ARMADA OF ROUEN. The largest gathering of sailboats and ships in the world offers many activities, concerts, not to mention the fifty boats to visit in Rouen.
[Mis à jour le 9 juin 2023 à 12h11] A colorful program awaits millions of impatient visitors, 4 years after the previous edition which took place in 2019! For 10 days, until June 18, hundreds of thousands of visitors come to admire tall ships, buildings of the national navies or even sightseeing boats. A festive air invades the streets of Rouen where the public mixes with the thousands of sailors to celebrate the event during concerts, fireworks and parades.
Restaurants, themed villages and shops line the 7 kilometers of quays while concerts, giant fireworks and numerous events punctuate the event: a parade in town, the race of sailors of 30 different nationalities, a religious ceremony sailors… without forgetting the long-awaited Grand Parade on the banks of Rouen in Le Havre, on Sunday June 18, the end date of the event. Discover below the detailed program as well as all you need to know about the fifty boats that can be visited for free during the event.
The 2023 edition of the Rouen Armada is placed under the sponsorship of the writer Michel Bussi. It is intended to be “a new invitation to discover ships steeped in history in a spirit of maritime celebration”. Here are the program highlights:
- Free visit of the quays every dayfrom 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.
- Free visit of the shipsfrom 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
- Fireworks every night at 11:30 p.m.
- parade of sailors over 3.5 km in the city center of Rouen
- sailors cross with 1,000 runners
- Sailors religious ceremony on the docks
- big mess : a gathering of “22 Unidentified Floating Objects on the Seine”
- grand parade : a spectacular parade of all the sailboats and military vessels which leave the quays of Rouen and crisscross the Seine to Le Havre (120 km of meanders). Animations on the banks of the Seine in the different municipalities.
- Free gigs with the promotion of Norman scenes, up to 50%.
In total, around fifty ships are present at the 2023 edition of the Rouen Armada, all along the 7 kilometers of quays, offering a unique reception area in the world. They can all be visited free of charge from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day:
- The Recovery (EN) : The ship-ambassador of the city of Brest, a replica of a sloop from the beginning of the 19th century, flies the French flag.
- The King’s Star (EN) : Replica of a corsair frigate from 1745. A real movie star, this boat hosted numerous film shoots and the famous British television series Hornblower.
- Atlantis (NL): Originally a lightship and cargo ship, she was transformed into a cruising sailboat in 1984. She has a large number of luxurious cabins, and a deck area that lends itself to reception reception.
- The Atyla (ES): Ship built in 1984 by a Spaniard whose project was to build a schooner in the traditional way, according to 19th century plans. Operated today by a foundation that offers eco-responsible cruises in connection with nature, aimed at young people to raise awareness about the protection of the oceans and the planet. With a Spanish crew, she flies the Vanuatu flag.
- Belém (EN) : This training ship is emblematic of maritime gatherings. In just over 100 years, he has already lived 5 lives and changed nationality 3 times. She was in turn a merchant ship under the French flag, a luxury English yacht, then an Italian training ship before returning to her French flag today.
- The Dar Mlodziezy (PL): This Polish Navy training ship, built in 1981 in the Gdansk shipyards and whose name means “Gift of Youth”, has a square stern, decorated with hunting and galleon ports. A mixture of tradition and modernity, 109 meters long, which carries more than 130 cadets and can spin up to 16 knots under sail.
- L’Etoile Molene (FR): Emblematic French pavilion of Saint-Malo. This Dundee tuna boat was originally built for tuna fishing in the Bay of Biscay and trawling in the Irish Sea.
- French (EN) : This ship, named after Commander Charcot, a famous polar explorer from the end of the 19th-beginning of the 20th century, is home to L’école des poles.
- The Marity (FR): The oldest large wooden sailing ship in the French fleet and the last tricolor terra-neuva. It celebrated its 100th anniversary this year 2023. It has thirteen sails and three masts weighing one ton, surmounted by an eleven-meter jib mast.
- The Morganster (NL): Steel-hulled ship built in 1919 and equipped for fishing. Since its major restoration in 2008, it has been dedicated to educational sailing activities.
- Santa Maria Manuela (PT): First equipped for fishing, this vessel was part of the White Fleet, these 3 Portuguese tall ships from the 1930s, dedicated to cod fishing. Painted white, it was thus identifiable and was preserved from German attacks according to an agreement between belligerents during the Second World War.
- The Tenacious (UK): Belonging to an English foundation, this ship is dedicated to helping people with disabilities sail. Its specific arrangements to accommodate many forms of disability (blindness, deafness, mobility, etc.) make it an exceptional and unique boat in the world. It is one of the largest sailing wooden sailing ships.
- Thalassa (NL): This relatively recent vessel was originally dedicated to fishing. It has been transformed into a cruising sailboat with very comfortable interiors, a pub atmosphere, between leather and varnish.
- The Statsraad Lehmkuhl (NO): This three-masted boat has just returned from a two-year “One Ocean expedition” mission, as part of the “Decade of Ocean science for sustainable development” program.
- But also The Shtandart (UK – AU), Nao Victoria (ES), Pascual Flores (ES), El Galeon (FR), The Tolkien (NL), The Ring Anderson (FR), The Hydrograaf (NL), The Vera Cruz (ORP), Gothenburg (SE), The Crocus (BE), Narcis (BE), Normandy (FR), The Jacques Oudart Fourmentin (FR), The Cuauhtemoc (MX), Urania and a Moroccan military ship!
Discover below the poster of the Armada de Rouen, an internal creation of the Association Armada de la liberté and the hundreds of volunteers who carry the event:
The Rouen Armada has the advantage of being a completely free event for all visitors. Only the food and goodies found on site are chargeable. Be sure to visit the event website in order to discover or rediscover the boats that have already come during the 7 previous editions and join the Rouen Armada on social networks (Facebook and Twitter).
The 8th edition of the Armada de Rouen takes place from Thursday 8 to Sunday 18 June 2023. 6 million visitors are expected on the quays of the port of Rouen for this 8th edition, in order to welcome the most beautiful and largest boats that will have gone up the Seine, from Le Havre to Paris, over 120 kilometres.
The Armada de Rouen is the most important event in the world of the sea which takes place every four to six years in Rouen. The idea for this event on the quays of Rouen was born in 1983. Two years later, the association “Les voiles de la liberté” was born by creating, in 1986, the famous “Course de la Liberté Rouen-New York”. In 1994, the first Armada was created (“Armada de la liberté”) and was followed 5 years later by “The armada of the century”. Finally, the first “Armada de Rouen” was born in 1989. It welcomed that year, for its first edition, 9 million people. Coming from the distant ports of the Baltic Sea, the Polar Seas or the Caribbean, the sailboats of the Armada are among the most beautiful in the world.