On Sunday 8 March, the Zeise cinema in Hamburg will be showing a sailing film that will awaken wanderlust and inspire a thirst for adventure: the cinema premiere of the documentary about the circumnavigation with the "Peter Willemoes", a Carter 33, in which four young sailors from the North German Regatta Club sailed around the world from 1973 to 1975.
From the film preview:
On 7 July, the time had come: we set sail and glided down the Elbe with the tide. The beginning of a circumnavigation is like the beginning of any journey in life - it starts with an almost humiliatingly tiny first step.
We had two years of intensive preparation behind us, including a sports offshore certificate, the transfer of the Carter 33 "Peter Willemoes" from Greece, equipment lists, studying nautical charts and route planning to avoid hurricane seasons.
The greatest and most astonishing success of these two years was that four young men in their early to mid-twenties, meandering between their studies, military service and exciting first love experiences, stayed together throughout this long planning phase and set off on the journey together.
This was followed by ocean crossings that had to be navigated with sextant and Fulst nautical charts, the Panama Canal, Galapagos days, South Sea dreams and a stormy Cape of Good Hope; followed by hand-patched sails, endless engine repairs including the replacement of piston rings, difficult galley acrobatics in a rolling ship under trade wind sails, the near-loss of the ship in a daring and foolhardy action on the South African coast.
There were arguments, competitive behaviour, and there were wonderful, overwhelming, quiet shared experiences and always the grateful feeling of friendship and the certainty among us "boys" that we could rely on each other one hundred percent every second of this trip.
On 19 May 1975, after cold and arduous days sailing up the Elbe and a total of 31123 nautical miles around the world, we arrived at Wedel marina at night: Four young men in their mid-twenties, who would now go their separate ways, but who would remain connected for life through the formative experiences of their actually quite impossible journey.
Three of the four crew members, Nikolas Hansen, Heinz Lehmann and Rainer Habekost, will be guests at the performance.
The performance starts at 11am. Tickets are available in advance at www.zeise.de.
https://www.zeise.de/film/1959/show/44371000023HXUDTUB
