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Releases & Media Information
| Title | What IS a "Tall Ship"? | ||
| Location | Newport, RI | Release Date | 4th May 1999 |
| Further Information | American Sail Training Association PO Box 1459 Newport, RI 02840 United States of America Tel: +1 401 846 1775 |
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| Web Links | ASTA | ||
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"… how tall is a tall ship? The answer to this is rather similar to that of ‘How long is a piece of string?’ Perhaps John Masefield stated it best in his famous poem Sea Fever:
‘And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by.’ "
from Sail Training, The Message of the Tall Ships by John Hamilton
What Is A Tall Ship?
"Tall Ship" is not a strictly defined type of sailing vessel. Most of us use the term when we are referring to a large, traditionally rigged sailing vessel, whether or not it is technically a "ship". The United States Coast Guard’s flagship Eagle, for example, is technically a barque. Tall ships can also be schooners, brigantines, barquentines, brigs, or sloops, depending on the number of masts and the cut of the sail.
For the purpose of classification and race rating, the International Sail Training Association divides tall ships into three classes:
Class A:
- All vessels over 160 feet in overall length, regardless of rig
- All square-rigged vessels, regardless of length (square topsail schooners are not considered square-riggers)
Class B:
100 feet or more in overall length, but less than 160 feet
Class C:
Under 100 feet in overall length, but at least 30 feet long at the waterline.
The American Sail Training Association owns the registered trademark Tall Ships® as it relates to commercial activity and/or the organization of sailing events and races.
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