Columbus replica to join Victoria Tall Ships Festival Fleet

VICTORIA (February 7, 2008) – A replica of one of the ships commanded by Christopher Columbus on his discovery of the New World in 1492 will make her first-ever voyage to Victoria as part of the 2008 Victoria Tall Ships® Festival, June 26-29.

The Niña, a replica 15th century caravel redonda, is considered the most authentic replica ship sailing today.

The Niña joins The Eagle, a 295-foot (90 metre) three-masted barque from the U.S. Coast Guard, and a growing list of others now confirmed for the event. In all, over two-dozen of the world’s finest tall ships will make the voyage to Victoria’s historic Inner Harbour for the four-day festival.

“Seeing the Niña under sail and touring onboard will be like stepping back in time to relive Columbus’ adventure and exciting journey of exploration,” said Bob Cross, Chair of the Victoria Tall Ships Society, the local group organizing the festival.

At an event today to announce the Niña, organizers also launched an expanded Festival website – www.tallshipsvictoria.ca.  The comprehensive site features the full line-up of ship profiles and photos, plus information on the many family activities planned as part of the event.

“In addition to touring the ships, the festival will feature a wide variety of dockside activities – from a pirate school, interactive learning centre and maritime marketplace to live music and mock-cannon battles each evening. There will be something for everyone to enjoy,” said John Anderson, Chair of the Festival organizing committee.

Anderson also put out a call for volunteers today, encouraging anyone with a passion for tall ships to sign-up on the Festival website. A crew of 900-1000 volunteers will be recruited for jobs ranging from Pirate School instructors to ticketing, office administration and ship liaison officers.

Tickets are now available online or by calling Tourism Victoria at 1-800-663-3883. Early-bird pricing is in effect until April 30. A four-day Festival Pass is available now for $25 and includes full Tall Ship boarding privileges and free admission to all on-site activities. Check out all ticket options and get full details online at www.tallshipsvictoria.ca.

About the Niña

The Niña, a replica of 15th century caravel commanded by Christopher Columbus, is the most historically accurate replica of a Columbus ship ever built. It was his favourite ship, the one he very nearly died on in 1493, upon which he ultimately logged more than 40,000 km (25,000 miles).

Built in Brazil by the Columbus Foundation, ship-makers built this tribute to Columbus using the same kind of tools and techniques the original ship’s builders would have used. In December 1991, the Niña left Brazil and sailed to Costa Rica on a 6,400 km (4,000 mile) unescorted maiden voyage to take part in the filming of the movie 1492, starring Gerard Dépardieu as Columbus. Since then, the ship has visited over 300 ports sailing out of her home port of Grand Caymen.

About the 2008 Victoria Tall Ships Festival, June 26-29

Victoria is the first and only major port of call on Canada’s west coast in the 2008 Tall Ships Challenge, a series of races along the west coast of Canada and the United States. More than two-dozen of the world’s finest tall ships will make the voyage to Victoria’s historic Inner Harbour for the four-day festival, June 26-29. The family-friendly event features nightly cannon battles, artists and musicians and a variety of children's programs – including a pirate school.

The event is organized by the Victoria Tall Ships Society, a not-for-profit organization incorporated in May 2003 for the purpose of bringing a Tall Ships Festival to Victoria.  The Society’s vision is to promote a legacy for youth and the life lessons learned through sail training and to promote Victoria’s rich maritime history.

In 2005, the festival attracted 38,000 visitors and resulted in a $5.2 million impact to the local economy.

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