Press splitter 5 –July, 31st 2008

The countdown has started:
18 news for the 18th Hanse Sail from August, 7th to 10th

222nd participant of the Hanse Sail arrives from the Alps. The fast gaff ketch which has been constructed in 1977 is named “Aglaia” and sails under a sail area of 150 square metres. The ship belongs to the Viennese “Verein Sailtraining & Jugenförderung”. Skipper Sven Esser as well as twelve passengers and four members of his main crew participate in the “Hiorten- Regatta” and will cover the distance of about 180 sea miles between Karlskrona (Sweden) to Rostock.

Rockers from Riga take part in the Hanse Sail for the first time. Being part of the international music business since 17 years, the last album of “The Hobos” meant -according to renowned critics- the best Latvian rock of the last years. The band is also called as one of the famous names of the post Soviet rock scene. On August, 7th 2008 “The Hobos” are going to perform at the stage Hanse Sail at the City harbour. Latvia is the partner country of the Hanse Sail in 2008. Furthermore Riga and Rostock are connected in a town twinning since almost 30 year.

Always energetic is the work of about ten service electricians at the Hanse Sail. However they keep cool even in stressful situations. Staff of the “Elektro-Anschluss-Service Rostock” (EAS) runs cables of about 15 kilometres of length, puts about 100 distribution boxes and installs six big access containers. Without these “E-mixers” no carrousel would move, no oven would sizzle and no light would shine. About 6000 kilowatt are needed for the Hanse Sail to keep the market at the City harbour and Warnemünde with its 500 carnies, marketers, promotion booths and of course the stages going.

A tour almost around Europe will be the longest way for one participant to arrive at the Hanse Sail. The sailing training vessel “Mircea” from Rumania will cover a distance of more than 4000 sea miles to arrive from the Black Sea at Rostock for the first time. The barque which has been constructed in 1938 at “Blohm & Voss” at Hamburg, has a length of 82 metres and a sail area of 1748 square metres. Together with 136 naval cadets as well as 68 male and female members of the main crew Commander Gabriel Moise drives to the Hanse Sail on board of this ship which is similar in construction to the “Gorch Fock I” (constructed in 1933). For the fist time a Rumanian ship is going to participate in the meeting of the windjammers which increases the number of participating countries since 1991 to 36.

Jumpers “fly” off cogs and into the water of the Warnow. This event at the Hanse Sail Segelstadion next to the storehouses starts on August, 7th from 6.00 p.m. Sportsmen from Rostock who usually participate in high diving contests and jump off boards from a height of 10 or one metre climb on some of the cogs which are anchored at the “cog’s storage” at the City harbour. Boys and girls will jump off the cog castle as well as off the rig of “merchant ships of the Hanseatic period”.

The tallest windjammers of the Sail will be six ships from five different nations. The ranking list is topped by the Russian “Kruzenshtern” which has a sail area of 3400 square metres. It is followed by the Polish “Dar Mlodziezy” with sails of 2936 square metres, while third will be a special ship: The “Gorch Fock” which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2008 is the sailing training vessel of the German Navy and sails under a sail area of 2097 square metres. It is followed by the Rumanian “Mircea” with 1750 square metres, and the Dutch Fryderyk Chopin” having 1200 square metres of sails and the “Artemis” with 1050 square metres.

A flight above Rostock can be experienced on board of water planes from Austria, Sweden and Germany as well as with helicopters at the 8th sea plane meeting in the occasion of the 18th Hanse Sail. The “sea base” at the Fracht- und Fischereihafen Marienehe offers an airfield on the water from 900 x 25 metres as well as an extra launch pad and landing field for passengers of a helicopter. Information and booking in the internet under www.hansesail.com as well as in the Tall-Ship Buchungszentrale (E-mail tallshipbooking@gmx.de or telephone +49 (0)381 208 52 61).

9th meeting of cannoneers and bangers Rostock on August, 9th and 10th at the waterside of Gehlsdorf means a national meeting of traditional associations. The cannons and regimentals of the cannoneers are a silent highlight. However they become very loud when seven cogs will be saluted in the afternoon of August, 6th. 21 associations and banger groups from all over Germany with 120 cannoneers are going to take part in the meeting. 36 cannons, including the biggest cannon which belongs to the shooting club Bremen and has a bore of 150 millimetres are going to underline the 18th Hanse Sail in their traditional way by bangers and salutes.

“Major Tom” at the Hanse Sail. Peter Schilling & Band had a smash hit with the song “Major Tom” which topped the chart lists of Germany and five European countries. By topping the top ten of the US charts their success grew even bigger. For the first time Peter Schilling & Band are going to perform at the Hanse Sail. Where and at what time? On August, 9th 2008, from 9.45 p.m. to 10.15 p.m. and from 10.45 p.m. to 12.00 p.m. at the stage Hanse Sail next to the crane bridge at the City harbour.

The first water ski show at the Hanse Sail with the support of motor craft will be presented at the opening day (August, 7th) at the City harbour. A great flag parade with various shows and acrobatics starts at 2.00 p.m. at the Segelstadion (area of Silohalbinsel). Water skiers wearing glowing costumes and having pyrotechnics on their back will not only present their skills from 10.00 p.m. in a show in the dark but will also turn the Segelstadion into a place of countless colours.

The election of the Miss Hanse Sail on Sunday August, 10th became a tradition of the maritime festival at the Warnow. Attractive young women with intelligence and esprit present themselves to a selection committee of celebrities. The winner of the election will execute several representative missions in the occasion of the Hanse Sail, like for example performances at maritime exhibitions. The contest will start from 3.00 p.m. at the stage Hanse Sail (Haedge-Halbinsel). Before the final election of the new Miss a musical live performance “of a special kind” will be expected.

Heavy Naval divers will be an attraction during the days of the open base of the German Navy in the occasion of the Hanse Sail. Ships of the “blue guys” invite their guests at the naval harbour to go on board. Furthermore pilots as well as navigators invite to go on board of a helicopter and present a lot of information on a job history at the Navy. The days of the open base invites visitors on August, 7th from 1.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. as well as on August, 8th and 9th from 10.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.

Coloured waterfalls and stars will fall from the sky, when the Sailor’s fireworks will be shot at the Hanse Sail. Also in 2008 there will be two sparkling, lightning and banger shows: Saturday (August, 9th) from 10.30 p.m. to 10.45 p.m. one at the City harbour and the other one at Warnemünde. About 20 pyrotechnists and assistants prepare the show six hours before it will light up the sky.

Live concerts at the 18th Hanse Sail at the City harbour show today’s most famous stars as well as the greatest hits of the past presented by NDR1 Radio MV, the “Nordmagazin”, NDR2 and N-JOY on their stages at the City harbour. Highlight of August, 7th will be the performance of the Norwegian Hip-Hop and Reggae band “Madcon”. The evening of August, 9th is shaped by the motto “Forever Young”, which will be performed by “Alphaville”. Radio Antenne Mecklenburg- Vorpommern creates retro feeling at Rostock. On August, 8th and 9th the stage which is located between the two storehouses at the City harbour shows young and experienced artists like the rock pop band “Revolverheld” and “Culture Beat” which present their comeback with the new single “Your Love”.

Carbon is alright at the “Stettin” which means no inventory of the board cash of the only active steam ice-breaker of the world. Carrying 200 tons of Polish coal the “Stettin” arrived at the Hanse Sail for the 18th time since 1991. In full speed the ship of 2200 HP spends about one ton. The strongest firemen shovel every time 15 to 20 kilogram of coal in the two boilers with every three fire tube.

The Warnow becomes a stadium of sailing at the Hanse Sail in front of the Silohalbinsel. Freshmen as well as experienced sailors and sportive celebrities compete from Thursday to Sunday from 10.00 a.m. in different contests, like a pupil’s regatta (August, 7th), a celebrity’s race (August, 9th) or an international match race on Friday and Saturday. The NDR searches for the 5th time for the NDR-Segeltalent on both days of the week-end. The best freshmen from five northern federal states participate with their optimists.

Sail with us! About 50 ships under sails or steam offer free places and a special Sail atmosphere on the days of the Hanse Sail, for example the “Stad Amsterdam”, the “Dar Mlodziezy”, the “Minerva” or the “Kvartsita”. Booking under the hotline +49 (0) 381 208 52-64/ -26 or +49 (0) 381 377 74 65. The Tall-Ship Buchungszentrale offers a hotline from 10.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. under +49 (0) 381 403 12 66. Callers will get information about the maritime festival, berths of the participants, information about parking as well as timetables of the local public transport.

100 years of fire ship “Fehmarnbelt” – the biggest anniversary of the former sea mark will be celebrated at the Hanse Sail on four days, during the trips with the guests as well as at the berth at the old dock at the Fracht- und Fischereihafen Rostock-Marienehe. Over decades the “Fehmarnbelt” guarded the security of the navigation in front of the island Fehmarn. Today it is a fast driving museum ship which is held by a development association.

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