Preparations are underway for the biggest event of the season - Sails 2021. Sail Szczecin invites! There is a sailing event ahead of us that will be full of attractions for the whole family.

EVENT PROGRAM

In "normal" time, we would just be counting down the days to the final of the Tall Ships Races regatta. However, due to the pandemic, this year's regatta of great sailing ships has been cancelled, and the race's route postponed to 2024. However, Szczecin is still in the game. For residents, entrepreneurs and tourists, we are preparing a unique event - Sails 2021. Sail Szczecin invites!

- There has never been such an obstacle course as we are having this year. We had to decide very quickly in cooperation with other cities that were ready to receive sailing ships. Together with Klaipeda and Tallinn, we are organizing the Baltic Regatta. However, in Szczecin, we are holding Sails 2021. Although we are talking about a smaller event than initially planned, we are still operating in a pandemic, so we want to make the event safe. We have long since abandoned major mass events. Sails 2021 will allow us to take advantage of many attractions scattered throughout the event - says Krzysztof Soska, deputy president of the city. - We are pleased that we can meet the expectations of residents, tourists, and industries that have suffered a lot in the pandemic - hotels, gastronomy, event organizers. This is a vital impulse for the economy of Szczecin, and we treat this as such.

 

Sailing holiday in Szczecin

There are three days ahead of us, filled with fun and exciting attractions. The two banks of the Odra River will be full of stands, music stages, gastronomy and entertainment zones. The Sail program is bursting at the seams. We invited artists from Szczecin to cooperate on this event. The musicians will perform for us on three stages. At Łasztownia, Wyspa Grodzka or the new one placed right next to the Centaur monument.

- The fourth stage will be in Netto Arena, where Sound'n'Grace will perform as a support act for Cleo. There will be a lot going on artistically - says Robert Grabowski, spokesman for the Szczecin Artistic Agency. - I am convinced that everyone will find something for themselves in this program.

The Children's Zone, loved by the youngest, will return to Mickiewicz Square. This is where the little ones will take part in workshops, concerts, dance shows and sports competitions. During the sailing festival, we have always had brass bands. On Saturday and Sunday, the 4th Szczecin Brass Band Festival 2021 for the Cup of the President of the City of Szczecin will occur on the stage at Łasztownia. Acoustic music on Sails? Why not?! For three evenings, non-obvious artists will present themselves at Łasztownia. But Sails is not only the area of ​​Łasztownia and Wały Chrobrego. With this sailing event, we will go all the way to Netto Arena, where Cleo will perform in a special concert for the Szczecin audience! The show will take place on Saturday, July 31st at 18:00. Tickets are available at http://bit.ly/CLEO_ZAGLE

 

What else will await us ashore? The "Czysta Odra" Animation Zone in Szczecin, the Food Truck Taste Festival, the Sailing Fair, amusement parks, the Municipal Summer Zone or the new Craft Beer Zone, to which we have invited craft breweries from all over Poland, whose offer is exciting. We already guarantee that all events will be organized following the applicable sanitary rules because the health and safety of participants are the most important for us.

- Already this Friday, we will dress the Sailor in the national team uniform, which will be a signal for residents and tourists about the upcoming event. Another exciting activity is the competition for entrepreneurs from Szczecin, "Tune in for Sails". We invite you to customize your websites; the more of them, the better. On Sunday, at 9:00, we invite you to the race - Under the Sails Run - says Leopold Korytkowski, director of tourism and events at the Szczecin Sailing Tourism Events company. In terms of safety, we disperse the event as much as possible; there will be stations with disinfectants at the entrances. But we must also remember about our self-awareness and keeping our distance.

 

Regatta

Sails 2021 will be the crowning event of the two-stage Baltic Regatta, which will shortly begin. On July 16th, the Baltic Regatta starts, during which the vessels will compete against each other in two stages. Tallinn - Klaipeda and Klaipeda - Szczecin. In total, there will be approximately 500 nautical miles to travel on both voyages.

- The representation of Szczecin has already set sail for this regatta and is on its way to Tallinn. The main guest and the largest sailing ship that will come to us on Friday will be Dar Młodzieży, a school vessel of the Gdynia Maritime University. In addition, Krasotka will come from Russia for the first time - says Jerzy Raducha, deputy director for the organization of events and international cooperation of the Sailing Center. - Unfortunately, at the moment, sanitary regulations do not allow the decks to be opened to visitors.

Szczecin will receive, among others, Fryderyk Chopin, General Zaruski, Atyla (Spain), Shtandart (Russia), Brabander (Lithuania), which will take part in both one stage and the entire regatta. And it is at the Spanish boat that a unique guitar concert by Krzysztof Meisinger will be organized. The construction of the pontoon bridge will begin on July 28th.

Changes in traffic organisation

The most significant events in our city are always associated with changes in traffic and public transport. Some streets will be closed, and additional buses and trams will appear on the routes. All this is to facilitate communication for residents with the event area and ensure a smooth return home. We kindly ask drivers and passengers to learn about what awaits them during Sails 2021. From Wednesday, July 28th to Tuesday, August 3rd, the temporary traffic organisation will be divided into several stages.

- What is new this year is that we maintain traffic along Jana z Kolna Street. There will be a speed limit of 30 km/h on the section from Kapitańska Street to Trasa Zamkowa. The street closure will be divided into three stages. The first will start on July 28th, one minute after midnight. We are planning the most extensive street closure on Friday, July 30th. Access to the closed area will be possible based on passes - says Marcin Charęza, head of the WGK traffic organisation team. - The best solution to get to the event area will be using public transport. There will be trams running along Jana z Kolna Street to reach the very centre of the event by public transport.

Therefore, we inform residents about the possibility of collecting passes. They will be available for collection from July 21st at the pass issuing office at 6 Jana z Kolna Street, from 10:00 to 18:00.