Press splitter 2 – July, 22nd 2008

75 years of steam
There has never been a Hanse Sail without the steamer “Stettin” which is going to celebrate its 75th birthday in 2008. Being the world’s biggest coal-fired seagoing steamer it has been constructed in 1933 by the shipyard “Stettiner Oderwerke” and has been into commission until 1978. Since 1982 the “Dampf-Eisbrecher Stettin e. V.” runs it honorary. Except for a few rebuildings the steamer is still run like it has been 75 years ago.

Machines as well as the boiler-plants are still original. Up to 1,5 tons of coal were shovelled by hand into six fires in one hour to produce steam in two boilers. This work is done by honorary workers! The steamer which is registered in Hamburg Oevelgönne transits the Noth Sea and the Baltic Sea during the summer “to keep the ‘Stettin’ being a cultural and historical memorial active as well as presenting historical navigation to public.” This is the statute of the association.

Tickets for a Hanse Sail trip on board of this 52 metres long “colossus” are only available for the Sail’s Thursday (August, 8th). The steamer also offers an evening trip on August, 15th before it leaves the port in the direction of Kiel.
Bookings under hotline +49 (0) 381 208 52-26 / -64

Unique in Europe:
Seven cogs from three different countries coming to Rostock
This is a unique event in Europe: Seven merchant ships of the Hanseatic period will participate in the 3rd cogs race and come to the 18th Hanse Sail Rostock. These replicas of the medieval which dominated the Baltic and the North Sea as well as parts of the European Atlantic are registered in Sweden, The Netherlands, Bremen, Kiel, Lübeck and Wimar.

When the cogs meeting at Wismar with every German replica took place for the first time, a small part of the fleet also came to Rostock. This meant a new and attractive facet of the Hanse Sail. Now this fleet of abdominous ships with a heavy canvas unites not only German but also Swedish and Dutch participants. In the occasion of the 18th Hanse Sail the cogs will arrive on August, 6th at Rostock. Between 3.00 p.m. and 4.00 p.m. the “Tvekamp Af Elbogen” (S), the “Kamper Kogge” (NL), the “Ubena von Bremen”, “Roland von Bremen”, “Kieler Hansekogge”, “Wissemara” as well as the carvel “Lisa von Lübeck” are going to sail in the direction of the City harbour under full sails. Rostock’s Lord Mayor Roland Methling is going to receive them.

At their first evening at Rostock the “cog sailors” may expect a special surprise. Seven navigators will be received at the “Forst- und Köhlerhof Wiethagen” nearby Rostock. Those seven sailors will bring seven little barrels for the char burner. In the barrels will be donation which has been collected by the crews at the City harbours during their trip across the Baltic Sea. By this donation the sailors will support the European char burners meeting, which is going to take place in 2009 at Wiethagen.

The Olympic Idea is what counts
During the Hanse Sail the Warnow in front of the Silo-Halbinsel becomes once again a stadium of sailing. Comers as well as experts and sportive celebrities compete in different contests for well known and new cups from Thursday to Sunday from 10.00 a.m.

For the first time a pupil’s regatta of the private school “Universitas” starts on Thursday at 12.00 a.m. This sportive competition is offered by the project “Schulsegeln in Rostock” to pupils of the 5th grade. For the 5th time the Norddeutsche Rundfunk looks for the NDR-Segeltalent at the weekend. The best new blood sailors from five Northern German federal states are going to participate in this competition. Being the supporter of the Segelstadion 2008 the OstseeSparkasse presents a celebrity’s race on Saturday at 5.00 p.m. Four successful sailors from Rostock will be supported by two members of the F. C. Hansa Rostock. After the award ceremony at 7.00 p.m. the NDR 1 Radio MV-Kulthitparty will start.

Sportive highlights will also be the international Match-Races on Friday and Saturday. The ISAF-Grade-4-Matchrace with the boat “Skippi 650” is presented by the OSPA and invites everyone to participate in it. Bookings will be received at the Wassersportschule Rostock. At the final races the Weltseglerverband also awards credit points for the world cup. However what counts is the Olympic idea: “Being there is what matters”, says the director of the Wassersportschule Dirk Jahnke.

“Blue guys” invite on board,
in the Naval Base and to music for brass instruments
18 years of Hanse Sail mean 18 years of partnership with the German Navy. Invitations of the “blue guys” for the visitors of the Hanse Sail are attractive and various. The 50th anniversary of the sailing training vessel “Gorch Fock” is a special highlight of the programme. On the eve of the Hanse Sail (August, 6th) visitors at the passenger’s quay may follow the barque with the albatross on the bow entering the port. On the following day a 10 euros commemorative coin as well as a special stamp will be presented in the occasion of the anniversary of the flagship of the German Navy.

During the 18th Hanse Sail the “Gorch Fock” and the corvette “Braunschweig” invite guests at Warnemünde to go on board, as well as the speed boat “Zobel” invites visitors at the City harbour. The “Braunschweig” is currently the latest naval ship of the NATO.

The “days of the open Naval Base” at Rostock- Hohe Düne became already a tradition at the Hanse Sail. The modern naval area invites visitors from August, 7th to 9th from 10.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. Exercises of naval divers, helicopters and naval ships will be presented. The naval music corps “Ostsee” from Kiel plays in the occasion of the Hanse Sail and an information desk at the City harbour is going to inform young people of the job history at the German Navy.

International Hanse Sail
The big maritime festival of the Hanse Sail became an international event. This is caused for instance by traditional sailing ships and their crew members coming from a dozen of different nations to the Hanseatic city as well as by guests of Rostock’s partner countries who are invited to the days of the Sail.

It’s a tradition of the Hanse Sail that the state which holds the presidency of the Baltic council also becomes the partner country of this maritime event. Latvia is the partner country of 2008 and enriches the International market at the City harbour by artistic and technical offers as well as by presenting traditional songs and dances but also modern sounds. By the way the Hanseatic city of Rostock and the Latvian capitol Riga are partner cities since 1961.

Since twelve years the Hanse Sail is not just connected closely to the Baltic Sea, but also means the accepted engine of this maritime association. Next to Rostock it unites the Polish Gdansk , the Swedish Halmstad, Klaipeda in Lithunia, Karlskrona in Sweden and Lübeck-Travemünde. All these cities celebrate harbour festivals at the summer weekends where traditional sailing ships take the centre stage. In terms of the Hanseatic League political, economic and cultural relations were supported by this connection of cities. The entry of the Swedish Gävle, the Polish Swinoujscie and the ferry harbour Sassnitz in the Baltic Sail in 2009 underlines the attractiveness of the Baltic Sail.

Tourismuszentrale Rostock & Warnemünde
Accountable: Holger Bellgardt
Editorial office: Britta Trapp
Tel. +49 (0)381 208 52 39
Fax +49 (0)381 20 8 52 41
britta.trapp@rostock.de
www.hansesail.com