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In 1956, Bernard Morgan, an Englishman keen on sea and sailing, had the idea of gathering the tall ships still existing and giving them the opportunity to sail again, so as to avoid their disappearance. Twenty were the ships, from eleven different Countries, that accepted the invitation and took part in a regatta from Torbay to Lisbon.
The initiative obtained a great success and it was a big success with the mass media, that spontaneously baptized the vessels with the name of “Tall Ships”, that is “ships with the big trees”. The success also led to the repetition of the initiative and that’s how an association dedicated to sailing, to vessels and to sea culture was born. At the beginning, its principal purpose consisted in organizing a regatta every two years. But, very soon the aims of the association become greater and even today, they are strictly bound to the promotion of sailing for youngsters and to the opportunity of embarking to learn the cultural values tied to sea. The youngsters – trainees – that participate in the “Tall Ships’ Races” are more then 3000 on about hundred training ships.
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