Liaison officers will play a crucial role in ensuring plain sailing for the event, supporting captains and crews with their local knowledge and ensuring crews take part in an extensive programme of social and sporting events. They will also provide vessels with assistance if technical problems arise.

It is anticipated that 80 ships from all over the world will be taking part. As liaison officers are required for every ship, more than 200 are sought at this stage to ensure enough are trained up to support the crews from around the world when they reach Greenock. The volunteers will require basic training to deal with visiting vessels.

Sail Inverclyde will be recruiting a wide range of people of different ages, from 18 to 75, and with varying backgrounds and skills. Knowledge of the local area is important, as are sailing experience and language skills. In 1999, when Greenock last hosted the event, volunteers covered every European language from Finnish, Russian, and Norwegian to French and Italian.

Ian MacKenzie, Commodore of Royal Gourock Yacht Club, was the chief liaison officer for the Tall Ships Race at Greenock in 1999 and, with 60 years of sailing experience under his belt, knows first hand what it takes to make a good liaison officer.

Ian said: “We are looking for more than 200 people to help us repeat the success of 1999. Those who volunteer can come from all backgrounds and across a broad spectrum of ages. The 1999 event attracted solicitors, accountants, engineers, sail makers and joiners, bringing a wide range of skills and expertise to the event.

“It is important that the volunteers can communicate effectively with the crews to ensure that they feel welcome. If any problems arise, such as leaking hulls or engine repairs, it is the liaison officer who will be the guide to their solutions in the local area.”

He added: “The Tall Ships Races is a great event and the enjoyment and the thrill of participating will live with the volunteers long into the future.”

Councillor David Wilson, chairman of Sail Inverclyde, the charity that will deliver the Tall Ships event, said: “A well-structured and strongly-led group of volunteers will contribute to the overall success of Tall Ships Races 2011. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience first-hand what is set to be a carnival on water. It will be hard work, but exciting, and the liaison officers will meet lots of new people from across the world. It is a chance to experience something quite unique and contribute to the overall success of the event.”

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Case study -- Geoff Orr – 1999 Tall Ships Races Liaison Officer

Geoff Orr from Greenock, experienced firsthand the excitement and buzz of being a liaison officer at the Tall Ships Races. The 63-year-old retired general surgeon, who moved to Greenock in 1982 from Aberdeen to work at Inverclyde Royal Hospital, volunteered in 1999 when the Tall Ships Races last visited Greenock.

Geoff, who is married with two grown-up children, is a member of Royal Gourock Yacht Club and is also a volunteer for Ocean Youth Trust Scotland. An enthusiastic sailor for many years,  he enjoyed being involved in the 1999 event and  hopes to participate again next year when the race returns to Greenock either as a liaison officer or helping the Ocean Youth Trust, which is now based in Greenock, with their contribution to the event.

He said: “When I heard that Greenock was going to host the Tall Ships in 1999, I was keen to find out how I could get involved particularly as my son was due to join a Scout yacht on the leg to Denmark

“I was one of two liaison officers to the Polish Naval training vessel, the Iskra, which I think is going  to take part again next year. Each ship visiting had at least one liaison officer attached to provide an important link with the organising committee. The whole weekend was great fun. It was a marvellous way to experience the event in a way that would not have been possible watching from the quay side. An added bonus was the unusually good weather! Greenock was like the Med.

Geoff added: “Being a liaison officer was not particularly hard work, apart from the early starts. It was a great opportunity to meet people from different parts of the world and to show off the local area. The high points for me were the opportunity to watch the fireworks from the deck of the Iskra and to sail in company with the ships as they sailed off to Lerwick

“Each vessel is given a liaison officer to provide them with advice and to help source things they might need; a valuable asset to a crew visiting a strange port. I really urge anyone who has a love for the sea or a pride in the West of Scotland, to take part. You won’t regret it. I thought being involved last time was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I was wrong -- 2011 will bring me another set of lifetime memories when the Tall Ships return.”