Although Velas Latinoamerica is being held for the third time, the event has never been held in Curaçao before. The debut of this Caribbean country was extremely impressive. In terms of the organization and scale of the event, other South American ports can learn a lot from Curaçao.
Krzysztof Romański, 19/07/2018
Curazao is an island in the Caribbean Sea in the Lesser Antilles archipelago. Once a Dutch colony, today it is an autonomous country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Dutch is one of the official languages besides English. Curaçao has a population of nearly 150,000. The capital of Willemstad is often called little Amsterdam. The historic buildings of the city that centuries ago was famous for the slave trade and piracy, have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Velas Latinoamerica fleet has visited this Caribbean island for the first time. On the shores of St. Anne’s Bay, 9 large tall ships moored from 15 to 18 July: Brazilian Cisne Branco, Peruvian Union, Chilean Esmeralda, American Eagle, Portuguese Sagres, Colombian Gloria, Mexican Cuauthemoc, Ecuadorian Guayas and Venezuelan Simon Bolivar. Docked on both sides of the port canal, with colorful colonial buildings and the tall Queen Julianna Bridge in the background, they looked splendid.
The event itself was perfectly prepared. In terms of the city’s involvement, the scale and number of accompanying events as well as communication and promotion, Curaçao has beaten all other ports organizing Velas Latinoamerica. A parade of crews passed through the streets of Willemstad, music stars performed on 5 outdoor stages, there was a firework display, and the event reached its climax in the parade of sail – similar to the European Tall Ships Races. The festival had its own logo, consistent graphic materials, very active profiles in social media, and the advertisement was launched well in advance. All this resulted in great atmosphere and success in terms of attendance. It would be great if in the next edition of Velas Latinoamerica in 4 years a similar approach be a standard in all host ports.
The next stop on the route of this year’s largest sailing event in the world will be Colombia. From 21 to 26 July, the sailing ships participating in Velas Latinoamerica will be on display at the quays of Cartagena – a city that celebrates its 485th anniversary. The Argentinian frigate Libertad will join the vessels that have visited Curaçao.
Krzysztof Romański
19/07/2018
Header photo: Michael Doran
Check the gallery of pictures from Velas Latinoamerica in Curacao:
