preparations are afoot for the first arrivals in the Tall Ships 2000 race.

All the ships remaining in the Tall Ships 2000 have now passed the waypoint and organisers said they are gearing up for an exciting finish. According to Harbour Radio, German lead ship Peter Von Danzig is still on target to reach St. George's Harbour first.

It is expected to arrive as soon as noon tomorrow, followed by Scotland's Ocean Spirit of Moray .

"We have a lot of activity going on with the vessels,'' said Harbour Radio chief radio officer Scott Simmons. "We're expecting a few ships to come in the early hours of darkness. It's going to be a very busy time for us.'' On Sunday, organisers hope to see the arrival of three other entries, Rona II from England, German vessel Esprit and Stella Polare from Italy.

Officials noted that the race between Rona II and Ocean Spirit has been exciting over the past 24 hours with both of them jockeying for second place.

Organisers added that some vessels had run out of food mid-Atlantic and the crews were eagerly looking forward to fresh meals and warm welcomes.

On the weather front, the ships have been enjoying favourable, sunny temperatures. However the winds have lightened so the captains of the larger vessels have been employing tricks of the trade in a bid to improve their sailing speed.

However the wind conditions have allowed the smaller C class ships to fare better.

Mr. Simmons said everyone involved, from organisers to volunteers, would be on hand to greet the weary sailors when they arrived and noted that all the ships would be represented with a liaison officer.

"The organisation committee has been very good at getting specific people to specific ships,'' he said. "Before the weekend is up they will know where and when to expect the ships.''