Press conference of the country, July 10th 2007

Hanse Sail Rostock 2007 – traditional and classic

Rostock celebrates the 17th meeting of the most beautiful ships with the world’s biggest windjammers from August, 9th to August, 12th. Two of the biggest traditional sailing ships of the world participate at the Hanse Sail: The Russian four-mast barks SEDOV and KRUZENSHTERN will join the Hanse Sail in August as well as the Polish newcomer DAR MLODZIEZY and the training ship of the Mexican marine CUAUHTEMOC.

More than 230 traditional ships, beneath barques, brigs, schooner, barquentines, steamer, motor ships and museum ships have already been registered. All in all 14 different nations, mainly from the Baltic area will present their ships at the quayside of Rostock and Warnemünde. The Netherlands participate at the Sail with 41 ships, the partner country of the Hanse Sail Sweden takes part with 10 ships. Another participant is the new built training sailing ship of the navigation school of Lithuania the schooner BRABANDER which visits the Hanse Sail for the first time.

A special guest is the barquentine CONCORDIA (60 m) from Canada under bahamian flag. Together with the brig FRYDERYK CHOPIN from Rostock’s partner town Szczecin it breaks in a world sailing trip which takes place in the context of an international youth exchange project. The barque ALEXANDER v. HUMBOLDT flagship of the Sail Training Association Germany has participated in other Hanse Sails before and will also take part in 2007. It will race against the GREIF in an exciting competition in the occasion of the regattas on Saturday, August, 11th.

Maritime contrasts
2007 medieval cogs meet impressive cruisers. On August, 8th there will be the second cog trip from Wismar to the Hanse Sail Rostock. Five German Hanseatic ships LISA v. LÜBECK, ROLAND v. BREMEN, UBENA v. BREMEN, KIELER HANSEKOGGE and WISSEMARA pass one of the biggest cruisers of the busy season of Warnemünde, the STAR PRINCESS (290 m).

Daytrips and evening trips available from Thursday
Rostock’s special: The Hanse Sail offers its guests the possibility to join a trip on board during the four days of the Hanse Sail from 10.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. and 7.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. While the capacities on Saturday (August, 11th) drop down, the Polish sailing training ship DAR MLODZIEZY offers next to other ships on Thursday (August, 9th) free seats. The Dutch three-mast schooner EENDRACHT, the brig FRYDERYK CHOPIN and the Swedish schooners INGO and KVARTSITA offer day trips on every day of the Hanse Sail.

Short trips (29 EUR up) and trips about some days from and to Rostock are also available. Even a sailing trip on board of the GREIF (August, 6th to 9th) from Szczecin along the isle of Rügen to the Hanse Sail Rostock is still available.

The KRUZENSHTERN leaves Rostock on Sunday (August, 12th) towards Eckernförde and offers the possibility to sail with it (564 EUR), the ABEL TASMAN offers from Monday (August, 13th) a sailing trip to Cuxhaven (155 EUR up).

Seaplanes too
belong to the agenda of the Hanse Sail since seven years. 11 water planes from Norway, Sweden, England, Austria, the Netherlands and Germany participate in the 7th seaplane meeting. The English pilot Steve Powell and his „Maule M 7“ participate this year for the first time in the meeting. From the Isartal in Austria flying boats which land with the hulk in the water applied for the meeting. The sea planes take-off at the sea plane base at Rostock-Marienehe to sightseeing flights. Passengers are welcome. The program in the Fishery port is completed by helicopter flights and presentations of different planes.

Classical music and film music at the Hanse Sail
The Halle 207 of the former Neptunwerft represents the special ambiance for Johannes Brahms’ “Tragic overture” and Jean Sibelius’ “Symphony No. 5”. The European Union Youth Orchestra is going to perform under the conduction of Sir Colin Davis in the context of the “Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern” (August, 9th).

The big concert in the occasion of the Hanse Sail on August, 10th at the IGA-Prak is titled: “Ride Like The Wind”. The Symphonic Pop Orchestra plays popular film music together with 50 excellent musicians. This vespertine concert presents hits from “Pirates of the Caribbean” to “James Bond”, from John Miles to Gloria Estefan open air.

Saxons bring Snow and ice from the Erz Mountains
They bring bob runs and a ski jump and build up a climbing wall out of ice at the city harbour. The most sportive cadet of the sailing training ships is to be found. The event areas in Rostock and Warnemünde are entertaining and tumultuous. An International market offers traditional Swedish and Polish snacks and for the smaller visitors of the Hanse Sail there are special adventure parks for kids. Visitors can enjoy medieval market development as well as the traditional meeting of historic cannons at the quay of Gehlsdorf.
The Segelstadion in the city harbour offers exciting contests. In cooperation with the “NDR-Segeltalent” the best young blood sailor of the German seaside shall be found. Two fireworks will started at Rostock and Warnemünde on Saturday (August 11th) at the same time.

Shanty, Country or Rock ‘n Roll
but also rock and pop concerts will take place at the stage of the NDR and the Hanse Sail stage as well as at the lighthouse at Warnemünde. The highlights will be the performances of “Revolverheld” (August, 9th), “Firebirds” (August, 10th), “Rednex” or “The good ol’ Blues Brothers Boys Band” (August, 11th).

German marine
participates in the Hanse Sail with its frigate HAMBURG and invites its guests from Thursday to Saturday to its base at Hohe Düne. The Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Rettung Schiffbrüchiger participates with a training for maritime salvage.

An Alternative Programme
is offered by the Chruch’s Night (August, 10th). An exhibition at the “Kulturhistorisches Museum” shows the visitors how the medieval economic was pushed by the “network Hanse”. At Steinstraße 6 visitors can have a look at the first “art sail Rostock 2007”. At the Baltic Point at Warnemünde there is an exhibition with the topic “seaplanes and marine planes – yesterday-today-tomorrow”. It reminds its visitors of Rostock being a very important home of sea plane flying in Germany next to Friedrichshafen.

In 2007 the Sail is one more time the destination of the big bike tour “Hansetour Sonnenschein” for the benefit of children with cancer.

At the “Hanse Sail Business Forum”
on Thursday (August, 9th) is focused on the creation of networks for the maritime tourism at the Baltic area and takes place at the rotunda at the “HanseMesse”. This is just one top-class event at the Hanse Sail which offers the possibility to meet and talk to each other and to arrange new plans.

The Hanseatic city Rostock and the Hanse Sail Verein e.V. thank more than 50 sponsors for their active and generous support.

Press Contact
Tourismuszentrale Rostock & Warnemünde
Tel. +49 (0)381) 381 23 64, Fax +49 (0)381 381 26 18
sabine.weigend@rostock.de

Sailing and Flying
Tall-Ship Buchungszentrale
Warnowufer 65, 18057 Rostock,
Tel. +49 (0)381) 208 52 26, Fax +49 (0)381 377 74 66
tallshipbooking@t-online.de