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Organizers of the 2008 Tall Ships Festival have landed the Eagle

• Private Zodiac Boat Charters to see the tall ships on / from the water
• Tall Ships 2008 in Victoria BC Photo Gallery

The three-masted barque from the U.S. Coast Guard has confirmed its participation in the festival, set for June 26-29 — a coup because the vessel is a Class A type, which means it’s one of the biggest tall ships.

Anchoring one or more Class A vessels is critical to drawing crowds, John Anderson, festival chairman, said yesterday. “The Eagle is a big ship with lots of mast and lots of sail. Those are the kind of vessels that draw people to the water.”

In 2005, the first year of the highly successful festival, two Class A vessels came to Victoria, the Pallada from Russia and the Cuahtemoc from Mexico. By next year, organizers hope to secure three more Class As, defined as all squarerigged vessels and those more than 40 metres in length.

In 2005, there were 26 tall ships anchored in the Inner Harbour, a number Anderson expects will be matched or exceeded next year. Eighteen vessels are already signed on.

The festival is operating with a $1.3million budget, with 30 per cent of that allocated to paying for ships’ appearances and/or piloting and port costs.

Organizers have gone to Victoria city hall to ask for $50,000 for the festival, which attracted close to 38,000 people in 2005. According to an economic study, the 2005 event pumped between $4.2 million and $5.1 million into the region’s economy.

3-masted barque US Coast Guard Tall Ship The Eagle docked just off of the Esquimalt Lagoon as seen from Birds of a Feather B&B. The Olympic Mountains in Washington State are in the background.

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• Private Zodiac Boat Charters to see the tall ships on / from the water
• Tall Ships 2008 in Victoria BC Photo Gallery