Press splitter 3 – July, 24th 2008

From the Balck Sea into the Baltic Sea:
Sailing training vessel “Mircea” participates in the Hanse Sail
for the first time
When the sailing training vessel “Mircea” arrives at the passenger’s quay at Warnemünde on August, 7th, Commander Gabriel Moise and his crew have covered a distance of about 4000 of sea miles starting in Constanza at the Black Sea in the direction of Rostock. For the first time a Rumanian ship is going to come to Rostock to participate in the Hanse Sail. With the “Mircea” the number of participating nations increases since the beginning of the Hanse Sail in 1991 to 36.

136 cadets as well as 68 women and men of the main crew will be on board of a sailing training ship with a legendary history. In 1938 the “Mircea” has been launched by “Blohm & Voss” in Hamburg by order of the Rumanian Navy. The barque has a length of 82, 10 metres, a width of 12 metres and its sails are about 1748 square metres. Furthermore the “Mircea” is the only ship which is identical in appearance to the “Gorch Fock I” from Stralsund which has been launched by “Blohm & Voss” in 1933.

The “Mircea”s figure head is not a full bosomed beauty of the Seas but a bust of Prince Mircea the older who rescued the Dombrudscha from the Turks and so enabled sea trade in Wallachia.

In 1944 the Red Army confiscated the ship and returned it to the Rumanian Navy in 1946. In the past decades the barque was mainly used for education tours in the Baltic Sea and Mediterranean Sea but took also direction to the USA and Great Britain. Young men get the possibility to get first experiences on the Sea. After finishing their studies at the merchant navy or Rumania’s sea-angling they may start a job history at the Sea.

About 20 windjammers “ride” across the Baltic Sea
There’s a distance of about 180 sea miles between the partner countries Karlskrona (Sweden) and Rostock which might become a fast “ride” across the Baltic Sea for about 20 windjammers from August, 3rd.

The “Hiorten-Regatta” became the accepted “arrival race” of international traditional sailing ships which participate in the Hanse Sail. Participants of the regatta are next to others the two-mast-schooner “Yunyi Baltiest” from Russia, the three-mast-barque “Artemi” from the Netherlands, the galeasse “Helene” from Sweden and the schooner brig “Greif”. After the start an August, 3rd in front of Karlskrona the first ships will – depending on the wind at the Baltic Sea- be expected in the roads of Warnemünde late in the evening of August, 4th or in the early morning of August, 5th.

For the first time the fire boat FLB 40/3 which belongs to the “Rostocker Brandschutz- und Rettungsamt” will be start and finish. The regatta will be judged by the sail area of the ships. The head of the regatta Per-Inge Lindquist from Sweden and his team categorize in sails of more than 400 square metres, from 200 to 400 square metres and sails of an area smaller than 200 square metres and decide who is going to win the match.

The name of the “Hiorten-Regatta” is taken from the Swedish packet ship “Hiorten” which sails across the Baltic Sea in front of South Sweden since 1996. “Hiorten” was the name of a mail boat which ran between Ystad and Hither Pomerania 300 years ago. In the 90ies Swedish scientists of museums and experts of traditional sailing navigation decided to rebuild the ship. They were supported by the crew of the former manager of the Hanse Sail and current Lord Mayor Roland Methling.

Sports programme of the Hanse Sail
When the big and smaller traditional sailing ships have left the City harbour of Rostock, the Warnow becomes a stage of sports events. Shows of water skis, paddle races and races of dragon boats will entertain the visitors of the Hanse Sail who stayed ashore. In the occasion of the Hanse Sail’s opening on Thursday (August, 7th) a water ski show is going to take place across from the Silo-Halbinsel at the Rostocker Segelstadion. A big parade of flags with various shows and acrobatics will already start at 2.00 p.m. Water skiers wearing illuminated costumes and with pyrotechnics on their backs are going to present their skills in the dark and will turn the Segelstadion into a place of countless colours.

Jumpers will celebrate the falling over board on Thursday from 6.00 p.m. in the Segelstadion. They will jump into the water off an old Hanseatic cog wearing funny dresses. Since 1991 the SSV Rostock presents the ZK-10-regatta about the “Ostseepokal”. The saga of the legendary paddle and sailing boat ZK-10 is going to rise from death on Saturday (August, 9th) when the cutters sail from the waterside of Gehlsdorf in the direction of Warnemünde at 9.00 a.m.

Another highlight of Saturday (August, 9th) will start at 1.00 p.m.: The LT-Club arranges once again a dragon boat race at the Headgehafen. Furthermore on Sunday (August, 10th) at 3.00 p.m. two eights of the Hanse Sail are going to compete in a paddle regatta. The oarsmen who belong to the most powerful paddle category will present an explosive race with an exciting final at the Segelstadion.

Adventures at the Sea and in the air on ships and
water planes at the Hanse Sail
About 50 ships under steam or sails offer free places for visitors of the 18th Hanse Sail (August, 7th to 10th). Mandy Schulz, manager of the Buchungszentrale, also accentuates free places in the Austrian, Swedish or German water planes which participate in the 8th meeting of the sea planes. Sightseeing flights on board of a helicopter are possible, too. For the first time a flying boat invites guests to at the base of the Fracht- und Fischereihafen Marienehe.

Tickets are available in the internet under www.hansesail.com under the heading “Mitsegeln zur Hanse Sail 2008” or “Mitfliegen zur Hanse Sail 2008”. Mandy Schulz points out, that tickets for a sailing trip at the Baltic Sea became an extraordinary present in the last years. Moreover a flying or sailing trip embellishes anniversaries as well as wedding ceremonies. Enterprises invite business partners to a common trip on board of a windjammer, others present long-time colleagues. Sometimes teams of an enterprise book a sailing ship or a smaller traditional ship to enjoy a common trip under sails.

“Every day of the Hanse Sail is worth a trip”, says Mandy Schulz in regard to ships, which like to welcome their guests on board. Most of all the luxurious training tall ship “Stad Amsterdam”, a three-mast clipper which is in commission since 2000 and which is equipped with a sail of 2200 square metres. The Polish sailing training vessel “Dar Mlodziezy” a fully rigged ship of 108 metres length and a sail area of 2780 square metres can also be booked. Who likes to sail on board of an old-timer may probably sign up for the 86-year-old three-mast schooner “Ingo”, the Swedish Cog “Tvekamp Av Elbogen” or the Dutch three-mast fore-and-aft schooner “Minerva”, which is 73 years of age.

Information and booking:
Tall-Ship-Buchungszentrale
tallshipbooking@gmx.de
phone +49 (0)381 208 52 61

“Colours Of The Wind” at the IGA Park
The world’s famous melodies as well as legendary soundtracks at the IGA Park in the occasion of the Hanse Sail: About 91 artists are going to present the biggest concert and stage event at the festival of the beautiful ships on August, 8th at 8.08 p.m. “Colours Of The Wind” is the name of this great event. The Symphonic Pop Orchestra conducted by Frank Hollmann creates with soloists, choir singers, an a-capella group and dancers sounds and visions to symbolize the variety of colours of the earth as well as the temperament of the wind.

This musical and choreographic journey through the world goes all the way to Australia, Thailand, Cuba, and rests for one night in Bangkok. Ireland is the destination, when 13 dancers are going to perform out-takes of “River Dance” and “Lord Of The Dance”. Some highlights of the evening will be the soundtrack of “The Little Mermaid”, “The Storm” and the world-famous song “Colours Of The Wind” taken from Disney’s “Pocahontas”.

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s biggest garden with an area of 110 hectares becomes a landscape full of sounds. The idea of presenting concerts with an international aspiration in the occasion of the Hanse Sail at the IGA-Park arose from the Hanse Sail office two years ago. It is confirmed by the reception of the audience. Tickets can be bought in advance under http://www.goliath-show.de/ as well as under telephone +49 (0) 381 60 93 50.

New calendar of the Hanse Sail
Close to the 18th edition of the maritime festival at the Warnow the “Hanse-Sail-Kalender 2009” has been published, which means an annual must-have for friends of traditional navigation and many visitors of the Sail. The cover picture shows the Dutch clipper “Stad Amsterdam”, which arrives at Rostock in this year for the first time. The photo was made by Herbert H. Böhm from Hamburg, one of the most prestigious naval photographers in Germany.

Another six photographers are going to present next to other ships the “Gorch Fock”, the “Sedov” as well as replicas of medieval cogs which participate in the Hanse Sail. Furthermore, the calendar presents two ships of the organizer’s desires, which did not yet come to Rostock: The Portuguese barque “Sagres II”, also a sister ship of the “Gorch Fock I”; and the Swedish “Götheburg”, a rebuilding of an Eastern Indies sailing ship. The calendar is about 12 Euros and can be bought at the Hanse Sail office as well as in well-assorted bookshops.

Tourismuszentrale Rostock & Warnemünde
Accountable: Holger Bellgardt
Editorial office: Britta Trapp
Telephone: +49 (0) 381 208 52 39
britta.trapp@rostock.de