Five tall ships arrive in Waterford as elements work against organisers

FIVE Tall Ships have already arrived into Waterford but the bulk of the 87 ships expected to take part in the four-day event are not expected until late tonight or Wednesday morning.

While the sun shone brightly in Waterford yesterday, the elements out at sea on the crossing from Portsmouth to the south-east are already working against the organisers of the event. Harbour Master Cpt Phillip Cowman said it will be all hands on deck over the next 24 hours to ensure everyone gets berthed safely and on time.

"Some of the ships have left Portsmouth already, some have arrived and some will be hanging on a bit. The weather is a little broken so their arrival will be delayed until Tuesday afternoon or maybe into Wednesday. It's something which is completely out of our control. It will put an extra strain on our resources but we will be pulling out all of the stops," he said yesterday.