A Norwegian sailing vessel won the top prize in the annual Tall Ships Races once again, and was escorted home to Bergen on Friday, surrounded by a flotilla of small boats.
With crew members mounted and singing on the masts, the Statsraad Lehmkuhl sailed into Bergen with another trophy in the baggage on board. The vessel won the race earlier this month and then set off on its homeward voyage from La Coruna in Spain to Dublin before heading across the North Sea.
The Statsraad Lehmkuhl won both the first and second races in the international sailing regatta, from Antwerp to Lisbon and then from Lisbon to Cadiz. The vessel home-ported in Bergen also placed third in the final leg of the race, and that was enough to assure overall victory.
“Fantastic,” declared the vessel’s two captains, Marcu Seidl and Jens Joachim Hiort. The ship has been away from Bergen for two months, and could expect a celebratory homecoming weekend. Bergen itself is due to host the Tall Ships Races again in 2019.
The Oslo-based tall ship Christian Radich also took part in his year’s Tall Ships Races, placing third behind Statsraad Lehmkuhl and the Polish sailing ship Fryderyk Chopin.
newsinenglish.no staff
