On Saturday, September 19, 2026, at 10 a.m., the sail training ship “Gorch Fock” will return to its home port of Kiel after 165 days of absence and more than 14,000 nautical miles from a very special journey.
The 189th overseas training voyage took the tall ship, under the command of Captain Elmar Bornkessel, across the Atlantic. The voyage included stops in Bayonne (France), Las Palmas (Gran Canaria, Spain), Hamilton (Bermuda), Norfolk, Baltimore, New York, and Boston (USA), as well as Halifax (Canada) and Reykjavik (Iceland). While the outward journey followed the southern route westward across the Atlantic with the trade winds, the return voyage followed the northern route through the westerly wind belt.
Among the highlights was participation in the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the United States’ independence. A particularly memorable moment was July 4, 2026, in New York, when the “Gorch Fock” sailed past the Statue of Liberty against the backdrop of Manhattan as part of the festivities. Following this, the tall ship, along with its sister ships, participated in the Five Sisters Trophy regatta and won the trophy for the second time in 50 years. The final leg of the voyage, from Halifax to Reykjavik, also offered further memorable experiences, including crossing the Arctic Circle, sightings of icebergs and the Northern Lights, and views of the Greenland mainland.
The “Gorch Fock” was fully crewed throughout this long voyage, at times boasting up to 230 crew members. A total of 240 officer candidates completed challenging training on board over three legs, introducing aspiring naval officers to practical seamanship, teamwork, camaraderie, and perseverance in a unique maritime environment. In addition to the cadets’ mandatory training, 50 young soldiers from the voluntary military service, who had applied through the Navy’s Work & Travel program, also participated. This unique combination of officer candidates and soldiers selected through the Work & Travel program made the voyage an exceptional training exercise in terms of personnel as well.
The commanding officer, Captain Elmar Bornkessel, gave an overwhelmingly positive assessment. From his perspective, this special training voyage was a complete success. “The voyage uniquely combined the classic training of our officer candidates with the diplomatic role of our sail training ship. The Five Sister Trophy was more than just a sporting competition for us: winning it represents the quality of our training, the strong team spirit, and the capabilities of both the ship and its crew.”