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Return of the Tall Ships

Return of the Tall Ships

Written by Hilary Henegar

This year, the Bounty joins the rest of the fleet in Victoria for the 2008 Tall Ships Festival.

The romance! The adventure! The Golden Age of Sail.

A nostalgic fleet of magnificent boats will once again crowd the Inner Harbour, June 26–29, for the 2008 Victoria Tall Ships Festival, offering visitors the chance to board some of the world’s finest tall ships and learn some maritime history.

Hailing from both Canada and the U.S., the fleet includes many famous vessels, including the Bounty, built in 1960 for the film Mutiny on the Bounty starring Marlon Brando. The 180' square-rigged three-master was constructed in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, based on the original ship’s drawings still on file in the British admiralty archives.

“We have been working on getting the Bounty to Victoria almost since we conceived this festival,” said Bob Cross, president of the Victoria Tall Ships Society. “The ship is steeped in history. It’ll be a real thrill for people to walk her decks and think of Captain Bligh and his mutinous crew—one of the greatest sea stories of all times.”

“Tall ship” describes a traditionally rigged sailing vessel, reminiscent of the 18th and 19th-century ships that took to the high seas devising the trade routes that would ultimately provide the means for today’s global economy. They took explorers to all corners of the world, transported tea to thirsty Brits and eventually facilitated one of the largest human migrations in recorded history.
Victoria is the first port of call for the full fleet participating in the 2008 Tall Ships Challenge, a series of races along the West Coast hosted by the American Sail Training Association. Many of the ships will also stop in Port Alberni, July 11–12.

Declared the marquee maritime event in this year’s BC150 celebrations, the Victoria festival received a $50,000 contribution from the B.C. government.
For more information, visit http://tallshipsvictoria.ca. As moorage space will be limited during the festival, recreational boaters are highly encouraged to make alternative accommodation arrangements the week of June 23.