Tall ships race reaches milestone on Teesside

The Class B Aglaia has distinctive red sails

A milestone has been reached in the lead up to the Teesside leg of the 2010 Tall Ships' Race, as more than 50 vessels have signed-up to take part.

Hartlepool is playing host to the finale of the international event in August, which is expected to attract more than one million visitors.

Organisers hope that about 100 ships will take part.

They will arrive from Kristiansand in Norway and leave a few days' later in an impressive "parade of sail".

The most recent vessel to confirm was the Aglaia, a Class B ship from Austria.

Seventeen of the registered vessels are Class A ships, and visitors will have a rare opportunity to view them at close quarters.

Michelle Daurat, tall ships project manager with Hartlepool Council, said: "It's fantastic to reach such a milestone when we still have seven months to go.

"It is such an achievement for everyone involved to see that people from all over europe want to visit our town."