SAIL Amsterdam
SAIL Amsterdam is a maritime event held once every five years in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Tall ships from all over the world visit the city to moor in its eastern harbour.
The 2020 event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
History
The event was organised in 1975 to celebrate the 700th anniversary of Amsterdam, under the name 'Sail Amsterdam 700'. This led to the establishment of the Stichting Sail Amsterdam.1975
More than 850 ships from 21 countries participated in the inaugural SAIL Amsterdam. The tjalk Stockpaerdt participated in the event on inception.1980
SAIL Amsterdam 1980 had approximately 1,000 sailing ships from multiple countries. Participants included the Soviet Union's Kruzenshtern, Poland's Dar Pomorza, Sea Cloud from the Bahamas, Germany's Gorch Fock, and the Sir Winston Churchill.1985
The Netherlands commemorated SAIL Amsterdam 1985 with an issue of three stamps.1990
SAIL Amsterdam 1990 opened on 9 August. During the 1990 event, a limited number of visitors were permitted to stay onboard some of the sailing vessels.1995
SAIL Amsterdam 1995 took place from 10 to 14 August. As many as 3 million attendees were expected.2000
The Stad Amsterdam, a 250-foot, three-masted clipper ship, was christened during SAIL Amsterdam 2000.2005
SAIL Amsterdam 2005 was held from 17 to 22 August, the 7th occurrence of the festival. The event was expected to attract 2 to 3 million visitors. The official number of tall ships which participated was 21 but in total over 50 ships with at least 3 masts were present. There were also several ship replicas, hundreds of classical sail- and steamships and some modern marine ships. For the first time several modern yachts and a submarine were present.The tall ships were moored in the IJhaven and in Amsterdam North and the Varend Erfgoed boats were moored in the Oosterdok nearby, where one can also find the Nederlands Scheepvaartmuseum with its replica of a Dutch East India Company ship, which is permanently moored there.
Image:SAIL Amsterdam 2005 backlit quay.jpg|thumb|upright|Early morning overview of tall ships
The main ships, in the order of the official walking-route were :
- STS Sedov
- Tenacious
- Amerigo Vespucci
- Mir
- Kruzenshtern
- Prins Willem
- Stad Amsterdam
- Sørlandet
- Europa
- Oosterschelde
- Eendracht
- Sagres
- Swan fan Makkum
- Alexander von Humboldt
- Khersones
- Pogoria
- Shabab Oman
- Dar Młodzieży
- Statsraad Lehmkuhl
- Mircea
- Dewaruci
- Tarangini
- Kaliakra
The event cost around €7.5 million to stage which was financed by sponsorship and trading activity.
On the first day, the ships gather in the locks at IJmuiden for the Sail In or Parade of Sail through the North Sea Canal to Amsterdam, led by the event's flagship. In 2005 that was the Stad Amsterdam, which was supposed to reach Amsterdam first, but she ran aground with the Dutch crown prince Willem Alexander aboard and the Statsraad Lehmkuhl then preceded her.
2010
SAIL Amsterdam 2010 was held from 19 August until 23 August that year.2015
SAIL Amsterdam 2015 was held from 19 to 23 August 2015.- List of sailing ships participating in Sail Amsterdam 2015
2020