The Netherlands: SAIL floats the boats of thousands in Amsterdam

It's not unusual to see Amsterdam's canals crawling with boats and barges but today the city's main seaway had a slice of the action. SAIL 2010 kicked off with a procession of boats traveling from coast to capital - with thousands turning out to watch them arrive. And for a landlubber who'd never actually heard of this nautical event, being afloat among thousands of boats was an impressive experience.

The ships out on the water this morning ranged from the sublime - luxury yachts complete with champagne-drinking crews - to the ridiculous, which included a floating model of a Heineken beer can. One man had even taken his home onto the North Sea Canal, with a mini-house screwed to the top of a floating base. Another boat, inexplicably, carried a cargo of cabbages.

But while people-watching from the press boat was an amusing pastime, the tall ships taking part really stole the show. This year the offerings fall into two different categories: those more than 40 metres long, and their smaller siblings.

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