Tuesday the 10th August 2010 is the final day of The Tall Ships Races in Hartlepool. Visitors to previous Tall Ships Races will know this is the day that the fleet depart and perform a ‘Parade of Sail’. In 2010 this amazing spectacle will be known as ‘The Grand Farewell’ and the whole day will be focused on the ships and their crew preparing their vessels to head off to sea once more.
The whole operation will need to be timed to perfection, all vessels in Hartlepool Marina will have a window of approximately 2hrs over lunchtime to leave their berths and exit via the lock-gates. Timing is critical as the North Sea tide will wait for nobody!
Once the ships are clear from the marina the whole fleet will assemble approximately 1mile offshore to begin an unrivalled procession of spectacular ships. Starting to the South of Hartlepool close to Seaton Carew and the mouth of the River Tees each ship will be in full sail and in a pre-determined sequence to showcase the mighty fleet. The course the fleet will take is likely to head towards Hartlepool Marina, Hartlepool Headland and then further north towards Blackhall.
For visitors there are many excellent viewing points to witness this amazing sight, most of which are a short distance away from the Tall Ships Village – Seaton Carew and the Headland both offer what may be the best vantage points.