ORGANISERS behind Falmouth Tall Ships 2023 have unveiled ‘Tall Ships and Small Ships 2023’, which is the title of the official painting for the 2023 extravaganza.

The creative piece of work has been undertaken by local artist John Dyer, who has been ‘Artist in Residence’ for the past three Falmouth tall ships events.

Art helps capture the spirit of an occasion and this year's painting by John Dyer, highlights most of the significant tall ships attending the event, under full sail.

The painting gives a creative depiction of the event’s ‘parade of sail’ element, one of the more memorable aspects of the four-day extravaganza.

The impressive tall ships will visit Falmouth, Cornwall, from Tuesday 15 to Friday 18 August 2023. There will be a crew parade, live music, and entertainment at various venues throughout the town, with the final day of the four-day Falmouth tall ships experience being the Parade of Sail.

This will see the ships leave their berthing positions in A&P Falmouth Docks and cruise in company around Falmouth Bay followed by a flotilla comprising hundreds of local boats in what is a magnificent sight.

Following this, the Magellan Elcano 2023 Tall Ships Race will commence further out to sea, following a course from Falmouth to A Coruna in Spain, then onward to Portugal’s capital, Lisbon before finishing in Cadiz, Spain.

Over the past year, extensive behind-the-scenes work by the award-winning Falmouth Town Team - the partnership between Falmouth Town Council and Falmouth BID - alongside Perfect Events Group, Falmouth Tall Ships Association and delivery partners A&P Falmouth and Falmouth Harbour Commissioners, has been building to enable this spectacular event to take place.

This will be the sixth time Falmouth has hosted the globally significant Tall Ships event - the last event being in 2014. That’s more than any other UK port.

Richard Wilcox, Executive Director of Falmouth Business Improvement District (BID) and one of the lead organisers said: "To pull off such a high impact global event for a team of our size, is a colossal amount of work, and requires major financial, voluntary, and in-kind support.

"But events such as Tall Ships have a hugely positive impact for our businesses, residents, community, and visitors alike, which is why we try hard to undertake them. For example, the 2014 event we organised attracted 100,000 plus visitors, leading to an additional £10.5 million spend for Cornwall and our local Falmouth businesses.

"It’s good to have local artist John Dyer engaged and involved in Tall Ships 2023, with his colourful and playful interpretations well known and highly regarded. His depiction for this year’s occasion quite literally paints a vivid picture as to what people can expect to witness out in Falmouth Bay during the parade of sail element of the four-day event.”

Speaking on his involvement in Tall Ships 2023, artist John Dyer said: “I'm thrilled to have been given the opportunity to be the official artist in residence for the Falmouth Tall Ships once more, after my previous residencies in 1998, 2008 and 2014.

"This year's tall ships are truly magnificent, and I have been inspired to create a painting that captures the awe-inspiring scale of these majestic vessels as they sail out into the open sea, past Black Rock, St Mawes Castle, and St Anthony lighthouse.

"I'm so excited to celebrate the community spirit of the day through my new tall ships painting, which helps capture this historic moment for people."