Twenty of the twenty six ships entered in the first leg of the Tall Ships Race screamed over the start line at noon yesterday. The start of the race which was scheduled to have been at 1pm UK time on Tuesday 18 April was postponed due to the bad weather that the fleet was experiencing. The ships took shelter from the force 8 gales in bays and ports along the South Coast.

After waiting two days since the Parade of Sail on Sunday 16 April, it was decided by the ISTA to make the most of a window of milder weather forecast for lunchtime on Wednesday. The remaining six ships are expected to cross the start line before noon today, making them still eligible to compete in the first leg.

This leg of the race takes the fleet to Cadiz, where it is due to rendezvous with ships sailing from Genoa. From Cadiz, the combined fleet of nearly 50 ships sail for Bermuda, before sailing north from Boston, along the Eastern Seaboard, calling at Halifax and Nova Scotia. The final leg takes the fleet back across the Atlantic to the finish in Amsterdam, sometime in August.

Regular updates on the position of each vessel, and the progress of the race are available on the official website: www.tallships2000.com