When the Tall Ship Races sailed into the Granite City in the summer of 1997, many locals signed up to help bring the event to life in their hometown.
Aberdeen resident Colin McIntosh was 22-years-old at the time and found himself setting sail on the Prince William tall ship as part of a 10-day voyage.
“Ten days was not long enough,” he said. “It was just brilliant – I’d go back tomorrow if I had the chance.”
Colin believed his Tall Ships adventure was a “once in a lifetime opportunity” so when he heard the races were returning to Aberdeen in 2025 he knew straight away that he would volunteer once again.
“It’s great that it’s coming back to Aberdeen,” Colin added. “I would encourage others to sign up to volunteer, definitely.”
‘I would do it all again in a heartbeat’
The 47-year-old is one of more than 1,500 people who have already registered their interest to take part in the upcoming sailing extravaganza.
He hopes sharing his memories of his time with the Prince William crew 27-years-ago will encourage even more people to get involved.
“My uncle was a sailor and my dad worked on boats, so it was something I was interested in,” he shared.
“I was a member of the crew on the Prince William tall ship .
“We sailed from Dundee to Denmark and then to Aberdeen for the races.
“There were nine crew members and 40 guests who we would go and sit with and talk to at meal times.
“It was educational and I met people from all walks of life. I would do it all again in a heartbeat.”
Volunteers share memories of Tall Ships from 1997
More than 50,000 people helped create a party atmosphere in Aberdeen when the Cutty Sark Tall Ship Races arrived in July 1997.
The sense of excitement as all the tall ships sailed into the harbour was captured by The Press and Journal and the Evening Express at the time.
“What a swell party…” was the headline on the front page of the P&J on July 12.
The article described the city as “swelling at the seams”.
Volunteer Lorna Bell, who took on the role of ship liason officer, has kept some of the press clippings alongside other memorabilia.
“We were all given a briefcase with pamphlets about the event.
“I’ve kept some of the newspaper clippings too as souvenirs,” she said.
“The papers covered the big parade on the Sunday when the harbour and Union Street were full of people.
“It was a great atmosphere – we were all part of something unique.”
‘The best experience of Aberdeen’
The 64-year-was allocated one tall ship for the run of the event which had travelled to take part from Germany.
“My role was to welcome people to Aberdeen,” she said. “There were three females and four males in the crews I helped look after.
“There was a programme for the crews and we had to encourage them to take part in everything, including the parade.
“We were there to help with anything and give them the best experience of Aberdeen possible.”
How you can volunteer for Tall Ships Races in 2025
When asked if she planned to volunteer at the 2025 event, she said “absolutely, yes”.
“I knew I would as soon as I heard they were coming,” she added. “It’s great for the city to have again, I’m looking forward to it.”
There are now only 275 days to go until the Tall Ships race into the city.
Local residents are being urged to get involved just as Lorna and Colin did in 1997.
Described as being “Aberdeen’s biggest event for a generation” – with 50 tall ships expected from across the world – hundreds of people are needed to make it happen.
Applications are now open for both volunteers and sail trainees.
The sailing trainee scheme is aimed at young people between 15 and 25 who live in an AB postcode.
The volunteer roles range from ship liaison officers and transport coordinators, to visitor experience hosts.
Anyone who is aged 16 or older by July 1 next year, and available for a minimum of three shifts between July 19 and 22, can apply now.
Read more: Gallery: 60 photos of the Tall Ships Race in 1991… can you spot yourself?
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