B.A.P Unión Awarded Boston Teapot Trophy in Cadiz Ceremony
Back in October we were delighted to announce that the Peruvian Naval Class A ship, B.A.P Unión, had won the coveted Boston Teapot Trophy for part of their voyage from Callao and Tahiti.
The prestigious trophy is awarded each year to the vessel that sailed the greatest distance within 124 hours with a sail training crew aboard.
In recognition of the award, last week (Thursday 1 February) Sail Training International Chair, Jonathan Cheshire, and Commercial Director, Vanessa Mori, visited Cadiz to present the trophy to Captain Jose Arce. Joined by the Commander in Chief of Peruvian Navy, alongside the previous Captains of the Class A Tall Ship, it was a privilege to welcome them as they joined the ranks of historic winners.
B.A.P Unión’s winning entry saw them sail 1,261 nautical miles with an average speed of 10.71 kts between 21:00 GMT 05 July and 01:00 GMT 11 July 2023. The award marks the first time B.A.P Unión has won the trophy since its inception in 1964.
The winning voyage took place during the start of the Peruvian Naval ship’s circumnavigation of the world, which sees them visiting 14 countries across five continents over a 10-month voyage.
Built between 2012-2015, the Peruvian four-master Barque is the sail training ship of the Peruvian Navy. It acts as a training vessel for officers and naval cadets and as an ocean sailing ambassador, promoting Peru in its various voyages around the world.
About the Boston Teapot Trophy
The Boston Teapot Trophy was created when two Tall Ships were voyaging back from the US to Europe after the first transatlantic Tall Ships Races, to create competition for their young sail training crews on their journey. Since then, it has been contested annually ever since between some of the best sailed Tall Ships in the world.
At this time, it was decided that a trophy should be awarded for the fastest passage, greatest noon to noon run, or other notable feat. The winning criteria were not worked out until after the vessels had sailed, but it was decided that the trophy should be called “The Boston Teapot”.
To recognise the award, Brooke Bond Tea obtained permission from the Boston Fine Arts Museum to copy a silver teapot which was in use in Boston at the time of “The Tea Party”.
This prestigious trophy has been awarded annually ever since to the vessel that sailed the greatest distance within 124 hours with a sail training crew aboard. The extended time of the voyage helping to counteract any short-term effects of gusty winds and other factors that might provide short peaks of speed.
