Polish tall ship to set sail on Independence Cruise

Deputy Maritime Minister Anna Moskwa said the voyage will mark the 100th anniversary of Poland's regained independence.

She added that events focusing on Polish history, culture and economy will be held at each port along the ship's route.

The cruise took more than a year to prepare and will cost some PLN 23 million (EUR 5 million).

During the cruise, some 1,000 people will be involved in manning the ship. About 600 of them are maritime students from the northern Polish towns of Gdynia and Szczecin.

The remaining participants won their spots on the ship in a competition which tested their knowledge about Polish history and naval science.

Dar Młodzieży will sail to Cape Town, Singapore, Jakarta and the Catholic Church's World Youth Day in Panama in January 2019.

The tall ship is set to set sail from Gdynia at midday on Sunday.

This year, Poland marks 100 years since Polish statesman Józef Piłsudski arrived in Warsaw on 11 November, 1918, after being held prisoner in Germany during World War I, announcing Polish independence on the same day that the armistice to end the Great War was signed.

That paved the way for Poland to return to the map of Europe after more than 120 years of partitions and foreign rule. (vb/pk)

Source: IAR