Royal Watch News
Prince Philip launches boat
Jul 12, 2006, 14:18 GMT
Britain's Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, has launched the 50th Tall Ships race.
The Duke - who unveiled the first contest half a century ago - visited the waterfront in Devon, South England before the race, to meet young crew members.
As patron of this year's Tall Ship race, the Philip also spoke to veteran competitors and skippers from the first race in 1956. Some of the tall ships, which competed 50 years ago, also took part in the latest event. Before starting the race, the Duke boarded the Royal Navy fishery protection vessel HMS Mersey. Bad weather conditions, including a thick sea mist, made it difficult for spectators to see the boats start the race. The international fleet of 80 vessels from 20 countries will sail down the English Channel and on to the Bay of Biscay in Lisbon, Portugal. From there, the race will continue to Cadiz, Spain. Then they will continue their journey from the northern Spanish port of La Coruna to Antwerp, Belgium. According to The Scotsman newspaper, since the first competition, 90 European ports have hosted the race. A tall ship is classified as anything with a mast. According to competition rules, half of the crew must be aged 15-25 and crews range from four to 300 people.Copyright 2006 BANG Media International
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