In only a few hours Sail2010 will begin with the fantastic Sail Parade, the arrival of a huge array of Dutch and International ships in the Ij harbor. The opening will stretch from 10am to 3pm, which is a big window of time for everyone to catch a glimpse. Starting at 10am tomorrow there will also be activities for children at Pirate Island (thematically renamed section of Java Island). There will also be an area for MINI-SAIL which is apparently where miniature boats will be featured.

The entire Sail event is not widely known outside of the Netherlands but make no mistake, this event, which takes place every 5 years, is right up there among this city's biggest and most fun events.

Naturally for full information, including what is happening at what time on each day, as well as full descriptions of featured ships, consult their website. I'll also be keeping an eye on SAIL2010's twitter account for details as to what is going on throughout the long weekend.