Her Majesty the Queen has written a letter to the people of Canada which will be delivered on board vessels taking part in the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta.

The personal message will be carried on board the Tall Ships taking part in the Regatta from the Royal Borough of Greenwich to Quebec to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Cana-dian Federation.

A scroll containing the letter was handed over to Captain Jurgens Hanekom of the Wylde Swan on the final day of the Royal Borough of Greenwich Tall Ships Festival 2017. The fleet of around 30 Tall Ships left the borough on 16 April in the spectacular Parade of Sail on the first leg of the journey to Sines in Portugal.

Her Royal Highness celebrates the historic relationship between the United Kingdom and Canada in her message and also congratulates all those involved in the Regatta, organised by Sail Training International. The scroll, which contains a copy of the letter in English and in French, will be handed to different Tall Ships at each of the ports enroute to Quebec.

The Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich Councillor Denise Hyland was joined by Her Excellency Janice Charette, the Canadian High Commissioner, for the handing over of the scroll which also contains a signed letter from the Leader of the Royal Borough.

Some of the Tall Ships Sail Trainees who will be crewing the Tall Ships during the first leg of the race to Sines were also present for the historic handover.

Over 50 young people from the Royal Borough of Greenwich will enjoy the once in a life-time opportunity thanks to the generous sponsorship of a range of partners, including Pea-body Housing, U+I, the Port of London Authority, London City Cruise Port, Visit Green-wich, and our Tall Ships official Charity Partners, Seafarers UK.

The Tall Ships Sail Trainees will have the chance to do everything from steering at the helm to climbing the rigging and taking watch, helping to build their self confidence and develop valuable life skills.

Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich Councillor Denise Hyland said: “I am very proud to pass on the Queen’s personal message to the people of Canada.

“We have greatly enjoyed hosting the start of the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta and welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Royal Borough. I wish the crews all the best in their onward journeys and for the remainder of the Regatta.”

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