Historic feat of training ship Amerigo Vespucci who, as part of his world tour, rounded Cape Horn, the southernmost hermitage of the American continent known for being one of the most challenging passages on the globe for navigation. Cape Horn is the point where the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans meet, an area affected by continuous disturbances created by its proximity to Antarctica. These push enormous masses of water towards the Drake Passage, where the seabed suddenly goes from 4000 to 100 metres. Cape Horn and Antarctica, therefore, create a forced passage for wind and sea, resulting in unique meteorological conditions.
The transition occurred for the first time in over 90 years of history of the Vespucci, was possible thanks to careful and meticulous planning of the navigation and evaluation of the weather and sea conditions, more essential than ever for the success of the mission. Rounding Cape Horn is one of the key moments of the world tour, a new page in the “art of navigation” and a new objective achieved in the long history of the Amerigo Vespucci ship. The sailing ship continues its journey in the Pacific Ocean. On April 28th it will enter the port of Valparaiso in Chile.
“A greeting message for Nave Vespucci which passed from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic, rounding Cape Horn, an event of great importance for a sailing ship, done with great skill, demonstrating the ability of Nave Vespucci and our Navy”. stated the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, at the end of the visit to the Bettica ship, the last stop of his trip to Ghana.
“Vespucci ship of the Navy has written a new page in its glorious history by rounding Cape Horn for the first time, the meeting point between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, one of the most challenging passages in the world for navigation. Pride of the Defense and symbol of the Italian excellence, on board, with the crew, is navigating the entire country system to promote the excellence of 'Made in Italy'”, the words of Defense Minister Guido Crosetto.
Two ISS scientists study ocean health
On board the ship there is also the Higher Institute of Health with two young researchers Giorgia Mattei and Lorenza Notargiacomo, as part of the 'Sea Care' project, which collects samples along the routes of both the Vespucci and other naval units of the Navy military to record data on the health of the oceans. “The researchers are on the ship with the aim of carrying out water sampling in the area, a very difficult task given the often adverse environmental conditions”, reads a note from the ISS. The objective of Sea Care – explains the ISS – is “the analysis of contamination profiles from persistent chemical substances of anthropogenic origin and the investigation of the risks associated with the quality of the marine environment in relation to anthropogenic impacts and climate change The ambition of the project is to create a country research model, so as to be able to explore the complex scenarios of the oceans, both in terms of extension and dynamics, in a harmonized and holistic, as well as economically sustainable way.”
What we know about the ship
The Amerigo Vespucci School Ship, the oldest unit in service in the Navy, was launched on 22 February 1931. Delivered to the Royal Navy on 26 May 1931, it entered service as a Training Ship on the following 6 June, joining its sister ship Cristoforo Colombo . The ship's motto is “Not those who begin but those who persevere”, awarded in 1978; originally the motto was “For the Fatherland and for the King”, which had already belonged to the previous Amerigo Vespucci, replaced for the first time, after the Second World War, with “Steady in the fury of winds and events”, and finally with the current one.
From a technical-constructive point of view, the Amerigo Vespucci is a sailing ship with an engine; from the point of view of the sailing equipment it is “ship-rigged”, therefore with three vertical masts, foremast, mainmast and mizzen, all equipped with spars and square sails, plus the bowsprit protruding at the bow, in effect a fourth mast. The unit is also equipped with cutting sails: the jibs, at the bow, between the bowsprit and the foremast, the stays, between the foremast and mainsail and between the mainsail and mizzen, and the mainsail, equipped with a boom and peak, on the mizzen.
Ship Activities
Since its entry into service, the ship has carried out training activities every year, mainly for the students of the Naval Academy, but also for the students of the Naval College, now the “Francesco Morosini” Military Naval School, for the helmsmen students, as well as for young people belonging to of sailing associations, such as the Italian Naval League, the Sail Training Association – Italy and also the ANMI.
The Education Campaigns, carried out in the summer period, have an average duration of three months and mostly touch foreign ports; during these Campaigns, therefore, the activity of the Ship, eminently training-training, is enriched by the aspect of presence and representation (such as Naval Diplomacy), contributing to affirming the national and Navy image abroad.
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