Bermuda has bid au revoir to 900 crew on board 19 tall ships who, for a short time, made the island their home.

The ships, which berthed in St George’s and on Front Street, are now en route to Boston on the next leg of the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta after being delayed for a few days by bad weather.

The Regatta is a 7,000 nautical mile Trans-Atlantic race to six countries to mark the 150th anniversary of the Canadian confederation through its founders and founding provinces.

John Wadson, chairman of Sail Training Association of Bermuda and chairman emeritus of the Tall Ships Bermuda 2017 event, said in a press release: “It has been a magnificent time. It has been exhausting, but great fun.

“At all the events held to celebrate the presence of the ships, the atmosphere was superb. The sense of enjoyment, the spirit of camaraderie, the buzz was tangible.”

Events held to mark the ships’ stay included a concert by Bermuda’s Collie Buddz, with part of the proceeds going to support Sail Training Association of Bermuda’s bursary scheme, a Welcome to Bermuda Festival at Penno’s Wharf, St George’s, and a Welcome Street Festival on Front Street.

Mr Wadson added: “The events in St George and Hamilton drew thousands of people and I heard people saying how busy they were.

“I hope that as well as showing we can host extremely good events, we have also helped our local businesses, whether that be bars and restaurants, or the people with stalls, with extra revenue.”

Mr Wadson also thanked the small army of liaison officers who had volunteered their time to help during the tall ships’ visit.

“I know they are pretty exhausted,” Mr Wadson said.

“They have been on duty as early as 5am and often worked late into the evening and without them, things could not have gone as smoothly as they did. Thank you for your dedication.”

Cindy Campbell, event chairman, Tall Ships Bermuda 2017, said although the ships had now left Bermuda, there were still berths available for future legs of the race.

After Boston, the ships will sail to places including Quebec, on to Halifax and then Le Havre in France, where the race is due to finish on September 3.

“Anyone from the age of 16 up can sail on these ships. I would urge people to grab this chance, you do not want to look back in a few years’ time and think ‘what if?’. Grants are available and Tall Ships Bermuda can help with ways to raise money. Just e-mail trainee@tallships.bm to find out more details.”

The previous time the tall ships were here was in 2009, when Bermuda celebrated its 400th anniversary.

“It is a bittersweet moment watching them go. They have headed off on the next leg of an incredible voyage, but they are leaving Bermuda. I hope they enjoyed their time here and want to come back,” Mr Wadson said.