A grand procession of beautiful vessels made for a spectacular finale to the Royal Greenwich Tall Ships Festival on Easter Sunday – three years’ since their last visit.

The fleet gathered ahead of a race which will take them across the Atlantic, ultimately bound for Quebec, Canada. Around 30 elegant sailing ships from all over Europe, led by Portuguese four-mast lugger Santa Maria Manuela, glided into the east end of London’s river for the day, having been moored at Woolwich and Greenwich for the four-day event.

Earlier in the week, visitors were able to board many of the tall ships

for a closer look, while live music and fireworks launched the festival. Hundreds of thousands of classic ship fans lined the riverbanks for Sunday’s Parade of Sail, which was aided and abetted by Port of London Authority (PLA) staff as well as tugs working on the Thames. PLA deputy harbour master Nick Evans said: “It was a great day for people who came out to see the tall ships and a pleasure to help the Parade of Sail, as well as the usual river traffic.”

The splendid fleet is now headed for Sines, Portugal, the first leg of a transatlantic journey that ends in the Canadian city of Quebec.

Some of the vessels have
trainees on board for this leg of
the race, including more than 50 young people from the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

Sponsored by organisations, including the PLA, Visit Greenwich and Seafarers UK, the trainees will have the chance to do everything from steering at the helm to climbing the rigging and taking watch.

One of the vessels competing,
the Wylde Swan, is carrying a ‘scroll’ from Her Majesty the Queen to Quebec, marking the 150th anniversary of the
Canadian Federation.