General news

The Nadezhda wins first stage of Far Eastern Tall Ships Regatta

On September 9, 2018 Vladivostok welcomed winners and participants in the first stage of SCF Far East Tall Ships 2018 Regatta, which had started in the Korean city of Yeosu September 4.

The participants in the race passed over 600 nautical miles on the Tsushima Strait and the Korean Strait, as well as on the Sea of Japan. The FSUE “Rosmorport” Nadezhda frigate won the first race of the regatta “SCF Far East Tall Ships 2018” in the most senior class, Class A, and in the overall standing. The sailing ship can be hardy named as the most experienced participant in the competition. It got many victories in the competitions of different level, including in SCF Black Sea Tall Ships Regatta 2014.

Totally, the regatta involves about 40 vessels: in addition to big training sailing ships of Class A and Class B with traditional rigging, cruise yachts of Class C and Class D are taking part in it.

The capital of Primorye hosts the Russian stage of the regatta. The guests of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) due to be held in the city on September 11-13 will remember this event.

On the opening day of SCF Far East Tall Ships Regatta 2018 Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his greetings to the participants in and the guests of the event. The greetings telegram was sent to Vladivostok. “It is important that the regatta unites different-age people, who are sincerely committed to their jobs and maritime brotherhood. Cadets of colleges and schoolchildren, who cut teeth in the art of handling ships, get an excellent possibility to pick up the profession’s secrets from experienced sailors, develop their gifts and the best humane qualities, which are required at sea – courage, endurance and esprit de corps,” Putin said.

A solemn ceremony was held on the Nadezhda sailing ship to cancel a postcard issued by Russia’s Post in limited quantities especially for this event. Primorye Territory Administration head Andrei Tarasenko greeted the participants in the celebrations. The event also involved Rosmorrechflot Deputy Head Alexander Poshivay, Vladivostok Mayor Vitaly Verkeyenko, Director of Sail Training International (STI) Einar Korvin, who is also the regatta’s chairman, Director of the FSUE “Rosmorport” Far Eastern Basin Branch Viktor Vanyukov, and Admiral Nevelskoy Maritime State University Sergei Ogay.

For reference:

SCF Far East Tall Ships Regatta 2018 is the first competition in the history of Russia’s Far East. The regatta involves big training sailing ships of international level. It continues the traditions of the legendary regatta Cutty Sark Tall Ships Races, which was firstly held in 1956 on the route between Torbay (England) and Lisbon (Portugal). Russian sailing ships and yachts have started taking part in international regattas since 1974 and gotten victories several times. For the first time Russia hosted the regatta in 2009 when the competitions took place in the Baltic region. Then in 2014 and 2016 the regattas were held on the Black Sea where Novorossyisk and Sochi received participants in the regattas.

The priority of the regatta is to increase the youth’s interest in maritime profession, popularize a healthy lifestyle and support maritime education, as well as to develop international cooperation and good-neighborly relations. By tradition the regattas are held under patronage of the heads of states of the member-countries.

SCF Far East Tall Ships 2018 is conducted within the Russian-Japanese Bilateral Year. The arrival of ships is timed to the IV Eastern Economic Forum. The competitions will take place September 1-14, 2018 and involve sailing ships from Russia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea and other countries.