At midday yesterday, it was “Cast off!” in Kiel. The “Gorch Fock” left its home port and set sail on a special training voyage. The voyage takes her across the Atlantic to America, with stops in Bayonne, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Hamilton (Bermuda), Norfolk, Baltimore and New York, as well as in Halifax (Canada) and Reykjavik (Iceland).
For the commander, Captain Elmar Bornkessel, a multifaceted voyage lies ahead: “On the forthcoming 189th overseas training voyage, we will be training officer cadets in a particularly challenging nautical environment in the North Atlantic. In addition, we are launching the Work & Travel programme for young soldiers,” said the commander.
Work & Travel for those doing military service
The voyage offers numerous highlights – from the transatlantic crossing to the ship’s arrival in New York on 4 July to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States’ independence, right through to the reunion of the “Gorch Fock”’s sister ships as part of the “Five Sisters Trophy” from New York to Boston,” Bornkessel continued. He added: “As captain, I expect this voyage to provide our young seafarers with unforgettable moments, to shape their maritime character and to prepare them specifically for their future duties.”
For the first time, the “Gorch Fock” is offering the Work & Travel programme. On each leg of the voyage, the ship takes on board 25 young men and women who have joined the Bundeswehr through voluntary military service. There are around 230 crew members on board – a full complement. This means: “The odd gap between hammocks that may have been there in the recent past will no longer exist,” says Bornkessel.
Highlight in New York
In New York, the training sailing ship is due to take part in a major fleet parade. Over 100 tall ships are expected to attend – in effect, all the tall ships currently sailing the world’s oceans, as Commander Bornkessel explains.
From New York, the crew will then sail to Boston to compete against their three still-active sister ships for the Five Sisters Trophy: the “USCGC Eagle” from the USA, the “Sagres” from Portugal and the “Mircea” from Romania. The race is scheduled to take place from 8 to 10 July.
The last time all the sister ships gathered together was in 1976, to mark the USA’s 200th anniversary. It was also the first – and so far only – time that the sister ships – five in number at the time – competed against one another. The “Gorch Fock” emerged victorious from the race. Since then, the trophy has been kept on board the German training sailing ship. We had reported in detail on the background to the Five Sisters Trophy.
Training and the role of ambassador
The main focus of the voyage remains the training of the officer cadets, says the commander. However, there are also secondary tasks. The ship is always on duty as an ambassador for the Federal Republic of Germany. Receptions are planned. “We are optimistic that we will provide a good platform for fruitful discussions and interesting encounters,” says Bornkessel. The return to Kiel is scheduled for 19 September.
History and Use
The barque is the oldest ship currently in service with the German Navy and is used for training purposes. Since it was commissioned in December 1958, around 20,000 officer and non-commissioned officer cadets have been trained on the “Gorch Fock”.
During its training voyages to date, the ship has called at around 400 ports in just under 60 countries across five continents. In doing so, it has covered more than 780,000 nautical miles.
The training sailing ship is not part of the fleet’s units, but reports directly to the Mürwik Naval Academy. Built in Hamburg in 1958 and fully restored between 2016 and 2021, the “Gorch Fock” is a traditional naval vessel.
Technical specifications:
- Overall length: 89.3 metres
- Width: 12.0 metres
- Height above the waterline: 45.0 metres
- Draught: 5.5 metres
- Displacement: 2,020 tonnes
- Number of masts: 3
- Rigging: barque
- Sails: 10 square sails, 3 gaff sails, 10 jibs
- Sail area: approximately 1,800 square metres
- Speed under sail: up to 18 knots
- Diesel engine: 1
- Total power output: 1,200 kilowatts (1,700 PS)
- Speed under power: over 10 knots
- Regular crew: 80 to 161 (depending on the size of the training group on board)
- Additional staff: up to 141 course participants
Pascal Schürmann
Editor YACHT
