AMSTERDAM — Crowds packed vantage points along a major canal Wednesday to watch a flotilla of hundreds of historic ships sail into Amsterdam at the start of a five-day festival celebrating the Dutch capital’s maritime history.
Ships from all over the world, many with their masts and rigging decorated with flags, left the North Sea coastal town of IJmuiden to begin their hours-long journey up the North Sea Canal and into Amsterdam’s IJ waterway for SAIL 2025, the first edition in a decade.
A puff of orange smoke erupted into the sky and ships’ horns sounded as the replica three-masted clipper Stad Amsterdam passed through a lock to mark the official start of the event. Each ship is greeted with two cannon shots and its country’s national anthem as it enters the harbor.
Hundreds of smaller boats with onlookers packed the waterways to sail alongside the visiting vessels.
The event, which draws hundreds of thousands of visitors, is held every five years. The 2020 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wednesday’s parade culminates in an evening fireworks display. The ships will remain in Amsterdam, many open for visitors, through the weekend.
The first event was first held in 1975 to celebrate Amsterdam’s 700th anniversary and this year’s edition coincides with the city’s 750th birthday.
