Regatta with the sisters on the 250th Independence Day of the USA

On Tuesday, 7 April 2026 at 12 noon, the Gorch Fock, the German Navy's sail training ship, will set sail on a major overseas training voyage (AAR). It will be travelling across the Atlantic to celebrate 250 years of independence in the United States. The "Gorch Fock" will set off on an Atlantic crossing for the foreign training voyage. Stops on the voyage include Bayonne (France), Las Palmas (Gran Canaria, Spain), Hamilton (Bermuda), Norfolk, Baltimore and New York (USA) as well as Halifax (Canada) and Reykjavik (Iceland). For the Commander, Captain Elmar Bornkessel, a voyage with many facets lies ahead: "On the upcoming 189th training voyage abroad, we will be training officer cadets in a particularly challenging maritime environment in the North Atlantic. We are also launching the Work & Travel programme for young soldiers on the "Gorch Fock". The voyage offers numerous highlights - from the transatlantic passage to the

from the arrival in New York on 4 July on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States to the reunion of the sister ships as part of the "Five Sisters Trophy" from New York to Boston. As commander, I expect this voyage to provide our young seafarers with unforgettable moments, shape them in maritime terms and prepare them specifically for their future tasks," explains the commander. The Work & Travel programme is being offered on the "Gorch Fock" for the first time. On each leg of the voyage, the ship will take 25 young men and women who have joined the Bundeswehr through voluntary military service. "You have to plan the trip well," says the commander. Around 230 crew members are on board - full capacity: "There will no longer be the odd gap between the hammock that might have been there in the recent past," says Bornkessel.