NRP Sagres concludes her 2026 voyage today, August 22nd, during which, over 4 months, it visited 9 ports, sailed for more than 1650 hours and covered approximately 10,870 nautical miles, equivalent to more than 20,000 kilometers.
Sagres’ voyage to 2026 began on April 30th, with the 2nd year cadets of the Subtenente FZ Apolónio Piteira course, thus starting their training voyage.
The mission encompassed a series of events supporting Portugal’s candidacy for non-permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council, participation in Sail 250, an event celebrating the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States of America (USA), the International Naval Review (INR 250), the Five Sisters Trophy competition, participation in the Ponta Delgada – Portuguese Capital of Culture celebrations, and the training voyages of the 2nd-year cadets (April 30 to July 11) and the 1st-year cadets of the Naval Academy (July 11 to August 23).
After crossing the North Atlantic, the ship purposefully docked in New York to carry out a series of events supporting Portugal’s candidacy for non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council, which contributed to Portugal winning the seat in the first round, a historic result for the country. This was followed by a stop in the port of Hamilton, Bermuda, where it celebrated Portugal Day with the Portuguese and Portuguese-descendant community in this British territory, which represents about a quarter of its population.
Upon returning to the USA, the NRP Sagres took part in Sail 250, a gathering of large sailing ships commemorating the 250th anniversary of US independence. As part of this, it visited the ports of Norfolk, Baltimore, New York, and Boston, where it opened its doors to visitors and participated in various events associated with these celebrations, as well as in several events supporting the Portuguese Embassy in the USA and the Portuguese consulates in New York, Newark, and Boston.
It should be noted that two casks and several bottles of Madeira wine were also on board. It was with this renowned national nectar that the founding fathers of the USA toasted independence. In this context, at all events held aboard the NRP Sagres, toasts were made with Madeira wine, recreating the famous Toast to America, performed on July 4, 1776, by the founding fathers of the USA, with the aim of promoting the historic toast and Madeira wine.
In New York, on Independence Day (July 4th), the ship represented Portugal at INR 250, a large international naval parade where several large sailing ships paraded on the Hudson River. The second edition of the Five Sisters trophy was contested during the voyage between New York and Boston. This trophy, created in 1976 by the US Bicentennial celebrations organization, was intended to be contested between sister ships built in Germany under the same design. Given that the Gorch Fock I is now a museum ship, the regatta was contested between the NRP Sagres, the Eagle of the US Coast Guard, the Mircea of the Romanian Navy, and the Gorch Fock II of the German Navy. As in the first edition, held 50 years ago, the trophy was won by the younger sister ship, the Gorch Fock II. These training ships are sister ships, but not twins, having slight variations in length, displacement, and sail area, where the younger sister ship has an advantage over the others.
In Boston, the second-year cadets from the Naval Academy disembarked, and the first-year cadets from the Tristão da Cunha course embarked. After completing Sail 250 and before crossing the Atlantic back to Portugal, the NPR Sagres docked in the port of New Bedford. This stay aimed to strengthen ties between the significant Portuguese community residing there and their country of origin, as well as to organize events in support of the Portuguese Consulate in New Bedford. During the Atlantic crossing back to Lisbon, the ship visited the Azorean ports of Praia da Vitória and Ponta Delgada. The stay in the Terceira Island city coincided with the city’s festivities and the celebrations of the 197th anniversary of the Battle of Praia, a naval battle between liberal and Miguelist forces who unsuccessfully attempted a landing. The stay in the city of São Miguel was part of the activities of Ponta Delgada – Portuguese Capital of Culture 2026, where a special onboard program took place, combining theater, literature, memory and maritime identity, with theater performances of The Dreams of the Prince and conferences integrated into the Utopia Azores cycle.
During these four months of mission, the ship visited 9 ports, received 67,917 visitors, and sailed approximately 10,870 miles for over 1,650 hours. Throughout the mission, the ship contributed to the instruction of cadets, supported national diplomacy at the political, cultural, and economic levels, and welcomed our diaspora, reinforcing their connection to Portugal and their pride in being Portuguese. Whether docked or at sea, various entities, visitors, and guests praised the commitment and professionalism of the ship’s crew, with an inherent positive impact on the image of the Portuguese Navy and the country.