A decision has been made on the go-ahead of the Tall Ships race, due to run from August 17th-19th.

With the ongoing uncertainty over coronavirus in Europe, an announcement to cancel the event was made this afternoon.

The maritime event would have marked the sixth time Falmouth has hosted the tall ships, with the inaugural one for the town being held in 1966.

A decision was made in unison by Falmouth Town Council, the Falmouth Town Team, and the Falmouth Tall Ships Association.

However, it was revealed that possible options are being "actively worked upon" which are set to be announced in the near future.

Announcing the decision, a spokesperson for Tall Ships said:

"This news will perhaps not come as a surprise. The COVID situation and in particular, the highly transmissible Delta variant continues to severely affect international travel, the events sector, and crucially for this event, the ability for the tall ships to travel and safely accommodate crew, a key aspect in respect of their commercial viability."

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The Mayor of Falmouth, Councillor Steve Eva added:

"This is of course disappointing news but understandable. We know the tall ships events are loved by many people in Falmouth, Cornwall, and further afield but given the current situation and in particular, the challenges faced by the ships and their captains, it is the correct decision based on the information available at this moment in time.

"I know that a lot of work has gone into the planning of the event by the Town Team and partners, and I'd like to thank them all for their efforts."

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