To see the Daily Post's live blog from the Tall Ships visit to Liverpool, go to www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/tallships

It was a special day on the Mersey as the Tall Ships race flotilla made an emotional departure. Laura Sharpe joined the unprecedented crowds to wave goodbye.

MERSEYSIDE waved a fond and spectacular farewell to the magnificent Tall Ships yesterday.

The thousands of sun-soaked spectators lining the banks of the River Mersey, from Otterspool to Crosby, for the Parade of Sail finale, saw the number of visitors over the event’s long weekend smash through the 1m mark.

The Tall Ships had been expected to be one of the crowning centre-pieces of Liverpool’s Capital of Culture celebrations – and it was.

The predictions of 800,000 visitors were left well behind as the event outstripped anything in recent Merseyside memory in terms of popularity.

Liverpool’s successful Mathew Street Festival attracts 350,000 visitors, the Grand National Festival 225,000 and Liverpool Football Club’s 2005 European homecoming recorded around 600,000.

All were surpassed as businesses at the Albert Dock, which hosted some of the smaller class ships, said visitors and sales had beaten all records to date.

Crowds 10-deep in places crammed onto the waterfront at the Dock and ACC Liver-pool for a view of the ships.

Across The Strand, builders on top of Grosvenor’s One Park West development had one of the best views, while staff at Merseyside Police’s Canning Street headquarters could also be seen enjoying festivities from the roof.

High winds in the wrong direction meant many ships weren’t in full sail, although most had half or full sails, with rigging decked in flags.