Muscat: The Amerigo Vespucci ship, historic sailing ship and Training Ship of the Italian Navy, will arrive in Muscat on 8 January, 32nd stage of the World Tour. This is the first visit of the ship to the Omani city.
The Amerigo Vespucci, guardian of the most ancient naval and seafaring traditions for over ninety years – is one of the most well-known symbols of Italy in the world. The initiative of the “Vespucci World Tour”, strongly supported by the Minister of Defense, Hon. Guido Crosetto, combines the traditional training activity of the Officer Cadets and the promotion of the excellence of Made in Italy. The Vespucci is the emblem of the Navy and of Italy itself: following the maritime traditions, over the years it has contributed to the growth of the country’s prestige. The ship left the Port of Genoa on July 1, 2023 to complete a round-the-world trip lasting about 2 years and brings with it the culture, history, innovation, science, research, technology, which make Italy a country, appreciated throughout the world.
The ship arrival, expected to moor at berth n.34 of the Port Sultan Qaboos, at 09:00 on January 8th 2025, will be welcomed by the Italian Ambassador to the Sultanate of Oman, H.E. Pierluigi D’Elia, Admiral Enrico Credendino, Chief of the Italian Navy, along with local Government and Military Officials.
INSIGHTS
Nave Vespucci, under the command of Captain Giuseppe Lai, is the longest-lived unit of the Italian Navy, boasting 93 years of service, and is carrying out its second circumnavigation around the world that will see it at sea for 20 months, visiting 36 ports in 32 different countries.
The ship’s motto, “Not he who begins but that which perseveres”, a phrase attributed to Leonardo Da Vinci, well represents the ideal that drives the approximately 400 military men and women, including the permanent crew and students of the Naval Academy, to the sea.
The vessel was named UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador on July 30, 2007 with a solemn ceremony in the port of Genoa. UNICEF “entrusts the Vespucci with a message of peace and hope for the millions of boys and girls that UNICEF helps so that it can spread it throughout the world”.
The prestigious nomination was renewed on July 4, 2016.
The pride of the Italian Navy, the Amerigo Vespucci has carried out training activities every year since it entered service (with the exception of 1940, due to war events, and during extraordinary works), mainly for the benefit of the students of the Naval Academy. Entire generations of Officers have been trained on a ship whose main propulsion is the most ecological of all: sailing propulsion.
In addition to traditional sailing navigation, the sailing ship has a Diesel-Electric propulsion, created with an integrated system using modern and efficient Diesel-Generators. Thanks to the important work stoppage in 2013, which ended in April 2016, the ship is equipped with the most modern technologies aimed at energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact.
On April 5, 2024, the training ship Amerigo Vespucci, as part of its 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 (Cabo de Hornos), is the place where the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans meet, generating continuous disturbances created by the proximity to Antarctica. These push enormous masses of water towards the Drake Passage, where the seabed suddenly rises to 100 meters from 4000 meters, determining unique weather conditions.
The passage, which occurred for the first time in the 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, which were 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 goal achieved in the long history of the Amerigo Vespucci ship.
