SAIL Amsterdam - SAIL Amsterdam 2005

SAIL Amsterdam 2005

SAIL Amsterdam 2005 was held from 17 to 22 August, the 7th edition of the festival. The event was expected to attract 2 to 3 million visitors. The amount of tall ships depends on the definition, but figures vary from 21 (the official figure) to over 50 (those with at least 3 masts). Other historical ships number around 600. There were also several ship replicas (either real sailing ships or fakes that have to be towed), hundreds of classical sail- and steamships ('het Nationaal Varend Erfgoed' - the Sailing National Heritage) and some modern marine ships. New that year were several modern yachts and a submarine, the Hr Ms Zeeleeuw.

The tall ships were moored in the IJhaven (IJ harbour) and in Amsterdam North (across 't IJ) and the Varend Erfgoed boats were moored in the Oosterdok nearby, where one can also find the Nederlands Scheepvaartmuseum (a maritime museum) with its (fake) replica of a Dutch East India Company (VOC) ship, which is permanently moored there. Absent was another Dutch replica of a VOC ship (a 'real' seaworthy replica), the Batavia, with its home port in Lelystad, not too far from Amsterdam.

The main ships, in the order of the official walking-route were (with length and Nation of origin):

• Sedov (117m, Russia) (arrived later, on Friday)
• Tenacious (65 m, Great Britain)
• Amerigo Vespucci (104 m, Italy)
• Mir (109 m, Russia)
• Kruzenshtern (114 m, Russia)
• Prins Willem (the Netherlands) (a replica)
• Stad Amsterdam (76 m, the Netherlands) (the Flagship)
• Sørlandet (64 m, Norway)
• Europa (55 m, the Netherlands)
• Oosterschelde (50 m, the Netherlands)
• Eendracht (59 m, the Netherlands)
• Sagres II (89 m, Portugal)
• Alexander von Humboldt (63 m, Germany)
• Khersones (110 m, Ukraine)
• Pogoria (49 m, Poland)
• Shabab (52m, Oman)
• Oman ( Oman)
• Dar Mlodziezy (110 m, Poland)
• Kamper Kogge ( Netherlands) (a replica of the kogge, a popular type of ship in the Netherlands in the Middle Ages)
• Statsraad Lemkuhl (98 m, Norway)
• Mircea (81 m, Romania)
• Dewaruci (63 m, Indonesia)
• Tarangini (54 m, India)
• Kaliakra (52m, Bulgaria)

Smaller events included an exposition of yacht building in the newly built Muziekgebouw ('music building'), many music stages, food from all corners of the Earth, fireworks every night at 10 o'clock, a parade of sailors in uniform and the 'Pieremachocheltocht' (even the organisation isn't sure what the word means), a parade of carnavalesque floating creations (open to anyone).

Costs of the event were around 7,5 million €. Direct financial benefits are from sponsoring, catering and sales of souvenirs.

This year's three themes were the maritime link between past, present and future, the connection of worlds and cultures and youth, with the binding motto 'Enjoy a world of friendships' (in English - the pun doesn't work in Dutch).

On the first day, the ships gather in the sluice of IJmuiden for the Sail In or Parade of Sail through the North Sea Canal to Amsterdam, led by the event's flagship. In 2005 that was the Stad Amsterdam, which was supposed to reach Amsterdam first, but she ran aground (allegedly the fact that the Dutch crown prince Willem Alexander was at the helm had nothing to do with that), so the Statsraad Lehmkuhl came in first (it's not a contest, though). Amsterdam's harbour is known to be very shallow (a centuries old problem) and the Stad Amsterdam is a 'deep' ship. But luckily the ground is also very soggy, so there is not likely to have been any damage.

In 2005 Sail Bremerhaven was held one week before SAIL Amsterdam (10–14 August) and it was decided to make that a five-yearly event as well, which will be convenient for the ships since they are already in the neighbourhood.

Sail Amsterdam 2005 logo contest was won by Lamouri Merouane. A former student of a design school in Amsterdam (Grafisch Lyceum Amsterdam) He is originally from Algeria (Algiers). His logo was finally chosen and used through the entire event.