skutsjes’, Frisian sailing boats, took place on Friday and during the weekend on the IJ river. This was the first time that these ships were seen in racing form on the IJ.
New: Entertainment on tall ships and SAIL Sing-Along
For the first time at SAIL, there was entertainment on the decks of the tall ships. Ensembles, storytellers and performances enriched the nautical atmosphere. The daily SAIL Sing-Along on the main stage at the head of Java island was highly enjoyable. This event featured various shanty choirs, supported by an orchestra, singing well-known songs of the sea.
Focal point: The ING Pirate Island
This edition of SAIL focused extra attention on children aged 6 to 12 and young people aged 15 to 25. For children, the Bogortuin garden at the beginning of Java island was a not to be missed event. At the Province of Noord-Holland Children’s Stage, the programme featured the dazzling shows of Kapitein Winokio in which the children themselves could play a role. On the water, main sponsor ING created the ING Pirate Island, the focal point of SAIL 2010. During the day it was a veritable adventure paradise for children, while in the evenings it served as a fantastic and breathtaking backdrop for the ‘pirate party’. In the nearby Aquarena, children were able to learn how to sail, water-ski and build rafts.
