SAIL Amsterdam

25 August 2015

SAIL 2015 was the biggest yet with over 2 million people and hundreds of boats & ships of all sizes, shapes and styles sailing through Amsterdam.

SAIL Amsterdam is a huge sailing event based in Amsterdam. It's the biggest sailing event and biggest free public event in the world. SAIL first started in 1975 and now takes place once every 5 years. SAIL 2015 started on Wednesday 19 August as the boats and ships sailed into Amsterdam and docked in and around the IJ and finished on Sunday 23 August with a large parade of ships through the IJ.

Parties, markets, entertainment and educational cultural events occured throughout the city, offering locals and tourists a chance to see some of the traditional dutch tall sailing ships, and well as boats from around the world. Amsterdam's canals are normally full of boats but this was something special; a galant floatilla of sailing vessels cruising through the IJ made Amsterdam look like a backdrop to a film. Maritime heritage, naval ships and impressive replicas filled the waters, nightly fireworks and other events made it an event even land lovers could enjoy!

Sail Amsterdam 2015 came to an end with a large farewell parade through the IJ canal with many of the tall ships sailing past Amsterdam's Centraal Station in gaze of thousands of people. It's attendance exceeded all expectations with an estimated record 2.3 million people. In 2010 around 1.7 million visitors people attended.

Amsterdam Mayor Eberhard van der Laan was quoted in the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf describing it as a "fantastic Sail". And we definitatly enjoyed cruising through the canals and streets of Amsterdam while enjoying the best the city, and its many wonderful coffeeshops have to offer.