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TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® 2021 • Atlantic Coast
n 2001, Tall Ships America (then the American Sail Training Association) hosted the first TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® race series in the Great Lakes. Kingston, Ontario, was the first port and 30 vessels participated, coming from as far away as Russia, France, and the Caribbean. Since then, 60 communities have hosted the international fleet of sailing ships at over 100 events. More than 23 million people have visited the docks to view these vessels, with an estimated economic impact exceeding two billion dollars. TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® events are highly visible opportunities to promote youth development through sail training and introduce young people to maritime careers through apprenticeship in the fleet. While the pandemic put a stop to festivals and kept most of the ships either at the dock or close to home waters, this pause has given us a chance to take stock of our events and how they serve the needs of our member vessels, our port partners, and the visiting public. During this time, Tall Ships America has been working with its members to bring the focus of the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Race Series back to its core mission of sail training and education. This includes preparing curriculum that connects with national standards for maritime history and creates an experiential modern apprenticeship program for young
people to gain skills, certifications, and confidence relevant to a maritime-based career. It also includes creating more support for getting young people on board through scholarships and sponsorships. Nicolas Hardisty, Tall Ships America’s program coordinator, will be instrumental in bringing these new and redesigned initiatives to fruition. The TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Series has continued to grow and is an eagerly anticipated event in the seaside communities that host the vessels. With new perspectives and fresh alignment with core mission, Tall Ships America sees a very bright future for the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® and even more options for young people to experience the profound significance of the historic tall ship in their modern world. The tall ships contribute experiences that are transformative for individuals and invaluable to the maritime industry. We want to make sure those messages are highlighted at the docks when our ships come to port, and the opportunity to participate is widely available to young people from across all of North America. (www.tallshipsamerica.org) —Kris Von Wald, Executive Director, Tall Ships America
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