Tall Ships Races back at Saint-Malo this summer

The Tall Ships Races are back at Saint-Malo this summer from the 5th to the 8th of July, I can hardly think of a better place to be during the period, if you have an interest on the subject of course, if not maybe the oysters will tempt you and yet maybe not. Saint-Malo is the most visited place in Brittany, in the middle ages it was a fortified island controlling the sea and estuary, the city became later notorious for being the home of French privateers and pirates, Robert Sourcouf, possibly the most famous one, today the city is mostly visited by tourists seeking beauty, one the greatest restaurant concentrations in Europe and of course seafood, places of interest are amongst others, the walled city, the tomb of Chateaubriand, St Vicent's Cathedral and the great Aquarium, Saint-Malo is for me one of the most enchanting places I have ever visited. Top photo from the Sail Training Association. For all the information on the races, please visit www.sailtraininginternational.org

Remembering a visit on board the Portuguese Tall ship "SAGRES"

This post takes us back to the year of 1998, location an amazing place called FALMOUTH, the event, the TALL SHIPS RACES, I went on board the "SAGRES" one of the most beautiful sailing ships in the world, a few images to share, please click top images for information on the ship

Former "GRAND TURK" becomes the "L'ETOILE DU ROY"

"GRAND TURK" is a fully-rigged tall ship built in Turkey in 1997 she was based on the 1741 HMS "BLANDFORD", the ship became famous particulary in the UK because of her role on the TV SERIES HORNBLOWER between 1998 and 2003, today she is based at Saint-Malo in Brittany, France and has been renamed "L'ETOILE DU ROY", for information on the ship's current role please visit www.etoile-du-roy.com Images included, top two photos taken at Portsmouth in 1998 and the last one at Whitby in 2003, this amazing ship has been based at Whitby for a decade

JOHN CABOT

JOHN CABOT (c-1459-98) is the anglicized version of the latin GIOVANNI CABOTO, the Italian navigator believed to have born in Genoa, very little is known of his early life. Cabot came to England with his family in 1484 filled with believe that we would persuade King Henry VII and the Bristol merchants to attempt to reach Cathay by sea, by then the news that CRISTOFORO COLOMBO reached the Indies was circulating in England, the expedition was granted and CABOT left from Bristol in 1497 on board the small ship "MATTHEW" manned by a crew of 18, on the 24th of June CABOT sighted an island on the northern capes of Newfoudland on which island he landed and took possession, on his return CABOT passed the Grand Banks off the coast of Newfoundland where the crew caught huge quantities of cod simply by lowering baskets into the sea, this discovery led to the development of the Newfoundland cod fishery. A second enterprise was organised in 1498, CABOT left Bristol once again this time with five ships, the goal was to sail westward of his first discovery, very little is known about this second expedition. Photos above, CABOT, his voyages and replica of the MATTHEW built in England in 1997, the ship at Portsmouth in 1998 and two years later at Bristol

replica of John Cabot's "MATTHEW"

Built in 1997 on Radcliffe Wharf in Bristol, the replica of the MATTHEW, ship used by the Italian navigator John Cabot when he sailed from Bristol in 1497 is seen here at Portsmouth, during the Festival of the sea in 1998, the ship took two years to build and in 1997 exactly 500 years after John Cabot left England the replica followed the same course with the same number of crew and the same time to complete the crossing was used