SAIL 2010: Succesful and clean
23 August 2010
Amsterdam, 23 August 2010 – SAIL 2010 went off without a hitch. Yesterday, Dansi Nautica! closed the cultural programme with a festive performance on the main stage. The last tall ships left the IJ harbour Monday morning to set out for sea once again. Dismantling work along the quays has already begun.
SAIL widely embraced
“We really got the feeling that all of the Netherlands embraced SAIL, that’s how positive the public response was,” says Nico Buis, chairman of the SAIL Amsterdam Foundation. “But the visitors weren’t the only ones who were enthusiastic about SAIL – the international crews also said that they had a wonderful time in Amsterdam. We also organised various activities especially for them, including a sports programme, the Crew Parade with the crew party at the Nieuwmarkt and a breakfast with the residents in the events area.”
Even with all the traffic on the water and along the shore, SAIL transpired without any notable incidents or accidents. Director Daan Meijer: “We were well-prepared on all fronts to steer the event in the right direction, so it is extremely satisfying when everything goes according to plan.”
Cleanest public event in the Netherlands
During the event, the SAIL Amsterdam Foundation put an enormous focus on sustainability and socially responsible event management. This did not escape the notice of the visitors and residents, in light of the many spontaneous reactions received by the organisation about how clean it was everywhere. Ronald Heinen from ECO-Eyes was responsible for the environmental management leading up to and during SAIL. Heinen had over 1,000 rubbish bins placed around the SAIL area for separated waste collection. This resulted in more than 150m3 of clean plastic waste. All rubbish points were easy to spot and featured nicely designed logos. In addition to this, over 120 staff members in recognisable green T-shirts worked during the day and in the evening cleaning tables, picking rubbish off the ground and emptying the containers at the recycling stations. The recycling staff members received a lot of compliments for their work. This approach proved to create a positive dynamic between the organisation and the public: many visitors took the trouble to separate their rubbish and throw it in the right container. Heinen hopes the positive experiences at SAIL 2010 will serve as an example for other large public events.
Royal naval review
On Sunday, HRH Prince Willem-Alexander, patron of the SAIL Amsterdam Foundation, held the naval review before a large audience. A hundred ships of the Dutch sailing heritage fleet, in twenty squadrons, paraded past De Groene Draeck (‘The Green Dragon’), the royal family’s private yacht. Then, with the Prince of Orange, Queen Beatrix and Princess Maxima on board, the yacht made a circuit of the IJ harbour. The crowd responded to this with great enthusiasm.
Highlights
There were many highlights during SAIL 2010. The impressive SAIL-IN Parade on Thursday 19 August was witnessed by thousands of spectators on the shore and on the water. In the days that followed, the public had the opportunity to enjoy the tall ships moored along the quays and the broad cultural programme. The ING Pirate Island and the Province of Noord-Holland Children’s Stage were a real hit with the kids. Meanwhile, the younger crowd enjoyed the 5HarboursCityTour and the many shows that took place there in Amsterdam-Noord. The heart of SAIL was the main stage at the head of Java Island, where thousands attended the concerts and performances put on by a wide range of bands and artists. The performances on the decks of the tall ships were equally popular.
SAIL 2010
SAIL Amsterdam 2010 took place from Thursday 19 August to Monday 23 August 2010 on and around the IJ river. The event was made possible in part by main sponsors the Municipality of Amsterdam, the Royal Netherlands Navy, ING, the Dutch Postcode Lottery (Nationale Postcode Loterij), De Telegraaf newspaper and Gaastra and sponsors Accor Hotels, the Province of Noord-Holland, Nuon and Clifford Chance. SAIL has entered into a partnership with the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (KNRM).
