The magnificent tall ship around the world ITS AMERIGO VESPUCCI A 5312 sailed around the Maltese Coast on Tuesday 21st July, 2020.
With the Motto of – Non Chi Comincia Ma Quel Che Persevera she was launched on 22nd February, 1931 from the Royal Shipyard of Castellamare di Stabia, Naples and commissioned into the Italian Navy on 26th May 1931.
She is a full rigged three-masted steel hull with a length overall of 101 metres including the bowsprit, beam of 15.5 metes with a maximum draught of about 7 metres with a displacement at full load of 4,146 tons.
It was planned that this beautiful elegant ship will anchor inside Grand Harbour or Marsamxett Harbour or St. Julian’s Bay or Mellieha Bay but due to COVID-19 restrictions and issues, plans were changed for safety and security.
Originally she was going to sail to Tokyo for the 2020 Olympic Games scheduled to take place between 24th July and 9th August 2020 but due to the Pandemic Disease COVID-19 , the games were rescheduled for 23rd July to 8th August 2021 and ship started with another training deployement for 106 leaving from Livorno Port. She started sailing around the archipelago of La Maddalena, through the strait of Messina and, subsequently, the strait of Sicily of which even on Tuesday 7th July, 2020 she was spotted anchored at Siracusa.
On Sunday 19th July, 2020 she was spotted sailing doing maximum of 3.9 knots between Pantelleria and Gozo and on Monday 20th July she started approaching from the East Coast before reaching off Grand Harbour to take part in a traditional naval ceremony – saluting Malta with an ensign lowering ceremony where the ship’s masts will be illuminated with the “tricolore”, the three colours of the Italian flag.
Then she continued sailing around Malta throughout the night from the West Coast before heading up towards West of Sicily where today as Thursday 23rd July 2020 she’s anchored off Favignana.
She was last inside Grand Harbour berthed at the Valletta Cruise Port in July 2011 – Images below while entering Valletta back to 11th July, 2011
Watermarked Photos are by Capt. Lawrence Dalli. Do not use these images without my permission. © All rights reserved. Malta Ship Photos & Action Photos – www.maltashipphotos.com
Published – Thursday 23rd July, 2020
