A LEADING maritime event expert is set to steer the Tall Ships Races Sunderland 2018 to success after becoming the latest addition to the management team.
Mike Richmond has been appointed site manager, ahead of next summer’s festival, which will mark the start of the races.
On 11 July 2018, a fleet of up to 80 ships are set to arrive in Sunderland, where they will dock for four days before embarking on the first leg of their race.
Having worked at similar events up and down the country since 2000, Mike is no stranger to The Tall Ships Races.
“I’ve had some sort of role in every Tall Ships Race for almost 20 years, but each one is different and will always bring new challenges with it,” he said. “It’s always a fantastic event, and it’s my job to make sure it runs smoothly on the land.”
A multi award-winning event organiser, Mike began his career in sporting events before working with local authorities and the International Festival of the Sea, ahead of founding his own successful events company.
His role will involve ensuring everything on the land runs smoothly, and with four sites across the city hosting events, he is more than aware of the challenges it may bring.
“Working on events in operational ports is always a bit of a challenge, but we have done it several times before, and I know we can do it in Sunderland too. It just takes a lot of hard work and planning.
“The ships are always going to be the main attraction, and that side of operations is demanding for the host port. At the same time there is also the monumental effort by a whole team of people to ensure the event zones are up and running for the visitors and crews.”
The Tall Ships Races Sunderland 2018 is expected to be the biggest free family festival in the UK next year, attracting around 1.5m people over four days
It all begins on Wednesday 11 July, when the ships sail into the city, and will lower their gangways for visitors, while the crews will take part in inter-ship sporting activities.
The festival continues over the next three days with entertainment including street theatre, a parade, live music and displays before the young people taking part in the race join their ships on Friday 13 July.
On Saturday 14, the ships will parade along the coast as they set sail for their first leg of the race to Esbjerg, Denmark. After they’ve left, the onshore entertainment will continue into the evening.
For Mike and the team, it’s now all hands on deck to ensure it all comes together. “A lot of the work at this point is still planning and design, but once we are about a month away from the event, people will start to notice things are happening on the ground.
“There is a lot to organise but we know we can make this event a big success. We are all fired up, ready to roll and looking forward to it.”
For further information about Tall Ships Races Sunderland 2018 visit www.tallshipssunderland.com