Tall Ships America

Tall Ships America
Company typeNonprofit organization
501(c)(3) organization
IndustryEducation
Sail training
PredecessorAmerican Sail Training Association
FoundedApril 3, 1973 (1973-04-03)
FounderBarclay H. Warburton III
HeadquartersNewport, Rhode Island
Key people
Simon Colley[1], Stuart Gilfillen[2]
Websitewww.tallshipsamerica.org

Tall Ships America, previously known as the American Sail Training Association (ASTA), is the largest sail training association in the world and a founding member of Sail Training International.[3][4][5][6] From starting with a handful of vessels sailing the New England waters, Tall Ships America has grown into an international institution with more than 250 tall ships and sail training vessels representing 25 different countries and navigating all the world's oceans. TSA was founded on April 3, 1973, by Barclay H. Warburton III, following his return from the Tall Ships Races in Europe in 1972 where he joined the USCGC Eagle with his brigantine Black Pearl as the first US vessels to participate in the races.

Mission

A nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, Tall Ships America's mission is to

  • encourage character building and seamanship through sail training
  • promote sail training to the North American public
  • support education under sail.[7][8]

Tall Ships America organizes the Tall Ships Challenge®, a series of sail training races, rallies and maritime festivals that rotate every three years around

  1. the Atlantic Ocean
  2. the Pacific Ocean
  3. the Great Lakes and coasts of North America.[3][4]

In 2025, the Tall Ships Challenge series was held in the Great Lakes with stops in Brockville, Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Duluth, Minnesota, Detroit, Michigan, Midland, Ontario and Erie, Pennsylvania.[9]

Member vessels

As of 2025 member vessels[10] include:

Awards

Every year Tall Ships America awards several prizes including:

  • Lifetime Achievement Award[11]
  • Michael J. Rauworth Leadership Award[12]
  • Sail Trainer of the Year Award[13]
  • Nancy Richardson Volunteer of the Year Award[14]
  • Captain Frank J. Bailey National Maritime Excellence Fund Sail Training Program of the Year Award.
  • Sail Training Program of the Year
  • Sea Education Program of the Year
  • Tall Ships Challenge® Port of the Year
  • Perry Bowl- Top Finishing Tall Ships America Member Vessel in TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Race Series[15]

References

  1. ^ Anon (2024). "Simon Colley, Chair".
  2. ^ Anon (2025). "Stuart Gilfillen, Executive Director".
  3. ^ a b Kirshenbaum, Jerry (1984). "A tragedy at sea: a fierce squall hit the marques during a tall ships race, only nine hands were found alive". si.com. Sports Illustrated.
  4. ^ a b Ballard, Sarah (1984). "A race back in time: Coast guard cadets aboard the square-rigger Eagle learned of the majesty and intractability of the sea firsthand on a voyage from Bermuda to Nova Scotia". si.com. Sports Illustrated.
  5. ^ Anon (1983). "Barclay Warburton 3D Dies: Founder of Tall Ships Group". The New York Times.
  6. ^ Anon (2005). Sail Tall Ships! (16th ed.). American Sail Training Association. ISBN 0-9636483-9-X.)
  7. ^ Anon (2019). "About Tall Ships America". tallshipsamerica.org. Archived from the original on 2021-12-07.
  8. ^ "Why Sail a Tall Ship? - Tall Ships America".
  9. ^ "TSC 2016 Great Lakes". TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Series Official Blog. 2015-08-24. Retrieved 2024-01-01.
  10. ^ "Ship Directory - Tall Ships America".
  11. ^ Anon (2021). "Lifetime Achievement: Awarded to an individual who has dedicated his/her life's work to getting people to sea under sail and has worked to preserve the traditions and skills of sail training". tallshipsamerica.org. Archived from the original on 2022-01-04.
  12. ^ "Leadership - Tall Ships America".
  13. ^ "Sail Trainer of the Year - Tall Ships America".
  14. ^ "Volunteer of the Year - Tall Ships America".
  15. ^ "TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Awards - Tall Ships America".
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