Hundreds of historic tall ships sail into Amsterdam for a maritime festival
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Monthly Digital Subscription
$0 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*No charge for 4 weeks then price increases to the regular rate of $19.00 plus GST every four weeks. Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
Monthly Digital Subscription
$4.75/week*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Billed as $19 plus GST every four weeks. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*Your next subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $16.99 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $23.99 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
AMSTERDAM (AP) — Crowds packed vantage points along a major canal and took to the water themselves Wednesday to watch a flotilla of hundreds of historic ships sail into Amsterdam at the start of a five-day festival celebrating the Dutch capital’s maritime history.
Ships from all over the world, many with their masts and rigging decorated with flags, sailed from the North Sea coastal town of IJmuiden on an hourslong journey up the North Sea Canal and into Amsterdam’s IJ waterway for SAIL 2025, the first edition in a decade.
A puff of orange smoke erupted into the sky and ships’ horns sounded as the replica three-masted clipper Stad Amsterdam passed through a lock to mark the official start of the event. Each ship is greeted with two cannon shots and its country’s national anthem as it enters the harbor.
Hugo Peek was one of the thousands of people who sailed in smaller boats together with the tall ships. Along with his grandfather and several other family members, he traveled on a smaller boat that accompanied the tall ship Europa.
“There was almost no water. It’s almost all boats, ” the 21-year-old student said.
Mahek Singahl was waiting in Amsterdam’s central train station, looking onto the harbor with her two small children and several large suitcases. Her family was headed back to Ivory Coast after a holiday in Iceland and had stopped in Amsterdam for a few days. They had no idea what the crowds were for.
“My husband went to look at the boats and left me here,” she said, laughing. “He loves this stuff.”
The event, which draws hundreds of thousands of visitors, is held every five years. The 2020 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wednesday’s parade culminates in an evening fireworks display. The ships will remain in Amsterdam, many open for visitors, through the weekend.
The first event was first held in 1975 to celebrate Amsterdam’s 700th anniversary and this year’s edition coincides with the city’s 750th birthday.