Russia’s Pallada sailing ship drops anchor in Singapore

The world’s fastest sailing ship, the Pallada of the Vladivostok-based Far Eastern State Technical Fisheries University, has called on Singapore, one and a half years after first visiting the Asian city. The ship dropped anchor in Singapore while on its world training voyage which started January 30 in Vladivostok.

The Pallada is 108 meters long including its bowsprit, and 14 meters wide.

The ship’s three masts support 26 sails, with a total sail area of 2,771 square meters providing a maximum speed of 18.7 knots.

While in Singapore, the Pallada’s crew showed a photo exhibition marking the 65th anniversary of Russia’s victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

The ship’s crew values the memories of the very first Pallada sailing vessel and its captain, Lt.-Cmdr. Pavel Nakhimov, who later rose to prominence as a legendary Russian admiral. The first ship named Pallada, a Russian Navy frigate, was built in September, 1832, at St. Petersburg’s Okhta shipyard and was later sent to the Russian Far East to reinforce the country’s Navy.

Sailing pushes a man to the edge and makes him feel the sea like no other vessel can, the Pallalda’s captain, Nikolai Zorchenko, says.

“Sailing means intenseness, power and actually feeling the sea. Sailing is people, and people at sea,” Zorchenko says.

The Pallada’s sails are 50 meters high.

The ship was constructed in Gdańsk, Poland. It was launched on July 4, 1989. Since then, the Pallada has spent about 15 of its 21 years at sea, having made two world tours and over 100 international trips, including over 100 ports of call.

The Pallada has been a consistent winner and laureate at large international sailing competitions, tall ship races and prestigious regattas.