With great disappointment the Sail Training International Race Committee have decided that the race from Yeosu (South Korea) to Vladivostok (Russia), due to start on Saturday 1st September, is postponed for at least 24 hours.
The Race Committee have been closely following weather forecasts over the last week and have concluded that in the interests of safety ships are to remain in Yeosu until further notice.
A Category 5 typhoon is forecast to hit Japan in a few days’ time. The unpredictability of the track of any typhoon leaves the precise sea area affected unknown and therefore the fleet vulnerable should they be in its path.
“We appreciate that this is disappointing news for the ships and those following them. However we have been in close contact with a meteorologist and his conclusion, which was the same as that of our Race Committee, means that we have this afternoon briefed the Captains that the race is postponed. It is important that we maintain a continuous focus on safety for all crew in this Regatta.”
Sail Training International Race Chairman, Einar Corwin
The typhoon will continue to be closely monitored and reviewed and further notices will be given in due course.
Despite the postponement is it still hoped that the fleet will arrive in Vladivostok in time for the festival there.
About the SCF Far East Tall Ships Regatta
The two-port Regatta takes place between Yeosu, South Korea (27 August – 1 September), and Vladivostok, Russia (9-14 September). Primarily state owned vessels are taking part, including ships from Indonesia, Japan, Korea and Russia.
The 4th Eastern Economic Forum is being held in Vladivostok at the same time as the SCF Far East Tall Ships Regatta 2018 (11-13 September), where world leaders are expected to be in attendance.
About our sponsor: Sovcomflot
Sovcomflot (SCF) is Russia’s largest shipping company and one of the global leaders in the maritime transportation of hydrocarbons, as well as the servicing oil and gas projects on the continental shelf, including offshore seismic exploration. The world’s leading operator and largest owner of ice-class vessels designed to operate in difficult navigational conditions: 79 ice-class vessels rated from ICE 1C to ARC7 and Icebreaker ICE-15. The Company’s fleet (owned and chartered) specialises in hydrocarbon transportation from regions with challenging icy conditions and includes 147 vessels with a combined deadweight of 12,732,069 tonnes.
The Group has offices in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novorossiysk, Murmansk, Vladivostok, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Limassol, London and Dubai. Over 7,800 employees at sea and ashore. The Group is one of the largest employers in Russia’s coastal towns of the North-West, Southern and Far Eastern regions.
A Russian translation of this article is available here Russian Translation 3