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ITALIAN NAVY: THE TRAINING SHIP AMERIGO VESPUCCI WILL VISIT BOSTON FROM 18th TO 22th JULY

Boston is the 7th port of call of the Training Campaign 2017 for the Italian Navy

Training Ship Amerigo Vespucci

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From the 18th to the 22nd July 2017, the Italian Navy Training Ship Amerigo Vespucci will be in Boston in the United States, the seventh port of call of the Training Campaign 2017.

The Training Campaign on board the Amerigo Vespucci represents a key element in the cadet professional development, passing on the Italian Navy’s core values of love for the sea, ethics, loyalty and honor.

On the 19th of April the ‘most beautiful ship in the world’ set sail from the Italian Naval Base in La Spezia, to start the Training Campaign 2017 and visited so far two ports in Portugal (Sines and Funchal), then, after 20 days of navigation across the Atlantic ocean, Hamilton, in the Bermuda islands, and three ports of call in Canada: Halifax, Montreal and Quebec City.

During a port visit in Montreal (Canada) the 79 on-term volunteers (VFP4) of the 24th Course which had been on board since the unmooring from La Spezia, were replaced by the 125 Italian Naval Academy of Livorno (including 11 foreign cadets).

Navy cadets learn the basics of seamanship, they put into practice what has been studied so far in the books bygetting familiar with the marine equipment, climbing up the masts, and using the sextant to calculate the position of the ship with the stars. They all have been splendidly promoting the Italian excellence and will go on upholding the prestige of the Italian Navy abroad through cultural and promotional events in collaboration with our diplomatic representations in host countries.

More than 22 000 visitors in the various ports have had the opportunity to appreciate her style, which is one of kind, and her fascinating timeless beauty.

After Boston, the Amerigo Vespucci will proceed to New York, keeping on representing our country and the ‘made in Italy’ in an unusual port of call for the Italian Navy. Media coverage of the Training Campaign 2017 will be provided by RAI (RAI Italia and Linea Blu), Radio Rtl 102.5, RTV San MARINO, La Stampa, and Il Secolo XIX.

During her stay in Boston, the Italian Navy Tall Ship Amerigo Vespucci will be moored at the World Trade Center Pier 5 and will be open to the public on the following dates/times:

Tuesday 18 july: 16.30 – 18.30

Wednesday 19 july: 15.30 – 16.30

Thursday 20 July: 10.30 – 13.00

Friday 21 july: 10.30 – 13.00 and 15.30 – 18.30

Special Reports

The Vespucci and her ‘sister ship’ Christopher Colombo were designed by the Marine Engineer Major Francesco Rotundi, director of the shipyards of Castellammare di Stabia, near Naples in Italy. The ship was launched on February 22nd 1931 since then, she has always performed her core training activity for the Italian Naval Academy cadets. From 2014 to 2016, the Vespucci underwent a major overhaul period, aimed at restoring operational effectiveness and upgrading accommodation areas and facilities.

More efficient and eco-friendly electric power and propulsion systems were installed, reflecting the Italian Navy’s commitment to environmental sustainability.

For the Vespucci’s ’rejuvenation’ and ‘restyling’, the shipyard workers cooperated in full synergy with the ship’s crew, under the coordination of the La Spezia Naval Shipyard technical direction notably its Shipyard studies Department.

Since her entry into service, the ship has carried out training activities every year (except for the year 1940, due to war events, and the years 1964, 1973, 1997 and 2014 to 2016 when she underwent major overhaul periods), providing training to the Naval Academy cadets, but also to on-term volunteers and students of the ’Francesco Morosini’ Naval Military School.

The Amerigo Vespucci is a sailing vessel equipped with an auxiliary power plant, a full-rigged ship with three masts (fore, main and mizzen), all three equipped with yards and square sails; the bowsprit functions as a fourth mast.

The crew consists of approximately 270 personnel, both men and women. This year, a number of on-term volunteers (VFP4) have been embarked for the first part of the Campaign to be replaced during the stopover in Montreal, Canada by the Naval Academy cadets, who will start their summer training campaign. The crew will then total approximately 400 personnel on board.

The Amerigo Vespucci has been a UNICEF goodwill ambassador since September 2007.