The Tall Ship Sagres will be visiting New Bedford July 8 & 9

The Consulate of Portugal in New Bedford presents its compliments and would like to inform that the Tall Ship “Sagres” will visit New Bedford, MA on July 8 & 9.

The Consulate of Portugal in New Bedford and the Portuguese Navy, with the generous support of the Luso-American Foundation (FLAD), are proud to make public the following Schedule of Events:

Wednesday, July 8

Arrival at New Bedford State Pier | 9:30 a.m. NRP SAGRES will be escorted into New Bedford Harbor by a parade of boats, in partnership with the Azorean Maritime Heritage Society. Open for Visitation | 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. NRP SAGRES will be open to the public, free of charge. Reception and 2 Lectures at the Whaling Museum with the Captain of the NRP SAGRES | 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The Consulate of Portugal in New Bedford and The Center for Portuguese Studies and Culture of UMass Dartmouth cordially invite you to the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Wine & Cheese Reception | 3:30 p.m. Lecture by Captain Paulo Alcobia Portugal | 4:00 p.m. SAGRES: The Most Beautiful Ship in the World Join NRP SAGRES Captain Paulo Alcobia Portugal for a special reception and presentation on the history and mission of the vessel.

Immediately followed by

Lecture by Professor Antonio José Telo Portugal and the Sea: A Millenary and Original Relationship António José Telo is a professor of history at the Military Academy in Portugal and a prolific scholar in the field of History, Defense and International Relations. Soccer Match at Taunton Eagles Soccer Club | 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Team SAGRES and the Taunton Eagles Soccer Club Team will play against each other in a friendly match, at 148 Shores Street, Taunton. Free admission.

Thursday, July 9

Ceremonial Rededication of the Prince Henry the Navigator Statue | 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Join the Prince Henry Society – New Bedford Chapter for a special ceremony at Prince Henry the Navigator Park, Pope’s Island, New Bedford. Open for Visitation | 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. NRP SAGRES will be open to the public, free of charge

Lectures at the Whaling Museum: Arthur Motta, New Bedford Whaling Museum | 2:00 p.m. A Bridge of Whaleships: The Luso-American Story as Told by the New Bedford Whaling Museum. Marco Fernandes, Sagres Vacations | 3:00 p.m. Experiences in Portugal: Wulf Koehler, Author | 4:00 p.m. From Whale Hunting to Whale Watching: Memories of the time of whaling on São Miguel, Azores

Departure | 6:00 p.m.

NRP SAGRES will be escorted out of New Bedford Harbor by a parade of boats. New Bedford Celebrates Tall Ship SAGRES | 6:30 p.m. ‘Fair Winds’ Cocktails, hors d’oeuvres & entertainment at the New Bedford Whaling Museum following the departure of the NRP SAGRES from State Pier.

Some information about the NRP “Sagres”

SAGRES is a steel-built three masted barque, with square sails on the fore and main masts and gaff rigging on the mizzen mast. Her main mast rises 42 m above the deck. She carries 22 sails totaling about 2,000 m2 (21,000 ft2) and can reach a top speed of 17 knots (31 km/h) under sail. The present training ship Sagres was built in 1937 in Hamburg. Her original name was Albert Leo Schlageter and she was the third of a series of four ships procured at the time by the German Navy (Kriegsmarine). One of the other four ships was the Horst Vessel (1936) – now Eagle, belonging to the United States Coast Guard.

After the end of World War II (1945), the Horst Vessel and the Albert Leo Schlageter were kept by the United States of America as war prizes. In 1948 the ship was sold by the United States to the Brazilian Navy. In 1961, Portugal acquired the ship to Brazil. With the acquisition of the actual “Sagres” in 1961, the Portuguese Navy could accomplish the main objective of keeping a sail training ship in their fleet to allow for the continued seamanship training at sea of their future officers, as a complement of their technical and academic education received at the Naval Academy.

Since that year, “Sagres” has undertaken training missions with cadets from the Naval Academy and also two circumnavigation voyages (1978/79 and 1983/84), as well as other longer cruises with periods of more than five months at sea, including Colombo ́s regatta (1992), the celebrations of the 450th anniversary of the Portuguese arrival to Japan (1993) and 500th anniversary of the discovery of Brazil (2000). Her last visit to New Bedford was in 1996.

The ship has called Hamilton harbor in Bermuda, from 16th to 19th of June, heading towards the east coast of the United States of America (USA). In the USA, the ship will enter the Delaware river, to join the fleet of Tall Ships that will participate in the “La Fayette – Hermione Voyage 2015” in the ports of Philadelphia, PA from 25th to 26th of June and Greenport, NY from 4th to 7th of July. After participating in a regatta between Philladelphia and Grenport and the celebration of the 4th of July in Greenport, the ship will join the Portuguese community of Massachusetts, calling the port of New Bedford from 8th to 9th of July and, of Boston from 10th to 13th of July.

Sagres is a Portuguese Ambassador of the Seas and brings a bit of Portugal to the Communities abroad. With its celebratory figurehead of Prince Henry the navigator, SAGRES takes her name from the port town where Prince Henry founded his navigational school that sent forth the explorers of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans.

For more information:

Consulate of Portugal in New Bedford (contacts below)

New Bedford Whaling Museum – http://www.whalingmuseum.org/programs/nrp-sagres-visit-to-New-Bedford-2015

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