With the tall ships now berthing in Bermuda at the end of the latest leg of the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge, Clare O'Connor spoke with John Wadson, who has worked tirelessly to help bring the fleet to the Island as part of its 400th anniversary celebrations.

It was nine years ago while watching the Tall Ships leave the Spanish port of Cadiz during the last transatlantic race that John Wadson had a brainwave.

With the Island's 400th anniversary still years away, Mr. Wadson could think of no better way to celebrate than by hosting the Tall Ships in Bermuda. After all, the first settlers to arrive on Bermuda's shores crossed the ocean in vessels just like these.

Of course, there were other reasons for his decision to embark on a mission he was also struck by the beauty of the fleet as it departed Cadiz, under full sail. "It was an unbelievably glorious sight," he said.

Now, thanks to years of hard work and planning by Mr. Wadson and his team, the people of Bermuda will be able to enjoy the sight of the Tall Ships sailing into Hamilton Harbour, not to mention the accompanying week of festivities.

Mr. Wadson, the chair of Tall Ships Bermuda and Sail Training Bermuda, has been sailing for 53 years almost his entire life. The Bermudian remembers spending summers at White's Island sailing camp and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, in the days before life jackets were mandatory, as he notes with a laugh.

It was one particular sailing experience, however, that makes Mr. Wadson uniquely suited to lead an organisation that places young people on ships bound for the other side of the Atlantic. He remembers being a 20-year-old, on his first transatlantic voyage, and scared out of his mind.

"I think maybe a watershed experience for me was when my father purchased a 31ft sloop in Lymington, England, and invited me to sail it back to Bermuda with him," he said.

"The seasickness was absolutely awful. We were caught in a three-day storm in the Bay of Biscay, and I wasn't sure we were going to get out of it. We stopped for a week in Madeira, and then we sailed across the Atlantic.

"It took four weeks in conditions similar to what the Spirit of Bermuda had just now. That was my first ocean crossing. Since then I've sailed over 30,000 miles."

Mr. Wadson credits well-known local sailor Warren Brown with being one of his mentors, and spent close to three years during his early 20s sailing on his famous yacht War Baby.

"We raced around the world Europe, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the East Coast US," he added. "I know exactly what the trainees on the Tall Ships can expect."

Since his time on War Baby, Mr. Wadson has taken part in a number of Newport to Bermuda and Marion to Bermuda races.

However, since 2002, he has been consumed with organising the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge and this week's Tall Ships Festival in Bermuda.

"When you're in the world of Tall Ships, you realise there's a tremendous lead time involved in making decisions," he said. "A race across the Atlantic is no small feat. In reality, these things only take place every 12 to 15 years. We were fortunate to have this happen in nine years, and fortunately the fleet was interested in coming to Bermuda. There are a lot of other ports to choose from."

While Mr. Wadson is certainly looking forward to this week's Tall Ships Festival, he is keen to stress that the entire Tall Ships Challenge the preparations, the race, the celebration is intended as a learning experience for Bermuda's young people, many of whom are at first overwhelmed by the prospect of days or weeks at sea.

"The real thing here with sail training is about people, young people," he added. "One of the striking things is looking at them or talking to them on the eve of their departure. They have looks of nervousness, apprehension and excitement. These are serious faces.

"Contrast that with the end of the event. You'll see young people who are so switched on, so confident. If you ask them if they'd like to do it again, most would say yes. They come out of their shells. They're proud of their achievement."

In Mr. Wadson's 'other life', he is a chartered accountant, running two offshore companies. He is married with two grown daughters, all of whom share his love of the ocean.

"Every single person in my family sails," he said.

So, when the last Tall Ships leave Bermuda for the next leg of the race to Charleston, will Mr. Wadson be planning their next visit to the island, or will he leave it up to the next generation of local sailors?

"I'd do it again," he says with a laugh. "With a ten-year break in between!"