Tall Ships off the Scillies

A fleet of windjammers large and small has the wind full in its sails just off the Isles of Scilly. The annual Tall Ships Race started in order to retain sailing barques that were under threat after their commercial use was taken over by steam and diesel powered ships. Solitictor Bernard Morgan with support from the Portuguese Ambassador to the UK Pedro Perreira came up with the idea of a competition for training young cadets and the first race was held in 1956.

The popular event graces European waters and the route varies each year. Tall ships fall into different catergories; Class A is for squared rigged ships over 160 feet with a second division for under 120 feet; class B for fore and aft rigged vessels; and class C for all other fore and aft vessels over 30 feet. The topmast and topsails define a tall ship. A ship may consist of a main topmast at the upper end or top of the main topmast-staysail, a mizzen topmast, mizzen meaning middle and a fore topmast, fore meaning front and carry square rigged sails. Gaff rigged or Bermuda rigged ships have many different topsails for example a Cornish topsail is triangular. The mast used to be dependent on the height of tree.