“We are proud of Klaipėda University’s fleet, which is the only one of the Baltic universities, as well as of the crews and skippers, who have demonstrated great performance. Of course, the most important thing is the participation, but with such an achievement and accomplishment we represent not only Klaipėda University, Klaipėda City, but the whole of Lithuania in the international context”, Prof. Dr. Artūras Razbadauskas, the Rector of KU, congratulated the vessel crews.
Ričardas Ramanauskas, skipper of the sailing vessel Brabander, is pleased with the crew’s work and unity, and says that the championship title was just a step away.
“The highlight of this race was a strong squall near Liepaja, where we had a lot of trouble and challenges. Up to Liepaja we were coming first in our class and second in the overall standings, but one of the sails got damaged a bit, which slowed us down and we ended up second. Anyway, the squall left an impression”, said R. Ramanauskas, skipper of Brabander, sharing his good emotions after the race.
The sailing vessel with a crew of young people selected by public organization Klaipėda Festivals (Klaipėdos šventės) took off from Klaipėda on June 30. According to the skipper of Brabander, all the youngsters were motivated and gave their all for the cause.
“It was the best adventure of my life! We had a few stressful moments, but we could also enjoy beautiful sights. We both worked and relaxed. We recommend it to everyone!”, the first crew that won silver shared their impressions.
The crew of the silver medal-winning KU sailing vessel was invited to the Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania in Helsinki, where H.E. Giedrius Kazakevičius congratulated his fellow countrymen and wished them good luck in the next rounds.
The Ambassador pointed out the similarity between the work of diplomatic missions and the work of the ships and their crews: “Both the Embassy and the sailing ships flying the flag of Lithuania represent their country in the international arena!”, said G. Kazakevičius congratulating the crew.
In Helsinki, on July 6, the crew of Brabander together with Lithuanians in Finland sang the National Anthem of Lithuania.
KU sailing yacht Odisėja joins the second leg
In the second leg of The Tall Ships Races 2024, the crew of the young Klaipėda sailors, who have been tasting sea salt for almost two weeks, was replaced by Lithuanian sea scouts. The second KU ship, the sailing yacht Odisėja, with a crew of Klaipėda Sea Cadet School students and volunteers, also joined the race.
“It was my first experience sailing as a skipper in The Tall Ships Races. I had a very young crew, including four 15-year-olds from the Sea Cadet School. I was a bit worried about how they would do, but to no avail. The whole team was great. We sailed in strong winds, in storms, in windless conditions. The kids handled all tasks. It’s great that young people still want to come back”, Dainius Blaževičius, skipper of KU sailing yacht Odisėja, shared his good emotions.
The young Odisėja’s crew members say that sailing in the race has left a huge impression on them, and they don’t want their seafaring career to end with the race.
“We got stuck in the doldrums six times, but still we were not the last to arrive in port – we came in 13 out of 29 in our C class. After the sailing, my interest in seafaring is growing. I plan to continue my life at sea. I felt like a real sea cadet!”, said Dominykas, a future 10th grader, with passion.
The participation of the cadet and volunteer crew of the sailing yacht Odisėja in the racing leg of The Tall Ships Races was sponsored by Gitana and OJ Crew company representatives. The support was initiated by Artur Truš, the CEO and an active member of the maritime community.
In Turku – great attention from Finnish university rectors
Prof. Dr. Artūras Razbadauskas, the Rector of KU, arrived in Turku, Finland, to meet the crews of both sailing ships. The Head of the University, together with the crews of the ships, marched in the joyful crew parade.
On board the Brabander, the Rector met with KU’s partners, the Vice-Mayor of Turku, the Rector of Turku University of Applied Sciences, the Rector and International Project Managers of Åbo Akademi University, as well as the Rector of Åland University of Applied Sciences.
“Rectors of Finnish universities and Turku city leaders came to take delight in the results of Klaipėda University’s sailing boats, to look around the boats, and to talk with KU community as well as crews. This is very important for further cooperation and development of joint projects”, Prof. Dr. A. Razbadauskas, Rector of KU, enjoyed the attention of the leaders of Finnish cities and universities.
In addition to sailing, the crews of both KU ships took part in various team matches, contests, and competitions ashore. And here they’ve taken more than one prize.
In Tallinn, Brabander’s crew came in first in the dodgeball competition and won the social media contest. The first Odisėja’s crew was not left behind either and it was awarded a prize after performing well in an orienteering competition in Tallinn Old Town.
