The world's magnificent Tall Ships will be showcased in Falmouth for the first time in nine years from August 15th – 18th, with the Budock Vean Hotel on the Helford River getting guests into the spirit of the event with a guided Tall Ships walk, cocktails and a chance to channel Daphne du Maurier's historic pirate romance up-stream at Frenchman's Creek.

The Festival will see the largest Class A ships open to the public at Falmouth Docks from the Tuesday to Thursday afternoons, with the spectacular Parade of Sail on Friday 18th, when the Class A B C & D ships, surrounded by a flotilla of hundreds of local well-wishers, head from Falmouth Harbour and across the Bay to the start of the Magellan Elcano race to Spain and Portugal.

“The Tall Ships Festival and race is one of the most impressive and fun events we see in Falmouth,” says Budock Vean owner Martin Barlow, “and we hope our guests will experience the packed programme of events in town – and then retreat to the peaceful luxury of our hotel in this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - with some enlightening Tall Ships themes thrown in.”

Guests can follow Tuesday's bustling festivities in Falmouth with the calm of a high tide gathering on the Budock Vean's private Helford River foreshore, with a tot of rum or a Tall Ships Cocktail, organised with river partners Koru Kayaking.

The Koru team will also be running their guided Helford trips from the foreshore by riverboat, kayak or paddle-board to Daphne du Maurier's Frenchman's Creek – the secret anchorage for one of the world's most famous fictious tall ships, La Mouette, and scene of the novel's most romantic trysts between Lady Dona St Columb and her pirate lover Jean-Benoit Aubery.

On Friday 18th, as the ships and their flotilla Parade across Falmouth Bay, walking guide Steve Crummay of Explore In Cornwall, will be taking a group from Budock Vean along the Helford's north bank to Rosemullion Headland for a perfect view of the fleet as it turns towards the race start.

“Daphne Du Maurier's heroine Dona St Columb sat on a Helford headland looking out to sea for La Mouette and we can imagine how her heart soared as she saw that magnificent tall ship captained by her lover out in the Bay,” says Steve. “Our group of walkers will get a wonderful view of the Tall Ships departing – as well as an insight into the romance, the history and geography, flora and fauna of the beautiful Helford River as we walk along.”

The 2023 Tall Ships Festival takes place in Falmouth from Tuesday August 15 to Friday August 18 with full details of the event, the ships and ticket bookings at  www.falmouth.co.uk/tallships/

Stay at the Budock Vean Hotel with rooms from £132 per person per night including breakfast. For more information please visit   www.budockvean.co.uk/news/get-into-tall-ship-spirits-at-bv/     or call the hotel team on 01326 250288.

ENDS

Notes to editors:-

Photos from 2014 Tall Ships Festival in Falmouth and of the Budock Vean Hotel and Koru kayaking on the Helford River are free to use with picture credits much appreciated for Bren Fitzgerald on the Tall Ships. High res images available at Dropbox https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/f4kceb9wi34vgtt8hf8pp/h?rlkey=58mbm5i4f8hpucqh3gzqhn8k1&dl=0

• The award winning Budock Vean Hotel is a family run, luxury four star hotel with outstanding leisure facilities including its James Braid golf course, a spectacular indoor swimming pool with log fire, sauna, outdoor hot tub, natural health spa, tennis courts, private foreshore and award winning restaurant specialising in best Cornish produce. The hotel's 65 acres of sub-tropical gardens running down to the Helford River are set amid some of the most beautiful natural coastal and river scenery in the country.
  For more please see budockvean.co.uk

Contacts:-

• Budock Vean Hotel - Chloe Walton - 01326 252112 - marketingassistant@budockvean.co.uk 
• Louise Midgley Communications – 01326 319884 / 07831 696093 - louise@midgleycomms.co.uk