About the event

About Harlingen Sail

Harlingen Sail Foundation organises the Tall Ships Races Harlingen (TSRH) in cooperation with and on behalf of the municipality of Harlingen. From the Harlingen Sail Foundation, the Frisian Tall Ships Club (FTSC) established. An informal networking club that links the business community, as well as educational institutions and social service associations such as the Lions Club and Rotary Club, to the ambitions and goals of the Tall Ships Races Harlingen.

The international organiser of the Tall Ships Races is the charitable foundation Sail Training International (STI) from England, the world's leading organiser of sailing races and events. Their mission? To offer young people aged 15 to 25 the experience of a lifetime. Through sailing training, they introduce young people to values, teach them team spirit, give them physical challenges and teach them about themselves. STI is driven by its national members. In the Netherlands, this is Sail Training Association Netherlands (STAN) in Oostvoorne.

The history

The first race was organised in 1956 by Bernard Morgan, a London lawyer. Twenty ships competed in this first race from Torqua, Devon to Lisbon. Public interest was so overwhelming that the organisers organised the Sail Training International association have set up to organise competitions in subsequent years as well.

In 2014, for the first time in the history of the Tall Ships Races, a Dutch port hosted the international sailing race. The large number of 337 trainees earned Harlingen Sail Foundation an Award that year for the highest number of participating trainees ever. Four years later, Harlingen again hosted the sailing race. The event attracted some 335,000 visitors that year. The final edition in 2022 was also a great success with over 350,000 visitors.

Mission & Vision

Apart from being an impressive spectacle for audiences, the Tall Ships Races is an event with a mission. It is all about the personal development and education of young people by providing unique sailing training, regardless of nationality, culture, religion, gender or social background. The historic port city of Harlingen is the setting par excellence to welcome the mighty ships.

Become a volunteer

Would you like to take part in the largest event in the Northern Netherlands? From builders and porters to supervisors for the public events and volunteers for the information stands, the Tall Ships Races Harlingen could not happen without the help of hundreds of volunteers.

Do you want to be part of the biggest event in the Northern Netherlands? And are you available between 29 June and 8 July?

Retrospective 2022

An impressive fleet, dazzling performances, spectacular laser shows, the most beautiful weather in the world, some 335,000 visitors and hundreds of trainees who made the trip of a lifetime. The Tall Ships Races Harlingen 2022 was a four-day maritime feast.

Our board

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Mr S. Smeding

Chairman and programming

A Mintjes

Mr. A. Mintjes

Secretary and trainees

N Hornstra

Mr N. Hornstra

Treasurer

Franke

Mr F. Twerda

Sponsorship programme and chairman Frisian Tall Ships Club

M Beekhuizen

Mr M. Beekhuizen

Communication and marketing

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Mr D. Meijer

Operational matters

L Krol

Mr L. Krol

Director

Our partners

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