According to the Gdynia Maritime University’s spokesperson, Zuzanna Szwedek-Kwiecińska, the Dar Młodzieży will be among 48 tall ships from 20 countries and more than 50 naval vessels from across the world taking part in what is likely to be one of the largest international maritime gatherings in history.
Szwedek-Kwiecińska added that the event will feature such legendary ships as the Libertad from Argentina, the Juan Sebastian de Elcano from Spain and the Guayas from Ecuador.
The Dar Młodzieży is to call at the Port of New York on July 3. The July 4 Parade of Sail - the centerpiece of the 250th anniversary celebrations - will proceed along the 16-mile route from near Sandy Hook, New Jersey, up to the Washington Bridge - saluting the Statue of Liberty along the way. The event is expected to attract a crowd of up to 6 million.
Built in 1982, the Dar Młodzieży is a 354-foot, three-masted full-rigged ship, with a sail area of 32,000 square feet, carrying a crew of 40 as well as 136 cadets. She circumnavigated the globe in 1987-88, and again in 2018-2019 to commemorate the centenary of Poland’s regained independence.
The Dar Młodzieży will be open to visitors in New York between July 5 and 7.
On its return journey to Europe, the ship will call at ports in Great Britain and Germany, before returning home to Gdynia.
The current voyage of the Dar Młodzieży is most probably her last long-distance expedition, with the construction of a new training frigate to be launched in 2027, scheduled for completion in 2029.
In 1976, Poland’s former flagship sail training vessel, the Dar Pomorza, took part in the Operation Sail event during the US bicentennial.
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