Displaying items by tag: Norwegian tallship

12th October 2016

Fully Rigged Norwegian Tallship Anchors in Cork Harbour

The fully rigged Norwegian tallship, Christian Radich which next year celebrates her 80th anniversary is at anchorage in Cork Harbour

#Tallship - A Norwegian tallship classified as a fully rigged ship which is to celebrate its 80th anniversary next year is at anchorage in Cork Harbour today, writes Jehan Ashmore.

Christian Radich will be marking the 80th anniversary by making special commemorative voyages along the spectacular Norwegian coast.

In the meantime her visit to Cork Harbour follows sailing in UK waters and having set off almost a fortnight ago from her homeport of Oslo. She is anchored in the lower Cork Harbour between Cobh and Whitegate and is to remain until a departure tomorrow morning.

Another Norwegian tallship which is even older having been built more than a century ago in 1914 is Statsraad Lehmkuhl, which made a visit to Dublin as part of National Heritage Week in August.

The pair serve as ambassadors of the Nordic state, which has a very strong maritime tradition, notably in the energy and exploration sectors.

Operated by an Oslo based foundation, the 1937 built Christian Radich, has been preserved for future generations as primarily serving as a school ship. Setting a sail area of 1360,00 m2, the trainee ship is used for voyages for 15 trainees of all ages and is available for charter.

The services of the tallship were also used by the Norwegian Navy’s officer school, however they were unable to renew the contract with Christian Radich after April 2015, despite it been a successful collaboration.

Other clients in the form of Norwegian maritime college students have taken up sail training from September to May. It is during this current winter programme that Christian Radich is offering a week's voyage around the Canary Islands beginning next year in early January.

Looking further ahead in April, there are places for those who want to compete in a race as the Christain Radich enters the first leg in the rendez-vous of the 2017 Tall Ships Regatta. This is to take place in Greenwich, downriver of central London before heading to Canada.

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About Conor O'Brien, Irish Circumnavigator

In 1923-25, Conor O'Brien became the first amateur skipper to circle the world south of the Great Capes. O'Brien's boat Saoirse was reputedly the first small boat (42-foot, 13 metres long) to sail around the world since Joshua Slocum completed his voyage in the 'Spray' during 1895 to 1898. It is a journey that O' Brien documented in his book Across Three Oceans. O'Brien's voyage began and ended at the Port of Foynes, County Limerick, Ireland, where he lived.

Saoirse, under O'Brien's command and with three crew, was the first yacht to circumnavigate the world by way of the three great capes: Cape Horn, Cape of Good Hope and Cape Leeuwin; and was the first boat flying the Irish tri-colour to enter many of the world's ports and harbours. He ran down his easting in the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties between the years 1923 to 1925.

Up until O'Brien's circumnavigation, this route was the preserve of square-rigged grain ships taking part in the grain race from Australia to England via Cape Horn (also known as the clipper route).

At a Glance - Conor O'Brien's Circumnavigation

In June 1923, Limerick man Conor O’Brien set off on his yacht, the Saoirse — named after the then newly created Irish Free State — on the two-year voyage from Dun Laoghaire Harbour that was to make him the first Irish amateur to sail around the world.

June 1923 - Saoirse’s arrival in Madeira after her maiden passage out from Dublin Bay

2nd December 1924 - Saoirse crossed the longitude of Cape Horn

June 20th 1925 - O’Brien’s return to Dun Laoghaire Harbour