The crew of the sail training ship “Gorch Fock” left the home port of Kiel on Monday for their 175th voyage abroad. “With the feeling that it has to start now,” said Commander Andreas-Peter Graf von Kielmansegg before the ship cast off. The crew is well prepared for the multi-month trip. On the Gorch-Fock-Mole of the naval base, the approximately 100 men and women of the permanent crew and the 87 officer candidates on board were said goodbye by family members and to the sound of the naval band.
According to the Navy, a total of around 250 officer candidates will gain initial experience on board the tall ship in three trips over the coming months. Later she will go to the universities of the German Armed Forces in Hamburg and Munich. Cadets from Korea, Colombia, Malaysia, France, Togo, Cameroon, Benin and Senegal are also on board during the voyage. The ship set course for Spain and Portugal on Monday. The first port will be La Coruna. Then it’s back to Kiel via Ireland. The three-master is expected back there on July 7th.
Press release from the Marine Press and Information Center
