The Russian four-masted barque Kruzenshtern has been forced |to pull out of the Falmouth Tall Ships Regatta after it was involved in the sinking of a tug |in the Danish port of Esbjerg |last week.

Organisers of the regatta confirmed yesterday that they had been officially informed that the Kruzenshtern will not take part in the Falmouth-Royal Greenwich Tall Ships Regatta. One of biggest tall ships in the world, she would have been moored alongside at Falmouth Docks and open to the public over three days.

It was August 4 when the tug Diver Master took on water and sank near Fano Island while, along with a second tug Svitzer Helios, it was helping Kruzenshtern leave the harbour. The tugs had been attached to the tall ship via hawsers, but when released one attached to Diver Master became stuck and pulled it towards the bigger ship. This caused water to flood the tug which led to it capsizing and subsequently sinking in ten metres of water.

Two of the tug’s crew were rescued by the water police and third jumped into the water and had a line thrown to him.

Kruzenshtern was permitted to continue its journey to Germany, but an investigation into the sinking has been launched |by authorities.