Amsterdam preparing for almost 2 million visitors Sail 2015

Preparations for Sail Amsterdam 2015 are in full swing. Some 1.5 to 1.8 million spectators are expected for the nautical event in Amsterdam.

The city expects more visitors than ever before, and tries to disperse the crowds over a larger area by organizing various events in other parts of town. The number of visitors may be extra large because of the nice weather that is expected.

Nevertheless, the main part of Sail is still in the IJ-haven (or Orange Ocean as it is called for the occasion). This is where the tall ships will moor, and obviously this is what most people will want to see. The map on this page indicates IJ-haven.

To enable the tall ships to enter the harbour, the Jan Schaefer bridge, that connects the Java Island with central Amsterdam, has been partly removed, so that the big ships can sail through.

On Wednesday August 19 is one of the main events: the Sail-In. Then the tall ships will sail from IJmuiden to the center of Amsterdam, which will be a spectacular sight.
The ships will remain in Amsterdam until August 23.

Currently, a fleet of tall ships is setting sail for Amsterdam. Their location can be followed on this website.

All information about Sail 2015 can be found (also in English) on sail.nl.