Bulletin 1 - August, 7th 2008

Greetings by Dr. Harald Ringstorff and Roland Methling
The Prime Minister of the federal state Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Dr. Harald Ringstorff, at the same time patron of the 18th Hanse Sail Rostock, traditionally sends again hearty greetings for this year’s start: "Nearly 230 tall and traditional vessels impress with its variety. Herein the visitors can see antics and state of the art from far and wide. Internationality and a whirring variety of languages by the air are trademarks of this sail convention. Every time the Sail is an event of superlatives and a trademark of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania."
"By now the Hanse Sail is not only the biggest, yearly proceeding traditional vessel convention worldwide. It is also the engine of development of the maritime join economy in our city and the whole Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania “, as per Roland Methling, Lord Major of the Hanseatic city Rostock. „Let’s look forward for sailor’s romantic and traditional care at the quay wall of the city harbour, in Warnemuende and at sea. Many people contribute by their honorary commitment to the fact that the Hanse Sail is also the highlight of the summer this year. There for thank you by now!"

International participation proves attraction of Rostock
The most impressive pictures of the Hanse Sail arise by the arriving ships at the channel of Warnemuende. Lots of white sails along the Warnow create in combination with the spectacular skyline of Rostock an imposing scene. 230 participating ships will get very close at the quayside of Rostock. In packs of three or four ships the crews await their guests. The tall ships at Warnemuende get the advantage of lying individually, like the Russian four-mast barque “Kruzenshtern” (113,50 metres of length) as well as the Polish full-rigged ship “Dar Mlodziezy” (108,60 metres), the German naval training ship “Gorch Fock” (88,32 metres) and the Rumanian sailing training ship “Mircea” (82 metres). Next to the Dutch “Stad Amsterdam” the “Mircea” is going to arrive at the Hanseatic City of Rostock for the first time. Visitors may take first photos of the “Stad Amsterdam” on Wednesday at the pier number 8, bollards 8 to 10 at Warnemuende. “Mircea” is going to arrive on Thursday as well at the pier number 8, bollards 14 to 18.

Schooner brig „Greif“ arrived first from Karlskrona
The first ship from South Swedish Karlskrona has been the schooner brig “Greif” which arrived yesterday August 6th at 9.00 p.m. at the city harbour of Rostock. It is the first of 11 traditional ships which participated in the Hiorten regatta from Karlskrona to Rostock. Furthermore the Russian two-mast schooner “Yunyi Baltiest“ and the Dutch three-mast barque “Artemis” started from Karlskrona on Sunday August, 3rd and arrived in yesterday’s afternoon. Because of heavy blasts up to storm force 10 the Hiorten regatta cannot be valued. Still on Tuesday the ships tied up at Danish, Swedish or German harbours to wait for changes in the weather. Although every participant of the Hiorten regatta will get a compliment award which is donated by the Hanse Sail office and the Swedish Karlskrona and depends on the size of the ship’s sails.
 
Nautical yarn at the barbecue at Heiligendamm
The Hanse Sail office lost its bet. In the occasion of the 18th Hanse Sail 18 Captains with master’s certificate of ocean crossing were invited to sail on board of the Dutch brig “Aphrodite” into Germany’s oldest seaside resort. However only 16 Captains followed this invitation to a trip to Heiligendamm. Highlight of the trip has been the Captain’s lunch at the Kempinski Grand Hotel as well as a tour around the neo-classical hotel area which hosted the most important Heads of States in 2008. Kirsten Brasche-Salinger the PR manager of the hotel is looking forward to the “sea bears who yarned a lot at the barbecue.” In the afternoon the managing director of the Kempinski Grand Hotel Martin H. Kolb went on board of the “Aphrodite” to sail back to Rostock. The famous German actor Christian Wolff also participated in the trip across the Baltic Sea.

Sporty activities at the sail stadium
At the sail stadium next to the silo peninsula in city harbour of Rostock for the 4th time the initiators of the aquatics school present the sporty entertainment for the Sail visitors who stay ashore. The sporty highlight is the international ISAF-Grade-4-Matchrace with the boat version Skippi 650 presented by the OstseeSparkasse Rostock on Friday and Saturday. During the final races on Saturday the world sailing association ISAF assigns world cup points. As the partner of this year’s sail stadium the OSPA initiates a prominent race on Saturday at 5.00 p.m. Four successful sailors from Rostock, in each case two on two boats, will be supported by the former Hansa player Juri Schlünz and Hilmar Weilandt. Again the NDR is looking for the best offspring sailor of the five North German federal states. The sail stadium also offers sport without sails. The big water ski show starts on Thursday 2.00 p.m. At 10.00 p.m. the water skier cast a spell over the visitors by their colourful flashing costumes and the installed pyrotechnics on the back. The „fall over board“ from the Hanseatic cog „Lisa von Lübeck“ will be celebrated by the high diver at the opening day at 6.00 p.m. The sporty final will be the powerful rowing regatta of the two Hanse Sail rowing eight on Sunday.

„Let’s swing Luise“
The Sail begins from today at 10.00 a.m.: Carnies and marketers are ready for service on the event areas at the City harbour, at Warnemuende as well as at the 8th meeting of sea planes at the Fracht- und Fischereihafen Marienehe. About 500 market stands and fun rides build a little City of tents, carriages and huts. The market of the Hanse Sail 2008 is bigger than every event market of Rostock since the first festival of windjammers in 1991: about 3 kilometres at the City harbour, 1.5 kilometres at Warnemuende. Nearly 2500 women and men work at the market. Major carnies from Lippstadt, Hannover, North-Rhine Westphalia and Berlin present the “Pirates Adventure”, the roller coaster “High Explosiv” as well as big wheels. The event market is once again organized by the municipal association “Großmarkt GmbH Rostock”.

Hanse Sail-Staff in the reservation centre become motor mouths
The telephones are ringing all the time. The colleagues of the reservation centre become real motor mouths. Because prospective customers, who like to sail are still calling. The 80 ships for sailing trips are in great demand. There is a big crowd for trips with cheap family prices or reductions for students and seniors. So the 3-mast-schooner „Ingo“ takes 149 € for 2 adults and 2 children on today’s Thursday. Students pay 49 € and seniors 54 €. Free seats for sailing trips are still available on the galleass „Helene“, the two-mast-schooner „Kvartisita“, the Hanseatic cog „Roland von Bremen“, the gaff ketch „Saelöer“, the clipper „Stad Amsterdam“, the cog „Tvekamp av Elbogen“ and many more. That for Mandy Schulz, leader of the booking centre, can give elaboration.

Preview Friday August 8th
On Friday the days of the open base Hohe Düne with ships of the German navy starts. Furthermore the Friday is the big day of open ship. Not only the German navy with its tall ship „Gorch Fock“ in Warnemuende and the speed boat „Zobel“ in the city harbour are open for interested parties from 10.00 a.m., but also the steam iceboat „Stettin“, the lightship „Fehmarnbelt“ or the kuff-tjalk „Jan Huygen“ and the rescue cruiser „Arkona“, after the crew shows their power to the audience with an exercise of distress. The city harbour allures with an event area with market and lots of showmen, the NDR and the Antenne MV stage offer their programme, the partner country Latvia introduces itself, the HansePhil continues its swap meet and Warnemuende supplies the colourful event area.

Bangers of seven cannons at the opening of the 18th Hanse Sail
The opening of the Hanse Sail begins with three divers of the Navy who land at the City harbour of Rostock bringing flags of Germany, the Hanse Sail and its partner country Latvia. The ceremony begins at 5.00 p.m. at the stage Hanse Sail which is located next to the crane bridge. Dr. Harald Ringstorff the Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is the patron of the event and will be welcomed with further guests of honour like the press attaché of the Latvian embassy Dace Veidmane and Rostock’s Lord mayor Roland Methling with salt and bread. The ringing of the ship’s bells and exactly seven shots of historic cannons are going to introduce the big maritime festival of Rostock.

Receipt of the captains and the engineers
On the occasion of the opening day of the Hanse Sail both receipts of the captains and the engineers have become a tradition. In contrast of the last year where the captains met each other on the high sea cargo ship „Frieden“ for the first time and spent a nice evening in presence of notabilities of city and surrounding area, the maritime receipt 2008 takes place in the IGA Park again. The engineers get together in the Rostockian brewery again. Round about 250 captains and pilots on the high sea cargo ship and 200 engineers in the brewery will be expected.

Internationality all the way
From Rostock to Latvia it is only a small step. Directly at the museum harbour the partner country of the Hanse Sail 2008 has built its one village on 400 square meters. Everyday at 10.00 a.m. the heart of the Baltic States presents its culture and the traditional way of life. Potters, forge, bag maker and weaver invite you to have a look at the production of the art handicraft. Next door the Polish market offers jewel und culinary deliciousness. Again, only a little further an international info route challenges for the country course. At 21 stalls touristic highlights and typical products with characteristics of the country of the Baltic States Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Russia, Poland and Germany can be explored step by step.

Commemorative coin and stamp to the 50th anniversary of the „Gorch Fock“
50 years of “Gorch Fock”! The sailing training vessel of the German Navy celebrates an important anniversary. On this account the Federal Ministry of Finance presents a 10 euros commemorative coin as well as a special stamp. Both will be presented to public for the first time at 11.00 a.m. by state secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance Werner Gatzer. Of course the event will take place on board of the “Gorch Fock” which is moored at the passenger’s quay of Warnemuende. A public concert of the naval music brigade Ostsee which starts from 10.15 a.m. in front of the ship is going to underline the presentation. The coin as well as the stamp will be available at agencies of the German Central Bank and at the Federal Post office. Both show the barque which has been put into service in 1958 and which has been an apprenticeship place for 14.000 officer and corporal cadets of the Navy.

Free WLAN at the Hanse Sail 2008
The free internet access at this year’s Hanse Sail in the city harbour will be enabled by the Opennet Initiative e.V. for all visitors and guests. By the slogan "clear air, free networks" a free radio network is installed. The non-profit club set oneself to support free and open communication infrastructure. In doing so the club members faith in WLAN techniques. The access is provided by the honorary work of many combatant and the donation of bandwidth by local clubs and supporters. In order to be able to use the free internet access, you need to be connected with the WLAN called „Hafennetz“ under channel 6 or 11.

Our Sail-Series-1
As the Latvians lived at the lanes from the Vikings to the Greeks
Lettgallen, Kuren, Selen and Semgallen lived at the lanes from the Vikings to the Greeks, said chroniclers in old time about the Latvians, who were already domestic since 4000 years at the Baltic Sea. At 1200 German traders, missionaries and Crusader came into the country. 1201 Riga was established by Bishop Albert of Bremen. In particular the traders substantially contributed to the fact that the city at the Daugava delta became an important member of the Hanseatic League. Since the end of the 16th Century, Germans, Poles, Lithuanian, Swedes and Russians were the rulers of the country. After the Russian October revolution when Latvia proclaimed national autonomy, years of boom and pressure rotated. On the German occupation and the Soviet allocation the process of the re-establishment of national independence could be introduced on 4.5.1990 by the wave of political changes in Europe. Today Latvia is member of the commonwealth of nations of the European Union.

Weather
Friends of the Hanse Sail got frightened as a terrible storm brought heavy showers to Rostock on Sail’s Tuesday. Although the weather improved on Wednesday scepticism but also hope remains. Today on the opening day of the Sail the sun is supposed to fight against a tendency of rain. If the sun wins this duel it will be proved by the rainy clouds which will arrive from west at the afternoon. To be prepared to every situation visitors should take along an umbrella. One thing visitors can be sure of there will be a temperature of 20 degrees.