The trimaran of the circumnavigation expedition of the Tomsk Branch of the Russian Geographical Society went to sea after wintering in Argentina and a major reconstruction. The cozy harbor of San Fernando Yacht Club has been left astern, now the harsh winds and Atlantic waves on the way to Cape Horn will put the ship and crew to the test. The brave Russians are determined to carry out their bold plan and cross the Pacific and Indian Oceans in 2023.
The new stage of the circumnavigation started on November 1. It was preceded by migration formalities at the local prefecture, where meticulous law enforcement officers were checking travelers' documents for almost three hours. Meanwhile, the friends that Evgeny Kovalevsky and Stanislav Berezkin managed to acquire in Argentina, local sailors and shipyard workers, compatriots living abroad, and simply those wishing to see the Russian trimaran off gathered on the pier.
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“A significant day! We are going out to sea. From the affectionate north of Argentina to the fierce south, where the equally fierce and unfriendly Cape Horn awaits us. Jorge Du Rietz, a rock musician and poet whom I’ve come love with all my heart, representatives of the Russian diaspora, Anna Rodionova, who helps us a lot, the head of the shipyard Carlos, the officials Commodore Luis Castro and Vice-Commodore Carlos Bystroki, president of San Fernando Club Mario Bonini came to say goodbye. The Belgian navigator Evgenia Notyenboch was there too,” told Evgeny Kovalevsky.
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The trimaran’s crew, heading south, now has two Russians, Evgeny and Stanislav, as well as two Argentines, Sebastian Ute and Norberto Luna. Together with the main crew, the Argentine travelers will pass the stage from San Fernando to Mar del Plata, maintaining the tradition of friendship between all the peoples in the world, which has become one of the mottos of the RGS’s circumnavigation.
The expedition trimaran was launched at the shipyard of San Fernando on the eve of the Geographical Dictation. The expedition members organized a venue for the international educational campaign of the Russian Geographical Society at the yacht club. About three dozen local residents plunged into the atmosphere of Russian geography and the circumnavigation of the Russian Geographical Society there with great pleasure.
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The crew of the trimaran, the design of which has been significantly changed during the winter, is confident that the vessel is able to withstand the test of Cape Horn. The expedition intends to circumnavigate it in December 2022.
“As our friend, circumnavigator Nikolay Litau says, ‘A ship can break down as long as the people don’t.’ These words became the motto of our crew. We won't break down!” Evgeny Kovalevsky emphasized.
The Russians intend to dock the trimaran in Port of Mar del Plata in three or four days.
On July 1, 2021, Siberian travelers Evgeny Kovalevsky and Stanislav Berezkin set off along the route of the first Russian round-the-world expeditions of the 19th century: Ivan Kruzenshtern’s (1803-1806), Yuri Lisyansky’s (1803-1806), Otto Kotzebue’s (1815-1818, 1823-1826), Vasily Golovnin’s (1817-1819), Fedor Litke’s (1826-1829), Faddey Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev’s (1819-1921). The international project of the Tomsk Regional Branch of the Russian Geographical Society "Following the paths of Russian explorers" is dedicated to the 250th birthday anniversary of Krusenstern and the 200th anniversary of the discovery of Antarctica by Russian sailors. These events for a long time determined Russia's leadership in the development of the oceans and the discovery of new lands. You can learn more about the project and provide all possible assistance in its implementation on the website of the expedition.
Alexander Zhirnov