A dreadful crossing from Nova Scotia did nothing to dampen the spirits of the sailors taking part in the Belfast Maritime Festival Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge, writes LORNA SIGGINS
CAPT JOHN Paul Jones could have done with a few of the square riggers berthed up the Lagan this weekend. It is more than two centuries since the Scottish-born commander of a privateer took the US war of independence hostilities right into Belfast lough, single-handedly forcing the British HMS Draketo surrender after finishing off the captain and most of the crew.
Bearing no such letters of marque, and facing no such gory fates, commanders of tall and small ships were reminded of such rich history as they were “welcomed to Sailortown” yesterday, Belfast’s revitalised dockside area and Titanic quarter.
It is 18 years since the prestigious international race last visited the northeast capital, and it is a city “transformed”, as Lord Mayor Naomi Long noted at the maritime festival’s official opening.
Roll back those years, and a 100-strong fleet navigating north from Cork steamed into a city where political talks initiated by former secretary of state Peter Brooke had just ended inconclusively. Two decades later, and more than a decade since the Belfast Agreement, the skyline is no longer solely dominated by Harland and Wolff’s Samson and Goliath. The pace of construction along the riverbank is such that some visiting sailors quipped that they found it difficult to get their bearings amid all the cranes as they approached the Lagan bridge.
For the participants in the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge, the light airs were a contrast to the challenges they faced crossing the ocean from Nova Scotia last week, with westerly gales sweeping them in early to Tory Island and the northern coastline.
All of the competitors had arrived by last weekend, with the Brazilian clipper replica Cisne Brancofirst to cross the line, and several vessels killing time pleasurably in Derry and Ballycastle.
Ferry van Schoonhoven, the commander of Netherlands naval ship Urania had remarked that the crossing had “topped everything else” he had experienced in 37 years at sea. Ships surfed in winds of up to 48 knots, or force 11, and even the smallest participant, the 13-metre Belgian yacht Xsaar, recorded 19 knots with just “half” a spinnaker, as it was too risky to maintain its mainsail.
Almost 50 Northern Irish trainees were on board various vessels, with Owen Kingston and Barbara Jemthrey on board the Stavros S Niarchos remarking that they would do it all over again – even those 4am watches in howling gales. The Republic is represented in the small-ship fleet by the Ocean Youth Trust's Lord Rank, and by Dún Laoghaire yacht Cushag, but the talk of the town has been the absence of Asgard II.
The brigantine, now lying at the bottom of the sea off northwest France, had received an accolade from Sail Training International for its repeated participation in the 53-year-old Tall Ships race. Several veterans of the event paid tribute to its captain, Colm Newport, and crew for a successful evacuation when it began taking water en route to La Rochelle in September.
There was also some surprise among Sail Training International supporters that the Government would even consider the McCarthy report recommendation to keep the €3.8 million insurance payment without building a replacement. Speaking on the dockside in Belfast, they stressed the character-moulding value of Coiste an Asgard’s national sail-training programme.
The decision to run the tall ships as two races this year, with separate Atlantic and Baltic challenges, has led to a considerably smaller fleet than 18 years ago. This did not deter the thousands of visitors streaming into the city yesterday, with reports of considerable traffic congestion and queues for the shuttle buses running from the park-and-ride locations.
There were pedestrian tailbacks for the Lagan weir footbridge, and brisk demand for the pirate-eye patches distributed by the Jubilee Sailing Trust’s barque, Tenacious, which can be sailed by people of all types of ability. Up at Custom House Square, the Lagan Village Drumming School was preparing to take to the stage for a day’s continuous free music, with some young musicians yearning for the aromatic bangers and mash being served up by the award-winning Mash Bus.
The North’s Minister for Tourism Arlene Foster believes that the festival will attract up to half a million people and will generate at least £10 million (€11.60 million) for the local economy. “We want people to see that if we can put on events like this; there’s nothing to stop other events coming to Belfast,” she said.
For Derek Booker of the Lagan Boat Company, it's all about Belfast returning to its shipbuilding roots. While everyone knows about the Titanic– and Booker makes his living running tours past its construction dock – a workforce of up to 35,000 ran the finest shipyard in the world, he points out. Among them were many fine sailing ships, including the Star fleet of clippers owned by JP Corry and Company, plying great trading routes completely under canvas.
The Belfast Maritime Festival runs until Sunday. Highlights include a parade of sail on Sunday from 2pm, tours of ships on the docks, live music at Custom House Square, a salsa fiesta tomorrow night, and a Titanic world ceili on Sunday. Park-and-ride facilities are available. www.gotobelfast.com
