Sailer Nadezhda begins training cruise to Philippines

01.06.2010 Leaving Vladivostok on Tuesday, Russian sailing frigate Nadezhda begins training cruise to Philippines within the framework of international festival "The Young Captains of the World Ocean", reported RIA Novosti citing representative of Maritime State University named after G.I. Nevelskoy which is the sailer's shipowner.

Annual international festival "The Young Captains of the World Ocean" was opened on May 11 in Vladivostok by frigate Nadezhda sailed off Vladivostok for a 2-week cruise to Sakhalin, Kamchatka, and Kuril Islands. Major festivities will be held in Philippines. Cadets and students of maritime universities and colleges from Asian-Pacific states will attend the festival.

"On Tuesday sailer Nadezhda starts training cruise to Philippines associated with festival "The Young Captains of the World Ocean". On board the ship are cadets of navigational department who will practice sailing under canvas. On her way to Manila, the frigate will visit Tsushima where the crew is going to hold wreath laying ceremony", said the interviewee.

According to him, in Tsushima Strait cadets and the crew of Nadezhda will pay tribute to heroic sailors of legendary Russian cruiser Varyag displayed bravery and courage in the battle against Japanese fleet during Russo-Japanese War.

"The frigate is expected to arrive to Philippines on June 20. Then Russian cadets will meet with students of Chinese and Korean maritime universities. There will be a student swap, i.e. Russian cadets will practice at training ships of China and Korea, and foreign students will have an opportunity to train at the Russian sailing frigate", specified the official.

He pointed out that it would be an exclusive experience for our guests, since they normally practice at common fishing vessels refitted into training ships.

"Frigate Nadezhda will stay in Philippines for one week; she is expected to return to Vladivostok on July 7", added the interviewee.

In Dec 2010 sailer Nadezhda will start a new, longer cruise over the Pacific; the trip is going to be associated with APEC summit to be held in Vladivostok in 2012. Presumably, the cruise will last 300 days, said the university's press service official. The sailer will visit over 20 APEC member countries and call at about 25 ports.

Nautical biography of frigate Nadezhda includes dozens of expeditions and cruises worldwide. In 2003 the ship left Vladivostok for around-the-world cruise devoted to 200th anniversary of first Russian global expedition led by Ivan Kruzenshtern and Yury Lisiansky on sloops named Nadezhda and Neva. Through 14 months of the cruise, the ship covered somewhat 45,000 nautical miles and visited 30 ports of 20 countries. Nadezhda is multiple winner and awardee of international regattas.