FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TALL SHIPS SAIL INTO THE
PORT OF LOS ANGELES IN AUGUST

Festival of Sail LA 2008 Runs August 15-17

SAN PEDRO, Calif. – June 12, 2008 – The majestic Tall Ships return to the Port of Los Angeles at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 15 with a grand parade of sail into port to kick off Festival of Sail LA 2008.  More than a dozen ships will be participating, including the US Coast Guard’s 297 ft. Barque Eagle as well as HMS Bounty and HMS Surprise which have been featured in major Hollywood films.

Visitors will be able to board these vessels for a first hand tour from the crew.  There will be dockside demonstrations, maritime-themed entertainment including singers and an educational area for young and old alike.  Parking at various locations around the Port will be available free of charge as will be the shuttles running from the lots to the event sites.  Food will be available for purchase on site and a wide variety of specialty restaurants in San Pedro are close enough to walk to from the event.

The Festival of Sail LA 2008 is part of the American Sail Training Association’s Tall Ships Challenge® which features Tall Ships sailing down the coast from Canada to San Diego.  This event takes place on the Pacific Coast on a three-year cycle. When the event last hit the Port of Los Angeles in 2005 more than a quarter of a million people visited the ships over a three-day period bringing an unprecedented number of weekend visitors to San Pedro.  Festival of Sail 2008 is sponsored by the Port of Los Angeles, California Coastal Conservancy and the Los Angeles Maritime Institute, home of the TopSail Youth Program.

SCHEDULE

Friday, August 15, 2008
10 a.m. – Grand Parade of Sail
Noon.-7 p.m. – Ship Viewing , Entertainment, Children’s Activities & Booths Open
8: p.m. – “Mutiny on the Bounty” Movie Showing at the Warner Grand Theatre, San Pedro

Saturday, August 16, 2008
11 a.m.-7 p.m. – Ship Viewing , Entertainment, Children’s Activities & Booths Open
8 p.m. – “Master & Commander” Movie Showing at the Warner Grand Theatre, San Pedro

Sunday, August 17, 2008
11 a.m.-7 p.m. – Ship Viewing , Entertainment, Children’s Activities & Booths Open
2 p.m. – “SpongeBob Square Pants: the Movie” Showing at the Warner Grand Theatre, San Pedro
4 p.m. – “Hook” Movie Showing at the Warner Grand Theatre, San Pedro

Rounding-out the weekend of ship-related activities will be special showings of movies at the historic Warner Grand Theatre, presented by the Grand Vision Foundation, featuring two of the ships in the Festival of Sail.  The HMS Bounty is featured in the classic 1962 version of “Mutiny on the Bounty” starring Marlon Brando and can be toured first-hand during the Festival.  The HMS Surprise is featured in “Master and Commander” starring Russell Crowe and also can be toured during the Festival.  Other movies scheduled during the weekend include “SpongeBob Square Pants the Movie” and “Hook.”  Admission to each film is only $5 and the theatre, located at 478 West 6th Street, is an easy walk from the Festival.

SHIPS

Class A Ships
USCG Barque Eagle
HMS Bounty
HMS Surprise
Tole Mour
Kaisei

Class B Ships
Californian
Robert C. Seamans
Pilgrim
American Pride
Lynx
Spirit of Dana Point
Exy Johnson, the City of Los Angeles’ Official Tall Ship
Irving Johnson, the City of Los Angeles’ Official Tall Ship

Class C Ship
Curlew

Souvenir guide books will be available for $5 which describe each vessel in detail and have a place for each ship to place a commemorative stamp when the vessel is toured.  Proceeds benefit the Topsail Youth Program.

These events are known for the volunteer opportunities they provide to individuals, groups or corporations. This year as many as 600 volunteers will be needed to work with visiting ships, crews and visitors to the port. Any one helping for one or more 4 hr shifts will be entered in a drawing for a Cruise Ship Weekend to Mexico and other valuable prizes. Groups or organizations can adopt a vessel or a dock or simply organize a group to help demonstrate how friendly SoCal can be. For more information or to sign up please call 888-LAMI808.

For more information on the Festival of Sail LA 2008 and Tall Ships Challenge®, call (888) LAMI-808 or see the following websites:

www.lafestivalofsail.info

www.portoflosangeles.org

www.lamitopsail.org

www.sailtraining.org

The Port of Los Angeles, also known as “America’s Port,” has a strong commitment to developing innovative strategic and sustainable operations that benefit the economy and the quality of life for the region and the nation it serves. A recipient of numerous environmental awards, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 2007 Clean Air Excellence Award, the Port of Los Angeles is committed to innovating cleaner, greener ways of doing business. As the leading seaport in North America in terms of shipping container volume and cargo value, the Port generates 919,000 regional jobs and $39.1 billion in annual wages and tax revenues. A proprietary department of the City of Los Angeles, the Port is self-supporting and does not receive taxpayer dollars. The Port of Los Angeles - A cleaner port. A brighter future.

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