HUNDREDS of land-lubbers took up an invite to step aboard a sail training vessel during a four-day visit to a North-East port.

The Stavros S Niarchos left the River Wear following the successful extended weekend stop-over in Sunderland, having whetted the appetite for the city’s participation in a major maritime festival in three years’ time.

While the two-masted brig was berthed at Corporation Quay local civic dignitaries revealed that Sunderland is to be the starting port for the 2018 Tall Ships Race.

It was previously announced that the city was among the four host ports for the sailing spectacular that year.

A bonus came with the news that the starting gun will be fired on the Wear, on July 11, 2018, as the 70-plus competing vessels begin the first-leg of the race, heading across the North Sea to Esbjerg, in Denmark.

Following the announcement, the gang plank was put up, to give more than 700 visitors the chance to visit the Stavros, the biggest brig built in the UK in the last Century, at Saturday’s (July 4) successful opening day.

Prior to taking the helm as the 200ft vessel left the Wear, Captain Roy Love thanked the people of Wearside and the North-East for the “wonderful reception” given to him and his crew, specifically the hospitality and warm welcome offered by the city.

The Stavros headed up the North Sea coast from Sunderland with a new group of novice crew members on board, picking up the rudiments of sail training from experienced hands under Cptn Love’s command.

Councillor John Kelly, the Sunderland City Council cabinet member for culture, said events of the last few days have provided a small taste of things to come in 2018, when scores of tall ships of all shapes and sizes will be berthed up and down the Wear for the days leading up to the race start.