Over 70 barques, barquentines, square-riggers, ketches and sloops with some 2,500 sail trainees on board will take a south-about course around Dublin Bay today, weather permitting, in a parade of sail to mark the end of the 1998 Cutty Sark Tall Ships race which finished in Dublin Port.
Officiating on the Naval Service patrol ship, LE Aisling, will be the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, along with Defence Force chiefs and the chairman of the Tall Ships Dublin steering committee, Mr Bruce Lyster.
The Irish Lights tender, Granuaile, will be anchored as control ship for the display, which is due to start at 1 p.m.
Dublin Port, which has carried much of the £1 million cost of the event, will provide tugs to tow larger ships off their berths on the south Liffey bank.
The fleet will begin leaving midmorning through the East Link toll bridge and will proceed from the Poolbeg light to the Dublin Port Safewater Mark. Weather permitting, the course is towards Dun Laoghaire, down the coast to Bulloch Harbour, Dalkey, turning to port around the LE Aisling and making for the Baily lighthouse on Howth Head.
The fleet will then disperse to the four winds - although one good westerly will do.
Officer of the day, Mr Kevin Crothers, has warned spectating pleasure craft to keep 50 metres from the vessels under sail, as many of the larger craft do not have the ability to manoeuvre quickly. Four zones have been designated which must be kept clear, and some 10 inflatables and other craft will act as patrol during the event to prevent accidents.
Rescue craft will also be stationed below some vantage points around the bay, particularly Howth Head.
RTE will be filming the event from Dun Laoghaire's West Pier and will be providing a live broadcast from the LE Aisling.
Three of the visiting ships, and some Irish vessels, will be sailing back into Dublin Port, including the Mexican navy ship, Cuauhtemoc, which won the Cutty Sark trophy for contributing the most to international understanding and friendship.
Mr Bruce Lyster, chairman of the steering committee, said the four-day event had been a marvellous success and paid tribute to over 600 volunteers from community groups, sailing clubs, and safety organisations who had contributed much to the organisation.
Over half a million spectators had visited the port by yesterday afternoon to look at the vessels, with long queues on the quay and private receptions precluding access on board for many. Public transport services reported particularly heavy traffic over the long weekend, due to severe road restrictions in the port area which will continue until late evening today. Mr Lyster said the committee expected to break even on a £1.1 million budget, some half of which was State and half private sponsorship.
Much of the sponsorship was in kind, with one of the biggest contributors being Dublin Port. It waived port fees and provided pilotage and other services for the visiting craft.
Some disenchanted mobile food caterers complained that they had not made money on the event. However, the committee said that it had received no complaints.
