Message from the Captain

You could almost forget that half a year ago we were right in our regular program because so much has happened since. Yet our usual program was anything but "an annoying repetition". Last summer we sailed for Randstad Italy in the Adriatic Sea and we had the first opportunity to sail a race against the Cisne Branco, the sister ship of the Stad Amsterdam.

Normally in October / November we do our maintenance but that was moved to March this year with all the comforts of a sunny dry dock in the Dominican Republic. That this is more efficient compared with Rotterdam is obvious. The climate was not the consideration in this choice but the time the VPRO has hired the ship has forced us to this adjustment. That the charter of the vessel is for broadcasting the voyage of the Beagle will have escaped few.

Meanwhile already a fourth of the tour lies in our wake and we are surprised every day about how special this trip is. Besides the great impressions on the trip, the media leave us a tremendous opportunity for a large audience to travel with our ship. We hope that this will encourage people to experience a voyage aboard the Clipper! In Amsterdam at the office they are working hard to plan the sailing trips we will make after the Beagle project, and I can recommend to follow our website for the latest sailing schedule.

Before all these sea voyages there will be another highlight for the Clipper Stad Amsterdam, Sail Amsterdam. For the third time the ship takes part in the biggest Sail event in the Netherlands. This also implies that she is celebrating her tenth anniversary and this will certainly not go unnoticed.

In short, there is plenty to go back and to look forward to.

Richard Slootweg
Captain Clipper Stad Amsterdam