This area contains a flash movie of images taken on American Sail Training Association vessels, and is used as a branding header.

the tall ships are coming!® to the great lakes

The American Sail Training Association has partnered with GREAT LAKES UNITED  to bring a fleet of international tall ships to the Great Lakes, the world’s largest body of fresh water, as part of the Great Lakes United TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® 2010 race series. Join us as the tall ships race through all five Great Lakes making port appearances in cities throughout the US and Canada. Two important initiatives sail along with the tall ships: water conservation education and youth sail training!

When the international fleet of tall ships arrive in the Great Lakes next year, they will be sailing the world's largest source of fresh surface water.  As the vessels race from port to port, Great Lakes United will bring a message of conservation and protection.

The parnership between the American Sail Training Association and Great Lakes United is fitting.  While ASTA trains young sailors in the tradition of a rich sailing history, Great Lakes United presses the importance of protecting the waters that these ships, sailors and 40 million people depend on.

The Great Lakes are a fragile ecosystem.  Despite their immensity, they are especially vulnerable to degredation.  Tall ships represent one of the most sustainable forms of transportation, making this one of the most environmentally friendly races on the planet.

Across six ports, the Great Lakes United TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® 2010 will carry a message of freshwater conservation in celebration of waters worth protecting. (read more)

The American Sail Training Association is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization focused on youth education, leadership development and the preservation of the maritime heritage of North America. Since 1973, ASTA has supported Education Under Sail and Youth Character Development. It has been commended by U.S. Congress as the official Sail Training Organization for the United States, and represents over 200 member vessel operations in the U.S. and worldwide. It organizes the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® Series, manages scholarship programs to make sail training experiences more affordable for young people, grant programs to assist crew of ASTA member vessels with the costs of professional development courses and licensing requirements and publishes SAIL TALL SHIPS! A Directory of Sail Training and Adventure at Sea.

The mission of the American Sail Training Association
is to encourage character building through sail training,
promote sail training to the North American public,
and support education under sail.

      

(Slide show images by Thomas Hyde)

American Sail Training Association • 240 Thames Street, PO Box 1459 • Newport, RI 02840 USA • (401)846-1775 • asta@sailtraining.orgSite design by The Blue Ocean