Mid-afternoon today (Thursday) the final ship to arrive in Sochi made an amazing entrance. After travelling over 10,000 miles to join the SCF Black Sea Tall Ships Regatta 2016, her top foremast was damaged in a storm during Race Two. While the rest of the fleet arrived in port yesterday, Nadezhda, the three-masted Russian ship, went to a nearby port for inspection and repair.
Having removed the top section of her foremast she was fit to re-join the Regatta fleet and gracefully entered the port, with cadets aloft on the yards. Greeted by horns from the ships and cheers from the crowds, she made her way in, in pouring rain and with the grey skies and seas, which made for an ethereal arrival.
The cadets on board have obviously been spending their time learning dance moves, as no sooner had they climbed down from the masts, they lined up along the main deck and broke into a well-rehearsed routine to “Hit the Road Jack” and “Cake by the Ocean.” We hope to see that again sometime, in either Sochi or Varna!
“Congratulations to the Captain and crew of Nadezhda for their outstanding work and tradition of seamanship in making Nadezhda ready to sail again after damage to her fore topmast due to rigging failure during Race Two, Novorossiysk to Sochi. We are delighted that she will continue racing to Varna, where she is guaranteed an extra special welcome,” said Race Director Paul Bishop.
“We will miss the exciting competition between Mir and Nadezhda, but she will still have a good race to Varna” added Race Chairman, Robin Snouck Hurgronje
With the aid of a tug, Nadezhda gradually took her place along the quayside, behind her sister ships Mir and Khersones. It is a rare sight to have the three sisters, side by side.
Despite heavy rain for much of the day, a constant flow of visitors have kept on coming to see the ships. Meanwhile many of the trainees enjoyed a visit Sochi park, the 2014 Winter Olympic stadium. The weather is due to clear tomorrow, in time for the start of the sports competitions.
About Sovcomflot
PAO Sovcomflot (SCF Group) is one of the world’s leading shipping companies, specialising in the transportation of crude oil, petroleum products, and liquefied gas, as well as servicing offshore upstream oil and gas installations and equipment. The Group’s fleet comprises 148 vessels with a total deadweight of over 12.8 million tonnes. The company is registered in St. Petersburg with offices in Moscow, Novorossiysk, Murmansk, Vladivostok, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, London, Limassol, and Dubai.
The Group offers a wide range of vessels in the market segments most demanded by major Russian oil and gas companies. With its own technical development and unique approach to advanced technologies, Sovcomflot has the ability to meet the most demanding customer requirements, providing effective transportation for oil and gas companies.
The Group is the title sponsor of SCF Black Sea Tall Ships Regatta 2016. Previously it was also the title sponsor of the similar event held in 2014, as well as a presenting partner of the Tall Ships Races 2009.