Organizers of Sail Amsterdam, a prominent maritime show in the Netherlands, announced today that Russian tall ships will be excluded from the event this summer, due to the geopolitical tensions arising from Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.
Sail Amsterdam is the largest public event in the Netherlands that takes place every five years since its inception in 1975.
Amsterdam has long been a city intimately connected with water. The rivers IJ and Amstel, along with its historic canals, have significantly influenced its distinctive urban development throughout the centuries. Additionally, Amsterdam has made notable contributions to the annals of international maritime history. Consequently, during the SAIL Amsterdam event, hundreds of thousands of individuals converge to greet the ships arriving in the city. Attendees also have the opportunity to enjoy maritime-themed performances, concerts, and to explore a variety of both historic and contemporary vessels. The inaugural SAIL event took place in 1975, and by 2015, over 600 ships had sailed into the North Sea Canal to dock at Amsterdam’s IJhaven.
The 2020 edition of Sail Amsterdam was canceled though due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The tenth edition is scheduled to take place from August 20 to August 24. A massive fleet of large ships and various other special vessels sail across the IJ and dock near the city center. Sail 2025 coincides with two other significant anniversaries: the 50th anniversary of Sail (which was first organized in 1975) and the 750th anniversary of the city of Amsterdam. It’s a triple celebration.
“As a maritime event, we maintain a close relationship with the Royal Netherlands Navy and are acutely aware of global developments. Currently, it is not suitable to invite Russian ships. I believe the public will understand out position,” said Chris Jenssen, a spokesperson for Sail Amsterdam during the interview with a local broadcaster.
Russian tall ships, including the 117-meter Sedov barque, recognized as the largest operational sailing ship in the world, the 114-meter Kruzenshtern barque, and the 36-meter schooner Nadezhda, have been welcomed at the previous editions of Sail Amsterdam.
The relationship between Russia and the Netherlands has been tense since the 2014 downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, which was en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, and has further deteriorated following Moscow’s unprovoked full-scale of Ukraine in February of 2022.