The Tall Ships Races in Øresund on July 8, 2013

The German brig Roald Amundsen and the Mexican barque Cuauhtémoc  at Kronborg castle, 
early on Monday morning.

Monday morning this week was like a trip over 100 years back in time in Øresund, with tens of large sailing ships on their way from Aarhus to the next leg - Helsinki - of this year's Tall Ships Races. It was an unforgettable sight to see the big ships parade in front of Hamlet's historic Kronborg castle. Below is a selection of the participating ships.

The Mexican Navy's barque Cuauhtémoc in the Sound.

Another shot of the Cuauhtémoc.

The guests on board the cruise ship Columbus 2 were able to watch the Mexican tall ship at close distance.

The "winner" of this "Øresund Tall Ships Races" was without doubt the Mexican Navy's sail training vessel ARM Cuauhtémoc. The 67.2 m x 12 m barque looked gorgeous when it passed by in the light wind, using its full sail power. 

The STS Mir approaching Kronborg.

STS Mir in front of the Kronborg castle.

The Russian full rigged three-masted training ship STS Mir (109.6 m x 14 m) is always an imposing sight. On Monday morning the Mir, which is known to be one of the fastest large sailing ships, only used a small number of its sails.

The Danish full-rigger Georg Stage close to Kronborg.

The Danish three-masted sail training ship Georg Stage -  with its 54 m length, the smallest full rigger in the world - was sailing in its home waters. 

The STS Fryderyk Chopin in the Sound on Monday morning.

This is the STS Fryderyk Chopin approaching Kronborg. The 44 m x 8 m brig, designed by the famous Polish ship designer Zygmunt Choren, was launched in 1992. 

The brig Tre Kronor af Stockholm.

The Swedish brig Tre Kronor af Stockholm (35 m x 8.25 m) and a small cargo vessel met in the Sound on Monday morning. 

The Götheborg in Øresund on Monday, July 8.

Here the Dutch general cargo ship Ostguard is about to overtake the Götheborg.

Götheborg, a replica of an 18th century Swedish East Indiaman, is the world's largest operational wooden sailing  vessel. The original Götheborg sank off Gothenburg on 12 September 1745 while approacing its home port, having returned from her third voyage to China. The construction of the replica started in 1995, and the rig was fully tested for the first time in 2005.

The Dutch topsail schooner Wylde Swan in Øresund.

After a total conversion in 2010,  the Dutch tall ship Wylde Swan became the world's largest two mast topsail schooner. The overall length of the ship is 62 m and the beam is 7.3 m. The Wylde Swan, which has a professional crew of 12, offers accommodation for 36 trainees. 

STS Tenacious approaching Kronborg. 

The STS Tenacious, which was launched in 2000, became the largest wooden tall ship built in the UK in the last 100 years. The 65 m (including bowsprit) ship is rigged as a barque with two mizzen gaffs.

The newly converted brig Morgenster.

The Dutch tall ship Morgenster was in 2008 converted to a brig. Originally she was built in 1919 as a cutter. The ship has accommodation for 36 trainees and a crew of 10.

Alexander von Humboldt II sailing in the Sound. 

The German barque Alexander von Humboldt II (65 m x 10 m) is another newly built (2011) tall ship. The ship, which replaced the 1906 training ship Alexander von Humboldt, offers sail training for person between 14 and 75 years of age. 

The Shahab Oman in the Sound on Monday morning.

The barguentine Shahab Oman (44 m x 8.5 m) was originally built as a schooner in Scotland in 1971. In 1977 the ship was sold to the Sultan of Oman, and since 1979 it serves as a sail training ship of the Royal Navy of Oman. 

The Polish schooner Zawisza Czarny sailing towards Helsinki. 

The Polish Scouting and Guiding Association's three-masted staysail schooner Zawisza Czarny is here approaching Kronborg on its way from Aarhus to Helsinki. The 42.9 m x 6.76 m ship was built in 1952 as a trawler. The conversion to a schooner was done in 1961.