By Adam Paczuski
31 July 2003

Over 1 million people visited Gdynia to take part July 19-22 in the kick-off of the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race. For a few days, Gdynia became the capital of world yachting.

The Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race is already a sailing legend. It owes its original name to the Cutty Sark clipper ship, which raced against another ship, the Thermopylae, on the Shanghai-London route in 1872. The Cutty Sark lost that first race, but soon became famous, not only for its speed, but also its beauty. Today, the ship is docked in Greenwich, London as a tourist attraction.

The race itself was established in the 1950s, when large sailing vessels were a rare sight on the sea. However, the legend of clipper ships and the tough work under sail kept attracting generations of young sailors. With them in mind, the first race, from the English port of Torbay to Lisbon, was organized in 1956. The participants were mainly yachts with nautical college students onboard. In many countries, ranging from Russia to Great Britain and from the United States to Mexico, despite up-to-date technologies used in navigation today, future officers of both the merchant fleet and the navy still learn the ropes onboard college sailing ships.

The race earned its current name in the '70s thanks to its sponsor, a whisky producer who borrowed the legendary clipper's name. The race is not only about speeding from harbor to harbor, but also becoming acquainted with foreign countries and different sailing traditions. An opportunity for meetings are the "social stages," during which crews are partly exchanged between the ships taking part in the event. The prize is the silver Cutty Sark statuette, granted by the board of captains and the crews participating in the race. Fair play, however, is often more important than the result at the finish. For example, in 1976 the trophy went to the Belgian ship Zenobe Gramme, which towed two damaged boats for hundreds of miles. Next time, due to the withdrawal of the event's longtime sponsor, a new trophy will be presented-a solid silver platter carrying the logo of the event organizer, The Sail Training Association.

The Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race took place in Polish waters for the third time. Gdynia has twice played host to the event: in 1974 and 1992, the race finished in Gdynia. The last time the race came to Poland, visiting nearby Gdańsk, was in 2000. But Gdynia is the capital of Polish sailing, and the home port of the largest, best-known Polish sailing ships-Dar Pomorza, Dar Młodzieży, Zawisza Czarny, Pogoria and Iskra. Dar Pomorza, today serving as a museum by the wharf on Kościuszki Square, won the race in 1972. The designation of Gdynia this year as the starting point is thanks to the efforts of Gdynia's residents, who managed to convince the demanding representatives of The Sail Training Association. On the Polish side, the organizer was the Polish Sail Training Association (PSSŻ), which fulfills the idea of young people's education through sailing. The Cutty Sark is an event first and foremost for the young. As a rule, at least half of the crew of each ship participating in the races have to be aged 15-25.

Over the four days, Gdynia was totally absorbed in the races. Held under its traditional name for the final time, the event keeps attracting thousands of sailing enthusiasts. This year, 40 ships from 25 countries participated in the regattas. For the opening ceremony, over 100 yachts not directly engaged in the competition came to Gdynia as well. On the first day of the race, a colorful procession of sailors from Russia, England, Germany, Finland, Mexico and Poland marched through the city. Each day saw various sporting and cultural events connected to the race.

The world's greatest sailing ship-the 120-meter Russian ship Sedov-aroused respect and admiration with its size, even if it's not quite as graceful as Mexico's Cuauhtemoc and Germany's Alexander von Humboldt. The latter, with its characteristic green riging and hull, is perhaps the oldest-it dates back to 1906-ship in the race.

Education on ships can also be accessible to the handicapped, as proved by Britain's Lord Nelson, a ship specially designed and fully adjusted to the needs of the handicapped; the ship's namesake-one of history's most famous admirals-was, after all disabled. The handicapped can constitute even one half of its 50-member crew. Amenities installed to meet their needs include acoustic compasses for the blind and special winches to hoist wheelchairs. Since 1986, about 20,000 people have sailed onboard the Lord Nelson.

Tourists had an opportunity to visit the sailing ship decks and receive special memento stamps on their race programs. There was no lack of the willing, while the sailors treated the landlubbers with friendliness, revealing some of the secrets of the sailor's trade. Most impressive was the sailing ship flotilla on the waters of the Bay of Gdańsk, with the ships-under full sail and in full dress-presenting their beauty. Thousands of visitors, who came from around Poland and from abroad, admired from the shore.

The organizers expected 500,000 visitors during the four days, but twice as many came to the city. Thanks to efficient organization, there were no major problems despite the large number of tourists, who filled the entire Kościuszki Square, the wharf, the promenade and the beaches. Accompanying events lasted late into the night. From the harbor and the ships you could hear singing and music-sailor's songs or shanties. There was also a fireworks display, a fair, and a sailing gear exhibition. A race also took place of the smallest class of boats, Optimists, on which young students learn the art of navigation. The captains of the ships participating in the race also tried their hand onboard the "little bathtubs," as the small boats are called.

The first stage of the Cutty Sark 2003 leads from Gdynia to the Finnish port of Turku and then on to Latvia's Riga and Germany's Travemünde. The race will finish in Lübeck.

send to a friend	print article