Klaipeda to Helsinki

This will be the first of the 3 race legs of the Tall Ships Races 2024, and certainly not one to miss! This spectacular, annual voyage series takes place in European waters over the summer months, and Tenacious is the only accessible Tall Ship that attends!

Nothing can quite prepare you for the unforgettable atmosphere of racing alongside the biggest Class A tall ships (barques, brigs and ship rigged) to the smallest Class Ds (sloops, ketches and schooners). Picture yourself sailing on a beautiful Tall Ship, way out at sea, with the waves crashing against the hull, no land in sight, the sun rising behind you, and your closest competitor hot on your heels.

We want everyone who takes part to have fun… but don’t forget that it’s a race, with lots of trophies and prizes up for grabs when we reach Helsinki!

The Tall Ships Races 2024 will start on Thursday 27 June will take in all the Baltic region has to offer. Klaipeda is the third-largest and oldest city in Lithuania. It’s situated on the Baltic Sea, is the country’s biggest port, and it’s one of the only ice-free ports in northern Europe. It first hosted the Tall Ships Races in 2009, and it’s quickly becoming a regular fixture in the sail training calendar. The port’s new passenger cruise terminal has helped bring increased traffic to the area and make the Lithuanian city a true tourist attraction.

Helsinki, the capital of Finland, last hosted The Tall Ships Races in 2013 and will welcome the fleet for the fifth time in 2024. With a rich maritime history, unique urban culture and stunning natural landscape, the city is sure to offer a stunning welcome to the international fleet of Tall Ships as they return for the first time in over a decade.

This voyage will spend slightly longer in port than a regular JST voyage, due to the fantastic event programme laid on by the Tall Ships Race Host port organisers. You will be able to explore other tall ships and take in the sights and sounds of the local culture and history. You will likely also be asked to help out for a few hours whilst Tenacious hosts her own ‘open ship’. As the hardened seafarers who sailed her there, who better to tell people all about your experience and our wonderful tall ship!

Bursary Funding for members of the Armed Forces!

We still have some LIBOR funding that can only be used by people with a Service Number (whether serving or retired) which would reduce this voyage down to £106 per person per day, so a total of £848 for the 8 days. Amazing!! Make sure you put ‘LIBOR‘ in the ‘Promotion or Group Code‘ box at the very end of the booking form. We will ask you to confirm that you have a Service Number, and please bear in mind that bursary funds are allocated on a first come, first served basis – and will run out one day!

What to expect

You’ll have been part of one of the most important teams you’ve ever experienced – without our Voyage Crew we can’t sail, you’re as crucial as that. And we know that with that will come a huge sense of self-achievement – and some new friends too.

Sailing on Tenacious 

Don’t worry if you’ve never sailed before – most people step on board with no experience of sailing a tall ship.

You’ll be part of our Voyage Crew, and be put into one of four teams called Watches. You’ll learn from our Permanent Crew and will take part in all the tasks necessary to operate the Ship, whether that’s setting sail, helming (steering) the Ship, assisting in the Galley or climbing the mast – though that one’s not compulsory!

And you’ll enjoy time off watch every day to take in the scenery, get to know others on board and take part in the activities we have planned. Our beautiful tall ship Tenacious becomes your home for the duration of your voyage – we want you to be comfortable and enjoy the experience of being on board.

*What you pay 

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters we are able to subsidise all our voyage places by 25% from the true cost to the JST to deliver. If you can, please consider making a donation or fundraising towards the full cost of your voyage. This means we can continue to offer this subsidy to those who are less able to afford our adventures.

Historically the JST has advertised our voyages with a larger subsidy, but sadly these levels are no longer sustainable. We realise that the cost of a voyage may be a prohibitive factor, so we fundraise throughout the year for bursaries to further reduce the cost to you, our voyage crew, so that we can still welcome people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities onboard. We recommend anyone that does not think they can afford the existing subsidised rate to read more and apply for a bursary here – please state which voyage you wish to sail on at the same time. We recommend submitting a booking request at the same time as a bursary application as all berths and bursaries are allocated on a first come, first served basis. The Bursary Committee meets monthly.

Why sail with the JST? 

Our voyages are not just boat rides in amazing settings. JST sailing adventures are about giving people the freedom to explore their ability, potential and place in the world.

Life on board is about joining in and getting involved. Everyone is seen and treated as equal. Everyone has a role to play and contributes to the best of their ability.

It’s in this unique environment that we see daily challenges fade into the background.

As Sally says: “When people ask me if I would go again, I reply ‘in a heart beat’.  Seeing my buddy steering Tenacious at the helm and telling me that he felt in control for the first time in his life, was the biggest reward I could ask for”.

Read more stories like Sally’s from those who have experienced our voyages.