"That was really fantastic. Warnemünde has never seen anything like it," says Bettina Fust, the acting head of the Hanse Sail office, enthusiastically. The reason for this is the visit of the "Bima Suci", the sail training ship of the Indonesian Navy, to this year's Hanse Sail. As part of the open ship event, almost 20,000 visitors came on board over the four days, the crew and captain were in a good mood and happily presented their ship. In addition, the more than 100 cadets impressed with various artistic and musical performances.
We really enjoyed being in Rostock. The people were warm, interested, helpful and very interested in our ship and our culture," Sati Lubis, the Indonesian commander of the "Bima Suci"
Another highlight was the visit to the "Gorch Fock 2", the German Navy's training sailing ship, which was renovated at a cost of 135 million euros.
But there was also plenty going on ashore: there was a lot to see in the seven adventure areas that stretched from Warnemünde to the city centre. Locals and visitors were treated to almost 120 performances on a total of 15 stages over the four days. The showmen were also satisfied with this year's Hanse Sail, which according to Matthias Fromm, Rostock's tourism director, is the largest festival in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Eva-Maria Kröger, Mayor of Rostock, was also visibly pleased with the event, telling NDR: "If you talk to the visitors, they are all very satisfied. I am also very satisfied, the weather gods were on our side." Visitors also didn't miss out on the opportunity to take a ride on one of the almost 150 traditional ships: According to the organisers, the 13,000 sailing places were almost fully booked.
The University of Rostock also provided a unique experience at the Hanse Sail: science was hands-on at the Science@Sail campus. For four days, they celebrated science and aroused a great deal of curiosity among the visitors, said Prof Dr Elizabeth Prommer, Rector of the University.
Science in the great atmosphere of the Hanse Sail - that was a very special experience for us as participants, but also for our guests," Prof Dr Elizabeth Prommer, Rector of the University of Rostock
The Hanse Sail in Warnemünde will take place again next year, with the 33rd edition scheduled for 7 to 10 August 2024.
