Beauty of the seas – but she was almost on the way out
A sleek, stylish and striking 109-year-old ship gets our focus today.
The class B Swedish topsail schooner Vega Gamleby features in the latest of our regular spotlights on the ships coming to Sunderland.
Vega Gamleby has 12 permanent crew and 36 trainees. She is one of the last remaining traditionally built wooden vessels and was the subject of a huge restoration project in 1985.
The ship was originally built in Viken, Sweden and her home ports were Lerberget and Hoganas until 1937.
Later in her life she was put into work as a transporter of Stockholm transport supplies to Cape Verde.
Experts describe her as one of the last remaining traditionally built wooden vessels that transported merchandise and supplies along the Swedish coast.
At one point, she was due to be broken down at Finnboda shipyard in Stockholm in 1985 but was saved at the last minute by Egil Bergstrom who saw the importance of preserving such a magnificent ship.
The races are expected to bring a £10million to £15million boost to Sunderland’s economy and a fleet of vessels is expected to arrive into Port of Sunderland.
Anyone wanting more information about The Tall Ships Races 2018 should follow the latest news at www. tallshipssunderland.com on Twitter @TallShipsSund or on Facebook at Tall Ships Races Sunderland.
The Sunderland Echo would love to hear from people who will be playing a part in the races.
Whether you are a sail trainee who will be boarding for the adventure of a lifetime or a captain at the helm, get in touch.
Perhaps you are a Wearside business or organisation which is getting right behind the spectacle. Whatever your reason, get in touch and email chris.cordner@jpress.co.uk