After four days of ships, fun and quite a bit of rain, Sail 2023 in Den Helder is over. The crew members of the ships prepared this morning to leave Den Helder again and sailed past the interested public again during the Sail Out. It was a beautiful sight for all spectators who wanted to take a last look at the gigantic tallships and the sailing heritage from the dike.
Due to a strong headwind and current approaching, the organization decided to advance the Sail Out an hour. Around two o’clock this afternoon, all tallships, the sailing heritage and also ships of the navy sailed past the public one last time. That created a beautiful picture and that is why hundreds of people were already waiting on the dike before 2 p.m. to wave goodbye to the ships.
Hugely entertained
Visitors sat on rugs or brought chairs and thermos flasks with coffee and tea. They were ready to watch the special ships for hours. It was a nice end to four days of partying in Den Helder. “It was a very pleasant Sail. I had a great time,” a visitor tells NH.
The Sail Out provided a beautiful picture and can be seen in the video below. The text continues below the video.
The special ships were gladly captured by countless hobby photographers. “It is always a pleasure to stand here and watch the ships go out. And certainly these ships, which are very special,” says a visitor with a camera around his neck.
Last greeting
But all good things come to an end: the ships return home and the tallships prepare for the Tall Ship Race, with the first stop being Hartlepool in England. “It is a pity that it is already over. A very last greeting and then waiting for the next Sail”, said a visitor.