This Year's Kieler Woche to Feature Sailing School Ship "Gorch Fock"
Sailing vessel Gorch Fock heading back for Kiel Week celebrations - "Tall ship 'Gorch Fock' bound for Kiel Week return voyage"
Get ready for the Kiel Week maritime extravaganza as the German sailing school ship, "Gorch Fock," prepares to make a grand entrance! Set to lead the famous Windjammer parade, this 88.5-meter bark will be a sight to behold on Saturday, June 28th. The crew is all set to return to their home turf at the Kiel naval base on Thursday, June 26th.
This summer, the "Gorch Fock" will sail with pride, as it'll flaunt its sails with a full student class and the crème de la crème from the first two voyage legs. The commander, Elmar Bornkessel, shared that the ship has never led the parade with such a setup, making this a unique milestone for the ship.
The "Gorch Fock's" journey began back in February 2025, and some of its notable stops included Vigo (Spain), Portimao (Portugal), Lerwick (United Kingdom), and Warnemünde. During this voyage, the ship covered 17,172 kilometers, with a staggering 15,509 kilometers being sailed under wind power.
Zooming in on the voyage, Bornkessel stated that it was designed as an arduous sailing trip, with an increasing level of difficulty. One of the major challenges faced by the ship crew was the hurricane-like storms near the Azores. These ferocious winds put the crew and ship through a stern test, but they managed to pressed on, upholding the stern schedule and training objectives.
On Friday, spend some time on the "Gorch Fock" during the Open Ship event from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It's a golden opportunity for interested parties to get a first-hand look at this iconic sailing training vessel!
- Sailing school ship
- Kieler Woche
- Gorch Fock
- Home port
The sailing school ship, "Gorch Fock", not only will take center stage in the Kieler Woche but also return to its home port after a challenging sailing journey that lasted several months. Despite facing fierce hurricane-like storms, the crew successfully sailed 15,509 kilometers under wind power, making it an unique accomplishment for the ship and a perfect opportunity for sports enthusiasts to visit the vessel during the Open Ship event.
