Press conference August 8th 2006

International guests on and at the sea:
16th Hanse Sail is becoming a venue  of politics and business
On his first visit to Rostock, Germany’s finance secretary, Peer Steinbrück, will see Rostock from its greatest side. He, the ambassador of this year’s partner country Iceland, Ólafur Davidsson, M-V president, Harald Ringstorff and Rostock’s mayor, Roland Methling, are going to strike the bell. This is going to be the starting signal of the Hanse Sail Rostock, Europe’s biggest annual traditional sailing reunion.  With 300 registered ships from eleven nations, this year’s Hanse Sail is steering towards a new participation record.
The training sailing ship of the German Navy, the three-master, GORCH FOCK, is going to be the flagship of the 16th Hanse Sail, taking place from August 10th to 13th in the city harbour, in Warnemünde and the fishing harbour. The highlights of the four-days programme are going to be – apart from the parade of all sailing vessels on Saturday (August 12th)- the sixth seaplane meeting in the fishing harbour, Marienehe, the festivities for the 50th anniversay of the German Navy as well as the opening night of Rostock’s first harbour symphony. The competitions in the sailing stadium of the city harbour and the kite surfers at Warnemünde are composing the sportive counterbalance to the beautiful ladies on the sea.

The North of Europe meets up in Rostock
“It is wonderful that the attractiveness of Rostock’s Hanse Sail is still increasing. The record number of nearly 300 registered ships underlines that Rostock is the number-one traditional sailing city and more at the Baltic Sea. Not a few other harbour cities worldwide envy this status and I consider it as a duty and a chance  of our Hanseatic city and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to tap the full potential of the Sail as a business and cultural event”, announced Rostock’s mayor proudly and underlined that the Sail was truly made by the people and was close to their hearts.
For the twin cities of the Hanseatic city, the Hanse Sail is also of great importance. Numerous high-ranking representatives from administration and politics have announced their comings to the Sail. Thus, expected guests are among others the president of the union of the Baltic Sea cities, Kolding’s mayor (Denmark), Per Bodker, Halmstad’s mayor (Sweden), Bengt Ekberg, Klaipeda’s mayor (Lithuania), Rimantas Taraÿkeviÿius, PhD Alfred Lehmann from Ingolstadt and Lübeck’s mayor, Bernd Saxe. From Rostock’s Croatian twin city, Rijeka, MP and president of the city council is going to come.
This year’s partner country of the Hanse Sail is Iceland. The big North Atlantic ocean island measures 103,000 square meters.  Through its location, it has been depending on the sea way since the beginning of the settlement at the end of the 9th century and has a great seafaring tradition. Apart from Iceland’s ambassador, Ólafur Davidsson, the republic’s minister of tourism and communications takes part in the Sail. The country with 300,000 inhabitants is going to be represented by public readings, an Icelandic brunch, Jazz and a women’s choir.

Business platform with perfect view
Not only the politics have been drawn closer to the river Warnow – the economy also wants to take part. “The economy obtains a new platform for establishing new contacts between managers and companies and is a representative centre stage for the exchange of ideas. Rostock Business, the CCI, the trade association, the chamber of trade East M-V and the project group Land Marketing M-V are going to welcome more than 200 managers from all over Germany. They are going to meet at discussion boards and forums with the view of the sailing scenery of the windjammer reunion”, said Holger Bellgardt, head of the Hanse Sail office. Furthermore, he greets and thanks all companies for their support in advance. “Without the business partners and our sponsors we could not turn into a city under sails. To these supporters also belong  45 restaurants from the region Rostock, which are going to host more than 400 seafarers on the last day, an event called “Convivial hosts from Mecklenburg”.

Happy moments and more ashore
About 350 showmen and marketenders are going to turn Rostock’s city harbour for four days into a popular travel destination also for non-sailors. In the International village on the Haedge peninsula, Lithuania and other twin cities of Rostock are going to be represented apart from the partner country Iceland and some touristic regions. The adventure village “Nivea – Happy moments” is especially for children. The village wants to draw the attention to the SOS children villages, entertaining the kids with climbing ships, nature tents and fairy-tale castles. The offers in Warnemünde are also attractive for the visit ashore.  For the first time at the Hanse Sail, actors and arts and craftsmen are inviting to a round tour at the promenade and in front of the stage at the historical lighthouse.
The highlights in the city harbour as well as in Warnemünde, are going to be the fireworks on Saturday evening at 22.30. The thunder and lightning event is going to be announced by 120 cannoneers and the 35 cannons of the 7th cannoneers’ reunion, which attracts participants from all over Germany. Eight exhibitions and seven congresses will top off the maritime programme ashore.

GORCH FOCK heads parade of ships
Inspite of all the festivities ashore, the traditional sailing vessels clearly are the attractive protagonists of the four Sail days. The flagship of the Hanse Sail is going to be the training sailing ship of the German Navy, GORCH FOCK, measuring 89 metres in length. It is going to moor on Thursday at 10.30 in Warnemünde and it is going to lead the parade of all traditional sailing vessels on Saturday. Also participating - ten huge windjammers with a length over 50 metres, 59 ships between 30 and 50 metres long, as well as 30 ships without sails (steam icebreakers, lightships, paddlesteamers, towboats and barges).
26 ships are already more than 100 years old. Especially eye-catching are the medieval trade ships with their big ‘bellies’. For the first time all five cogs can be seen on a harbour festival at the Baltic Sea. They are going to come together to Warnemünde from Wismar – the WISSEMARA, UBENA VON BREMEN, the KIELER HANSEKOGGE, the ROLAND VON BREMEN as well as the LISA v. LÜBECK. Already one day before the Sail starts, a very special summit meeting is going to take place – i.e. the five historic replicas meet four modern cruiseliners on their ceremonial farewell with port party and firework.

No Hanse Sail without great support by their sponsors
The Hanseatic brewery Rostock as the main sponsor, Coca Cola and the Ostseeparkasse Rostock (OSPA) are the most important sponsors of the 16th Hanse Sail Rostock. The OSPA has been supporting the big maritime event financially. This year, financial support of about € 30,000 is guaranteed by them for very different projects. “We know very well that the attractiveness of a whole region depends on their cultural and sportive offers”, said Rainer Gehrke, department head of company communications of the OSPA. “We are especially glad that parts of the financial support are given to competitions of sailing new bloods”.
30 other companies – from car to shopping centres – contribute to the financial and non-cash support of the event.

Press office of the Hanse Sail
Open from August 7th, 9am to 5pm
August 10th to 12th, 8am to 7pm
August 13th; 8am to 6pm.
Stadthafen (city harbour), Warnowufer 65
phone: +49 (0) 381 128 57 71; 128 57 89
fax: +49 (0) 381 128 90 12
e-mail: presse-hansesail2006@gmx.de

Joint sailing or flight trips
Tall-Ship booking centre
Warnowufer 65, 18057 Rostock
phone: +49 (0) 381 20 85 226
fax: +49 (0) 381 377 74 66
e-mail: tallshipbooking@t-online.de