[Carruthers]

With their sails billowing in the wind, a fleet of more than 50 vessels passed alongside the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf as they bid farewell to the capital on the final day of the Tall Ships Festival.

The ships, some of which are more than a century old, set off from West India Docks, sailing by the O2 Arena and the Royal Docks, before reaching the Thames Barrier.

The procession, the largest fleet of Tall Ships to have visited London in 25 years, arrived in the city following a race from Falmouth.

The imposing ships have come from around the globe to take part the event, including from Spain, Holland, Portugal, Poland and Russia.

The participating vessels include Tenacious, the largest wooden tall ship of her kind which has been sailed by a crew with physical disabilities from the Jubilee Sailing Trust.

Other boats in the race included the Shtandart, a modern replica of a Russian navy flagship built for Peter the Great in 1703, and the Tecla, which is almost 100 years old.

The Tall Ships Festival is set over four sites in Woolwich, Maritime Greenwich, Greenwich Peninsula and Canary Wharf and will line the river's banks until Tuesday, before the grand parade down the river.

The event began in Falmouth and saw the ships race from the Cornish Port to the Isle of Wight, before cruising to the capital. The parade sets off from Royal Greenwich, opposite Canary Wharf, on Tuesday.

The Mail isn't my favourite newspaper, but I have to say that they have published a remarkable selection of photos in this article.

Daily Mail