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Amsterdam welcomes 600 ships for 9th edition of Sail

Xinhua, August 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

The 9th edition of Sail, one of the largest free nautical events in the world, kicked off here on Wednesday with 600 ships entering the city.

The fleet, consisting of tall ships, maritime heritage, modern ships, naval vessels and replicas, and other kinds of special ships from all corners of the world, set sail from the harbor of IJmuiden on the Dutch western coast and continued along the North Sea Canal to the IJ harbor here.

The flag ship of the "Sail-in Parade" was the Stad Amsterdam (City of Amsterdam), a three-masted clipper with a length of 76 meters which was built in Amsterdam in 2000. On this ship, Amsterdam mayor Eberhard van der Laan and Prince Maurits, patron of Sail, were present, among around 150 guests.

The city welcomed the parade with canon blasts and by singing the Dutch national anthem, the Wilhelmus; thousands of people watched the arrival from ashore.

In addition to the ships, visitors can, in the forthcoming days, also explore the area in and around Amsterdam's IJhaven, and experience a program of cultural events and sporting activities. In 2010, 1.7 million people visited the event and the organization expects two million visitors this year.

Since its first edition in 1975, Sail Amsterdam has grown to become one of the largest public events in the Netherlands. The event has been held every five years since and the 9th edition takes place from Aug. 19 to Aug. 23. Endit