Every five years the port city of Bremerhaven celebrates the Sail Bremerhaven. This major maritime event takes place alongside a line starting at the so-called "Havenwelten" up to the fishing habour called "Schaufenster Fischereihafen". Sail Bremerhaven, in the run-up to the Sail in Amsterdam, attracts many sailing ships from far away home countries to come. The large sailtraining ships from South, Central and North America or the Far East impress with their exemplary seamanship, hospitality at Open Ship offers and their imposing  figureheads. More than 250 sailing ships, steamers and motor-driven ships regularly take part in the Sail Bremerhaven. The sailtraining ship "Gorch Fock II" of the German Navy often acts as the flagship. In former times this part has been taken by the "Alexander von Humboldt", now replaced by the new built "Alexander von Humboldt II".

The Sail Bremerhaven was held for the first time in 1986. Events followed in 1990, 1992 and 1995, before a five-year interval was set for the future. The next Sail took place during the Expo 2000 held in Hanover. After the event in 2005, the "Lütte Sail" Bremerhaven 2008 was organized to bridge the gap. The weekend before the Sail Amsterdam is chosen as the event weekend in order to enable the large sailing ships to travel effectively to both events.

The Sail Bremerhaven stretches across the Kaiserhafen in the North to the fishing port in the South, while most of the sailing ships are moored in the New Harbour ("Neuer Hafen") and in the Old Harbour ("Alter Hafen") and this is where most of the land attractions take place too.

Highlights of the Sail Bremerhaven

• The Sail Bremerhaven traditionally begins with the so-called "Sail-In", the arrival of the sailing ships at the Lower Weser and the mooring at their berths.
• There are harbour trips, ship tours and theater performances.
• At the harbour basins in the New Harbour, the Old Harbour and the Fishing Harbour, kiosks offer typical maritime souvenirs.
• Various concerts and performances by choirs can be experienced on the stages in the harbour area.
• At least one big firework and lasershows in the evening are popular highlights of Sail Bremerhaven.
• In 2015 the "Dampf & Sail" ("Steam & Sail") with steamships, steam rollers and steam tractors took place in the area of the fishing habour "Schaufenster Fischereihafen" as part of the Sail Bremerhaven.
• Other highlights were a tug ballet on the river Weser, demonstrations by the sea rescuers, a mini-sail with model boats or a balloonist meeting.

I haven't been able to experience the "Sail-In" on the first day, but there was always enough to take photos on the following days. I recommend everyone to visit the Sail Bremerhaven, especially if you want to discover  figureheads.

Sail Bremerhaven