Tall ship confirmed for maritime festival during official launch

05/07/2017
One of the world’s largest remaining wooden tall ships is set to sail into Great Yarmouth’s South Quay.
Kaskelot, a Danish three-masted barque is the first boat confirmed for this year’s Great Yarmouth Maritime Festival on September 9th and 10th.
It will be the first time the vessel has ventured to the celebrated event, but she is no stranger to the limelight having played a pivotal role in the Poldark television series and a number of Hollywood movies.
Her appearance was confirmed to the event sponsors during the launch of this year’s festival at The Imperial Hotel in Great Yarmouth on Monday.
Representatives from sponsor companies Seajacks, Peel Ports, Great Yarmouth Borough Council, Eon, Statoil, Bateman Groundworks Ltd, Gardline, Norse, Persimmon, Elm Contracts and Stephenson Smart were also invited to try out one of the new activities on offer for 2017 – a Ready, Steady, Paint challenge, orchestrated by popular artist Ernie Childs.
Mr Childs guided the intrepid artists through a 10-minute masterclass of drawing and painting a sailing boat resting on a beach, attracting huge applause from onlookers.
The first festival was staged in 2000 and typically features a packed programme of activities, exhibits, stalls, music and street entertainment, alongside ships moored at the quayside.
Kaskelot was originally a traditional Baltic trader built in 1948 by J Ring-Andersen at one of the world’s most reputable shipyards –the Royal Greenland Trading Company at Svendborg, in Denmark.
During the weekend visitors will be able to chat with the crew and a mini museum in the cargo will feature the tools used in the building and maintenance of traditional ships.
There will also be an opportunity to learn knots and, wind permitting, the chance to haul lines and set sails under the supervision of the crew.
Aileen Mobbs, festival chairman said: “It’s always a great coup to attract a ship that we haven’t seen here before and with Kaskelot’s rich history and claim to fame we are sure she is going to attract a great amount of support.
“We are extremely grateful to all our loyal sponsors for coming on board, many of whom have been supporting us for years.”
The event is staged by the Greater Yarmouth Tourism and Business Improvement District Area as part of its aim to attract visitors.
Events group chairman Lyndon Bevan said: “The Maritime Festival is a fantastic event for Great Yarmouth as it celebrates the town’s nautical heritage both past and present. We tend to attract up to 30,000 visitors over the weekend and we expect the same this year.”
Kaskelot fact file
• J Ring-Andersen have built nearly 200 wooden sailing vessels since they were founded in 1867 and they are well known for crafting stout, seaworthy ships built to withstand the cold and windy conditions of northern Europe.
• She can sleep 12 passengers and 18 crew and is a classic three-masted barque of 154.9 foot long.
• Her top speed is around 9 knots.
• She traded up the coast of Greenland for years before she became a fisheries support vessel in the Faroe Islands.
• She first sailed to the UK in the 1980s and her home base is Charlestown Harbour in Cornwall.
• In 2013 she underwent an extensive refit at T Nielsen’s shipyard in Gloucester to begin her new career training young seafarers and to star on the silver and small screen.
• She has featured in Return to Treasure Island, The Three Musketeers, Cutthroat Island, David Copperfield and Alice in Wonderland.
Picture captions
• Kaskelot is the first tall ship to be announced for this year’s Great Yarmouth Maritime Festival. Picture courtesy of Kaskelot.
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• The sponsors of the festival showcasing their artistic skills during the Ready, Steady, Paint challenge. Picture TMS Media.
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Media contact
Issued on behalf of Greater Yarmouth Tourism and Business Improvement Area by TMS Media. Contact Kirsty Burn at GYTABIA on 01493 846340 or Louisa Lay at TMS Media on 01493 662929, louisa@tms-media.co.uk