«Apostle Andrew» is leaving to Antarctica

On September 14, 2004 a famous sailing yacht `Apostle Andrew’ commanded by Captain Nicolas Litau started for it’s third circumnavigation.

The yacht is wending her way to Antarctica shore. After it `Apostle Andrew’ will coast round it, being permanently inside the 60th parallel, which forms a conventional boarder of Antarctica. Moreover, the crew is going to break a sailing ship record and to penetrate inside the 70* parallel.

Two hundred years ago first Russian ships `Neva’ and `Nadejda’ (Hope) had circumnavigated Earth under the commandment of I. F. Kruzenshtern and Yu. F. Lisyanski. Since that, long ocean voyages, usually even circumnavigation, became a common practice of Russian mariners. They have discovered hundred of islands and explored and charted North and East Asian coast as well as Alaskan coast and West-North of America. But the main achievement was gained by Russian admirals F.F. Bellinshausen and M.P. Lazarev who discovered Antarctica continent in 1820. Their ships `Vostok’ (East) and `Mirnyi’ (Peaceful) set sail from Korndshtadt in summer of 1819. And now, 185 years later, `Apostle Andrew’ is leaving for Antarctica. The crew is going to complete the sail next summer, which will be mark a jubilee date for Russian explorers of a Sixth Continent.

Preparations for this sale took almost a year. They included not only a reconstruction of the ship, but some changes in the crew too. One month before the start, an `Apostle’ crew visited their longstanding friends and sponsors – company `BASK’. Yachtsmen fitted several samples of garments, including `Off Shore’ suits, designed by BASK especially for their new voyage.

`Apostle Andrew’ is an ocean yacht designed for Arctic sailing. She is a vessel of 16.2 m. length, 4.8 m. width and 25 tons displacement. `Apostle Andrew’ was made in Tver’ and launched in 1996. In 2000 it was modernized at Kronshtadt dockyard. Home port of the yacht is Moscow. The ship was christened by His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy The Second.

In 1996-1999 this ship had navigated round Eastern hemisphere, completing her circumnavigation via Arctic Ocean (not to mention sailing over of all other oceans). It was the first time in world history when a sailing cruiser yacht navigated Artic Passage. Total length of the route was about 31,000 miles.

In 2001-2002 the yacht had navigated round Western hemisphere. `Apostle Andrew’ became a first Russian yacht that navigated along North-west Passage (through Canadian Arctic Islands, along Alaskan ocean shore). Total length of this route was about 31,000 miles.

Company BASK has been acting as a general equipment sponsor of all the above expeditions during all these years. And this time, as usual, we support our brave mariners.

Key man of these events is a captain of `Apostle Andrew’ – honored sailing master Nicolas A. Litau. Royal Cruiser Club of Great Britain declared first circumnavigation of `Apostle Andrew’ to be the most distinguished achievement of world yachting in 1999. Captain Litau was awarded a `Medal for Seamanship’ for this sail. Cruiser Club of United States of America awarded Nicolas Litau `The Blue Water Medal’ for the first non-stop yacht sailing along Artic Passage. In Novemer 2002 Russian Government rewarded Nicolas Litau with `Honor of Courage’.

20.10.2004