Tallinn bidding to host The Tall Ships Races again in 2028

Tallinn City Government has decided to apply to host international offshore regatta The Tall Ships Races in 2028, when the event is set to return to the Baltic Sea. The event was previously held in Tallinn last year.
Sail Training International (STI) is an international organization uniting over 60 sail training organizations from 27 countries. Every year, STI organizes The Tall Ships Races in different parts of the world, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to host ports.
Tallinn Deputy Mayor Kaarel Oja said that the long-awaited regatta, which finally arrived in Tallinn last summer, turned into a true maritime celebration.
"For decades, Tallinn has worked hard to reconnect with the sea and establish itself as a major maritime city. The sight of last summer's maritime parade confirmed that these efforts have been worth it," said Oja. "At the same time, it is clear that being a maritime city comes with not only opportunities but also responsibilities, and striving to bring this major international event back to Tallinn is one of them."
The Tall Ships Races Tallinn 2024 brought 58 tall ships from 14 countries to the city's harbors, along with 1,277 crew members and 851 sail trainees from around the world. Tallinn supported the participation of 134 young sailing enthusiasts in various legs of the regatta. The festival attracted approximately 110,000 visitors and generated an economic impact of €3.6 million. The city's expenses for the event – including over four years of preparation and execution – amounted to €1.8 million.

The maritime festival, which focused on environmental sustainability and accessibility, received multiple prestigious awards. The Estonian Blind Union recognized the event with the title "Act of the Year 2024," and the Ministry of Climate awarded it the "Maritime Achievement of the Year" title. Additionally, Tallinn won the STI "Host Port of the Year 2024" award for being the largest supporter of sail training and the best host port of the year.
The competition among cities to host The Tall Ships Races is intense. Tallinn first applied in 2017 but was not selected as a host port, instead securing a place in the regatta's Cruise-in-Company program. The city was eventually successful in securing the role of host port for The Tall Ships Races 2021, but due to the pandemic, the regatta was postponed to 2024. STI will make its final decision on the 2028 regatta route and host cities in the first half of this year.
"Based on our experience organizing the last regatta and the recognition we received, we have proven Tallinn's capability to host a world-class event. This gives us hope for a successful outcome once again," said Deputy Mayor Oja.
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Editor: Michael Cole