07.05.2013

The free Tall Ships Races Helsinki 2013 event brings together children, young people and adults

100 sail ships, dozens of sales stands and 7 pop-up restaurants will be located in the Hietalahti area

Between 17 and 20 July 2013, The Tall Ships Races Helsinki sailing event will fill the hours between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. with a varied cultural programme in the areas of Hietalahti, the Hietalahti shipyard and Sinebrychoff Park. When not enjoying the entertainment, you can take in the over 100 splendid sailing ships from all over the world, visit restaurants with a focus on organic food and make responsible nautical purchases at the sales stands located on the waterside.

In Helsinki, the sailing event will climax on Saturday 20 July with the Parade of Sail, as the ships depart for Riga. The best views of the parade are available on the embankments of the southern and south-western parts of Suomenlinna Island, as the ships make their way towards the Harmaja lighthouse, from where they will set sail. Over half a million visitors are expected to attend the event, with over 3,000 young international sailors participating from places as far-flung as Brazil and Mexico. The President of the Republic of Finland, Sauli Niinistö, is the patron of The Tall Ships Races Helsinki 2013.

Hietalahti market will host a celebration with such acts as the Don Johnson Big Band, Paula Koivuniemi and the Von Hertzen Brothers

The main stage is located in the Hietalahti market. The schedule for Wednesday 17 July features international sounds – acts such as UMO featuring singer Tony Momrelle (GB); Irina Björklund and her band; Amadeus Lundberg; and artists familiar from Finnish television, such as Karoliina Kallio and Amanda Löfman, who will take to the stage backed by the house band. Thursday 18 July will highlight the best in Finnish music, when Suomi Iskelmän SM (Finnhit Championships) finalists and the main attraction, Paula Koivuniemi, appear.

On Friday 19 July, concert-goers can dance to Aino Venna, Osmo Ikonen, Saara Aalto, Eternal Erection and the Don Johnson Big Band at the main stage. The schedule for Saturday 20 July features a diverse selection of top-drawer Finnish music, from acts such as Tuomari Nurmio, Paleface, Erja Lyytinen and the Von Hertzen Brothers. Each day, the main stage will host flamenco performances from Compañía Kaari Martin and a variety of acts, from musicians to circus artists, selected from candidates who entered their acts as part of the Meidän Helsinki (Our Helsinki) project.

Every day, the Jätkä Stage in Jätkäsaari will play host to rising talents from KukkoKlubi, as well as multitalented troubadours. Lighthouse Nosturi, a place where the ships’ young sailors can relax, also offers other festival visitors easygoing activities and the chance to hang out.

Download a list of the ships attending the event: http://www.tallshipsraceshelsinki.fi/en/press

The Sinebrychoff Park will keep families entertained for the entire day

The Sinebrychoff Park, along with its Puisto Stage, are dedicated to programme features and activities for children. The stage will play host to the UMO concert for families, featuring the vocal talents of Johanna Försti; the Pikku Papu band, with vocalists such as Heli Kajo; Anna Hanski’s music session; Sinikka Sokka’s nautical fairytales; performances from the Musiikkiteatteri Kapsäkki music theatre; Circus Helsinki; a ship-bound adventure from the Sytkyt puppet theatre; and much more.

The Campaign for a Cleaner Baltic Sea will immortalise donors in a work of art

The Tall Ships Races Helsinki 2013, the City of Helsinki’s Baltic Sea Challenge and the John Nurminen Foundation are jointly campaigning for a cleaner Baltic Sea. All proceeds from this campaign will be spent on foundation projects aimed at reducing the amount of phosphorus flowing into the Baltic Sea.

The campaign challenges private individuals to make a €50 donation on the Tallshipsraceshelsinki.fi website. All donors will receive their own plaque bearing their name, on the artwork being created in Helsinki’s Jätkäsaari area. This monument will be finished during the summer, prior to the event. The design of this piece was donated by designer and Professor Hannu Kähönen of the Creadesign industrial design agency.

The area will be closed to vehicle traffic – use public transport, bring your bicycle or why not walk?

The streets surrounding the Hietalahti market will be closed to traffic between Friday 12 July and Monday 22 July. During the event, no parking spaces will be available in the area and the organisers advise visitors to arrive by public transport, by bicycle or on foot.

When arriving by bicycle or on foot, the easiest option is to take the pedestrian-traffic route Baana from the direction of Rautatientori and Kamppi, or Bulevardi Street from the direction of Erottaja. There are two bicycle-parks in the area.

Visitors using public transport are particularly encouraged to take the metro to Ruoholahti or Kamppi, from where they can walk to the area in under 10 minutes.

If you travel to the area by tram, it is recommended that you take event tram 6X, running from Kauppatori via the railway station to Hietalahti between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. during the festival. Trams no. 1 (Wed-Fri), 6 and 9, and bus no. 8X which follows the route of tram no. 8, will also drop passengers off close to the area. Trams no. 6 and 6X run every six minutes and, unlike other forms of transport, will take you all the way to the festival area.

The Tall Ships Races Helsinki 2013

The Tall Ships Races sailing contest is organised by Sail Training International (STI), an international non-profit organisation. These races are designed to promote international friendship and training for young people in the art of sailing, regardless of their nationality, skin colour, religion or social background. The City of Helsinki Event Office is responsible for event organisation in Helsinki. The Helsinki event has three primary themes: youth work, protection of the Baltic Sea and the organisation of responsible events.

The Tall Ships Races is held in the Baltic Sea region every fourth year. In 2013, the event will be hosted by Aarhus in Denmark, Riga in Latvia and Szczecin in Poland, in addition to Helsinki. Around 100 ships carrying some 3,000 young sailors will participate in The Tall Ships Races Helsinki 2013 contest. Helsinki last hosted the event in 2000.

Wednesday to Saturday, 17–20 July 2013
Event grounds include the Hietalahti, Hietalahti shipyard, Jätkäsaari and Sinebrychoff Park areas.
Programmes run daily between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. Schedule changes possible.
Free entry
www.tallshipsraceshelsinki.fi

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Main partners: TopGear Finland and Hartwall
Co-operation and media partners: Finnpilot Pilotage, Hartwa-Trade, Hego Finland, Iltalehti, John Nurminen Foundation, More On, Nelonen Media, Ramirent Finland and Toikkatech
Service provider and supplier partners: Helsinki Event Production, Kataja Event, Kopijyvä, Lassila & Tikanoja, Paulig, Radisson Blu, Rajala Pro Shop, Veho Autotalot and Woikoski

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Accreditation: Media representatives must request accreditation for the event, by filling in the form at http://www.tallshipsraceshelsinki.fi/en/press
Media contacts: Anna Kari, Pink Eminence Oy, tel. +358 40 717 8185, anna (at) pinkeminence.fi
Further information: Päivi Munther, Project Manager, City of Helsinki Event Office, tel. +358 40 334 2045, paivi.munther (at) hel.fi
Photos: http://aineistopankki.hel.fi/?cart=2564-dhgbflkbmk&l=FI

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