It is still a rare occurrence for the ‘Gorch Fock’ to sail under full sail in the fjord. For this manoeuvre, numerous procedures on deck and in the rigging must mesh together precisely. Dozens of cadets manoeuvre the heavy yards, hoist and lower the sails, whilst several helmsmen work together at the helm to maintain course. Sailing a windjammer is teamwork in its most direct form: every action counts, every movement must be spot on. Even the slightest lapse in concentration can have major consequences on an 89-metre-long three-masted ship with around 1,800 square metres of sail area.
This spectacular arrival marks the provisional conclusion of an extraordinary training voyage. The “Gorch Fock” has been at sea for 165 days, with the ship and its crew having covered more than 14,000 nautical miles. The 189th overseas training voyage initially took the ship westwards across the Atlantic from Kiel via Bayonne, Las Palmas and Hamilton in Bermuda. Unlike with modern ships, the route was not simply a matter of timetables and engine power. The crew had to rely on the trade winds, read the wind and weather, and constantly adjust their course to the conditions at sea.
Star of the parade in New York
The tall ship reached the United States via Norfolk and Baltimore. The highlight of the outward journey was 4 July in New York. To mark the 250th anniversary of American independence, the “Gorch Fock” took part in the grand windjammer parade off Manhattan and on the Hudson River. Against the backdrop of the city’s skyline and near the Statue of Liberty, it was the only square-rigged sailing ship to set all its sails. Amidst dozens of tall ships from all over the world, the German training ship thus became an ambassador in its own right – whilst at the same time delivering an impressive demonstration of its sailing prowess. We had reported on this.
Shortly afterwards, the sporting challenge awaited. At the latest edition of the Five Sisters Trophy The “Gorch Fock” met up with its three sister ships still in service: the American “Eagle”, the Portuguese “Sagres” and the Romanian “Mircea”. Although the name ‘Four Sisters’ might seem obvious given the four ships that set sail, the trophy is officially known as the ‘Five Sisters Trophy’. It commemorates the original five ships in the class, which had already competed against one another in 1976 to mark the 200th anniversary of the United States.
Winner of the Five Sisters Trophy
The regatta from New York to Boston proved a success for Germany. The “Gorch Fock” completed the approximately 60-nautical-mile course in just under seven and a half hours, finishing 38 minutes ahead of the “Eagle”. The ‘Sagres’ followed an hour behind, and the ‘Mircea’ two hours behind. Key factors in this success were the intensive pre-race sailing training, a well-honed tactical approach and a crew that was able to keep all sails up even as the wind picked up. The trophy therefore remains on board the Kiel training ship (Click here for the full report).
Following further stages of training in Halifax, the most challenging part of the journey began: the return crossing of the North Atlantic. From Canada, the route took them through a stretch of sea known for severe storms, high waves and rapidly changing conditions. The officer cadets were not training there for a regatta, but for the realities of seafaring: manoeuvres, tacking, emergency procedures and working safely on a rolling deck.
Iceberg ahead!
The voyage became particularly memorable when, at the end of August, the ‘Gorch Fock’ crossed the Arctic Circle for the first time since 2009. Just off Greenland, it passed large icebergs and caught sight of the Greenlandic mainland. This was followed by a detour to Reykjavík before the ship finally set course for home. The Northern Lights, ice fields and the rugged North Atlantic provided scenes that bore little resemblance to the classic postcard image of the ‘White Swan of the Baltic Sea’.
The “Gorch Fock” is now back in Kiel – and has once again demonstrated why she is far more than just a floating piece of naval history. She is a training centre, an ambassador and living proof that traditional sailing still has its place in the 21st century.
Pascal Schürmann
Editor YACHT