Tall Ships Race -- Dublin

Tall Ships Race -- Dublin, photo by Willie Waw.

Tall Ships line the quays on both side of the River Liffey in Dublin, Ireland -- this was from the 1998 series.

The annual European races are organized by Sail Training International (STI) and the annual North American races (Tall Ships Challenge Race Series) are run by the American Sail Training Association (ASTA).

This year's 50th Anniversary European Tall Ships Race will run from St. Malo, France to Lisbon, to Cadiz and La Coruna, Spain and will end in Antwerp, Belgium. Many of the ships carry only youth and cadet sail trainees, but others have space for adults interested in adventure travel.

The 2006 Tall Ships Challenge will go from Cleveland to Bay City, Michigan, on to Green Bay, Wisconsin with a finish in Chicago. Each port will host a maritime festival giving the public a chance to go aboard the ships and talk with the crew. There are often opportunities to go out for a daysail during the festivals.