The gift of Youth will go to the United States. One of the last distant voyageed

In mid-April, a school sailing ship from the Maritime University of Gdynia, The Gift of Youth, he will travel to the United States. The goal will be to participate in the celebration of the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. All indications are that for a well-deserved individual, it could be one of the last so far away. voyageBefore her successor appeared.

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The Gift of Youth popłynie do Nowego Jorku na obchody 250-lecia USA

As planned The Gift of Youth He will leave Gdynia on 16 April and head for New York. There, from 3 to 8 July, the celebrations of "Sail4th 250" will be held, culminating in a parade of sailing ships and other units scheduled for 4 July, the day of American independence.

According to our Polish media, well-known sailing ships from many countries of the world are to participate in the event. Among them are Argentine LibertadChilean EsmeraldaColombian GloriaMexican CuauhtémocEcuador GuayasIndian Sudarshini and Indonesian Bima Suci. Europe is to be represented, among others, by German Gorch FockItalian Amerigo VespucciPortuguese SugressRomanian Mircea and Spanish Juan Sebastián de Elcano. According to these reports, more than 50 units from about 30 countries can participate in the New York parade.

Rejs w cieniu historii. Powrót do tradycji The Gift of Pomerania

In this year's expedition there is also a clear historical dimension. A spokeswoman at the University of the Sea in Gdynia Dr Zuzanna Szwedek-Kwiecińska recalled that exactly 50 years ago, also on 16 April, he went to the United States Gift of Pomerania. That one. voyage was associated with the celebration of the 200th anniversary of U.S. independence. Today the famous sailing ship serves as a museum ship and moors at the Pomeranian Coast in Gdynia.

Planned voyage Youth Gift takes on additional importance also because the unit is already 45 years old. In February, the sailboat underwent repairs in Szczecin, including sandblasting, painting, measurements and repair of the rudder. Sealing of the shaft and steering machine was also performed. This was a cyclical review needed to confirm the class of the ship.

Maritime University authorities do not hide that preparations are underway for the construction of a new school sailboat. University Rector Prof. Adam Weintrit announced in March that next year it was planned to place a keel under the successor Youth Gift. In turn, in 2029 the first cadet trainings are to begin.

New sailing ship in university plans and government program

The new unit is to be a holding school sailing ship with dimensions similar to the current ship. Its primary task will remain the practical training of young people, which binds their professional future to the sea. According to the announcement, 120 trainees, 35 permanent crew members and 12 passengers will be able to board, including representatives of the shipowner.

At the same time, the university stresses that The Gift of Youth will not be discontinued immediately after entering the service of the new sailboat. It is expected to continue to serve as a training function, and in a transitional period it will be possible to use both units in parallel. This is important in terms of maintaining the continuity of training to which the university is obliged under the STCW Convention.

Currently there is also a nationwide competition for the name of the new sailboat. His results are to be announced on June 17.

The construction of a new unit is part of a broader government programme. Last year, the Council of Ministers adopted a resolution establishing a multiannual programme "Construction of ships for maritime universities from 2025 to 2029". It assumes the design, construction and equipment of ships for the Maritime University of Gdynia and the Maritime University of Szczecin. PLN 350 million is foreseen per unit for Gdynia University, while PLN 625 million is foreseen for Szczecin University.