are favourable for a spectacular landfall for Tall Ships 2000.

Brian Billings last night told The Royal Gazette he attended a meeting last week along with the organisers of Tall Ships 2000 and representatives from corporate Bermuda, members of Government, the Chamber of Commerce, and staff from the Corporations of Hamilton and St. George's and said all were "highly supportive and excited'' about Bermuda hosting one of the largest flotillas of tall ships ever seen.

"I think it will be go. There's a substantial amount of international sponsorship and everyone is totally interested,'' he said.

Organisers of the event plan to celebrate the millenium by gathering about 180 of the world's finest sailing ships into one fleet. The main fleet will assemble by March of the year 2000, in Cadiz, Spain, from two smaller fleets out of Southampton, England, and Genoa, Italy.

From there they will sail down the African coast before bearing westwards toward the Americas. The ships plan to race from Spain to Boston and then head to Halifax, Canada. From there the fleet will set out on its final leg, sailing for Amsterdam in mid-August.

And the organisers want to make Bermuda its trans-Atlantic stop over.

Government, area sailing associations, and business are all on board and all that's needed now, he said, is to inform Tall Ships 2000 what Bermuda can do to support the fleet.

"Nothing is formally signed. Both ISTA and ASTA (its American cousin) will be looking for Bermuda to provide dockage, maintenance, housing, even mail services,'' he said.

"But I can't see it being anything but positive.'' If it does go ahead -- and that's not certain yet, said Mr. Billings -- Bermuda will host the fleet June 5-11. Celebrations will take place all over the Island and the ships will be berthed at Dockyard, St. George's, and Hamilton.

At least 5000 sailors and support crew are expected to breeze-in for the celebration.

"Bermuda has to get on board; we can't miss this. If it happens, it will be bigger than anything we've ever seen,'' he said.