Sail with the Tall ships in the summer of 2026!

If you are interested or know someone who might be keen on an unforgettable adventure in the summer of 2026, apply to become a crew member! We are experiencing great interest, and applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Stavanger will be the host city for the international sailing ship regatta, The Tall Ships Races. A major festival will take place in Stavanger, during which more than fifty sailing ships are anticipated to be moored in the harbour from 22nd to 25th July 2026.

Join as a Sail trainee!

We are looking for 250 young people who want to join the ships as they arrive in or depart from Stavanger. If you are aged between 15 and 25 and live in or are from Rogaland, you can apply to take part! As a crew member, you will experience an exciting voyage at sea and get to know young people from other countries. You will sail with, and learn from professional crews, and you do not need any prior experience to participate.

Where and when will you sail?

There are two voyages, and if you sign up in time, you can secure a spot on one of them:

Antwerp – Stavanger, 13 – 24 July

The first voyage sails from Antwerp, in Belgium, to Stavanger. You’ll need to fly from Stavanger to Antwerp on Monday, 13 July. We will arrange the tickets and flights, and you will only need to pay your own contribution. Adult coordinators will accompany you on the flight to make sure you get safely to the harbour where the sailing ship is docked. From there, you will sail back to Stavanger, arriving on Wednesday, 22 July. After that, there will be a two-day festival in Stavanger, during which you will stay aboard the ship and take part in various events together with the other crew members. You will disembark from your ship on Friday, 24 July.

Stavanger – Aalborg, 24 July – 1 August

The second option is to board your sailing ship in Stavanger on Friday, 24 July. You will set sail from Stavanger the following morning, arriving in Aalborg, Denmark, on Wednesday, 29 July. Afterwards, there will be a two-day festival in Aalborg, where you will stay aboard the ship and take part in various activities together with the other young crew members. You will disembark from your ship on Saturday, 1 August. Here, the adult coordinators from the project will meet you and arrange your journey home by coach and ferry. You will be back in Stavanger later that evening.

What is life like onboard?

Life on board is exciting and varied. You will take part in the daily tasks, such as hoisting sails, keeping watch, steering the ship, carrying out fire patrols, and keeping the deck clean. Together with the rest of the crew and fellow trainees, you will work to ensure that your ship crosses the finish line as quickly as possible during the regatta.

No previous sailing experience is necessary. The professional crew on board will guide you, ensuring a rewarding sailing experience in an international environment.

Along the way, there will also be time to get to know the other trainees. Everyone contributes to the good atmosphere, experiencing enjoyable moments together with singing, music, and games. Many describe it as an unforgettable memory. NRK has produced a wonderful documentary about young people sailing on board the Christian Radich. On the ship, they encounter challenges which they overcome together. Tasks such as steering the vessel, handling ropes, and learning nautical terminology are new for most. New skills, friendships, and a fresh perspective on themselves and everyday life at home are among the things they carry with them when they return to shore.

How do I sign up?

Apply to become a trainee by completing the application form.

Registration is open to young people aged 15–25 from Rogaland – and no previous sailing experience is required. We process applications on a first-come, first-served basis.

What does it cost to be a sail trainee?

A trainee pays a personal contribution to take part. The remainder of the cost for travel to and from the foreign host port, accommodation on the ship, all meals during the voyage, as well as two days ashore before returning home, is covered by The Tall Ships Races 2026 and our sponsors. The price for the personal contribution is NOK 4,000. Additionally, as a trainee, you must have your own travel insurance and passport/travel documents. An equipment and packing list will be published during spring 2026, mainly including suitable clothing and a sleeping bag.

The application form covers the information The Tall Ships Races 2026 Stavanger requires to send trainees off on their voyage. We will review incoming applications continuously and confirm places throughout the application period. The deadline for registration is set for 31 March, however, we recommend applying as soon as possible, since applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Once your registration is confirmed, you will receive an email confirmation of your place and an invoice from Stavanger Council for the personal contribution of NOK 4,000.

How old do you need to be to take part as a trainee sailor?

The Tall Ships Races are sailing regattas for young people aged between 15-25. You have turned 15 years old before you board your ship to participate in the race and cannot have turned 26 years old before you disembark to participate in Stavanger's trainee sailor programme.

You can still sail with the ships if you are over 25 years old, however, you need to register directly with your chosen ship via the ships' own website or through the organisation Windseeker, which collaborates with the ships and host ports.

How can we help give young people the opportunity to become sail trainees?

The trainee sailor programme is designed to give as many young people as possible, from Stavanger and the Rogaland region, the opportunity to sail on the sailing ships participating in The Tall Ships Races in the summer of 2026.

A sail trainee place is an opportunity for a young person to learn about themselves in collaboration with others - and to enjoy a fantastic journey at sea. In 2018, the Stavanger region sent a total of 247 young sailors – a host port record that we want to break in 2026! The target for 2026 is set at 250 sail trainees.

You can contribute financially to the trainee sailor programme. All financial contributions go directly towards giving as many young people as possible the chance to sail and have the experience of a lifetime.

Please contact us if you would like to contribute. More information about contributions to Stavanger's trainee sailor programme for 2026 can be found here: (link to trainee sailor programme 2026.docx) ??

The following organisations are contributing to the trainee sailor programme in 2026:

• Stavanger kommune
• Port of Stavanger
• Sparebankstiftelsen SR-Bank
• Inge Steenslands Foundation
• Rogaland County Council
• Utsira Council
• Lyse AS

For those who do not meet the criteria but wish to sail

If you do not meet the criteria, i.e. you are over 25 years of age or do not come from or live in Rogaland, you can still sail on Tall Ships Races vessels. You can register directly with the ship you wish to sail with and pay directly to the vessel. See the Fullriggeren Sørlandet website or Statsraad Lehmkuhl as examples of how this works. You may also contact the organisation Windseeker, which represents many Norwegian and international ships. You can apply for financial support from the Norwegian Sail Training Alliance or from the international Oman Bursary Scheme.