Gorch Fock returns to Kiel after transatlantic training voyage

The German Navy sailing training ship Gorch Fock has returned to its home port of Kiel following a 165-day transatlantic voyage covering more than 14,000 nautical miles. Under the command of Captain Elmar Bornkessel, the ship completed its 189th foreign training mission.

Key highlights of the journey included participating in the 250th anniversary celebrations of United States independence, where the vessel passed the Statue of Liberty in New York on July 4. The ship also secured the Five Sister Trophy during a regatta with its sister ships, marking its first win of the trophy in 50 years.

The route included stops in Bayonne, Las Palmas, Bermuda, Norfolk, Baltimore, New York, Boston, Halifax, and Reykjavik. During the final leg from Halifax to Reykjavik, the crew crossed the Arctic Circle and observed icebergs and the Greenland coast.

During the mission, up to 230 crew members were on board, including 240 officer candidates completing training across three shifts and 50 soldiers participating in a work-and-travel program. The Gorch Fock, which has been in service since 1958, remains the oldest active ship in the German Navy.