Anniversary visit to Guam

The Spanish sail training ship Juan Sebastian de Elcano arrived at the Arpa Port of the US Naval Base Guam on 26 February 2021. She was welcomed by the Commander of the Joint Region Marianas, Rear Admiral John Menoni, the Governor of Guam, Lou Leon Guerro, and her deputy Joshua Tenorio. The visit commemorates the 500th anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the globe. The armada at the time was under the command of Ferdinand Magellan. After his death in 1521 and some turmoil, Juan Sebastian Elcano took command and led the last remaining ship, the Victoriareturned to Spain on 6 September 1522.

Arrival of the Juan Sebastian de Elcano

The current voyage will take various training sailing ships on the former route across the Atlantic to Argentina, through the Strait of Magellan and across the Pacific to Cadiz in Spain. Guam and the Philippines are also visited in the course of this voyage. The German training sailing ship Gorch Fock will not take part in the voyage. It is expected to remain in the shipyard until the middle of the year.

Text: mb; Photos: US Navy