The Sport of Sailing in Russia

[Old Bumbulum]

There's an interesting thread below Nicholson 55 - ‘Adventure’ on our old TSS Adventure, which after thirty years of punishing service as a Naval sail training vessel was donated to, of all places, the Russian Navy. Now when I sailed her (in 1984) she was pretty tired (after just 10 years service) yet she's carried on to a further life decades later and now looks spick and span after clearly much tlc from her new owners.

I gather the reason for the gift was to encourage the sport of sailing in Russia but it seems a little odd that we'd donate what by then must have been all but a basket case -requiring a great deal of work for them to put her back in good order.

A couple of years before I encountered Adventure I was fortunate to obtain a place on a Russian yacht called Flora, a Polish built varnished wooden Conrad design iirc of about 42ft length. She apparently belonged to the St Petersburg Yacht Club but the crew were clearly carefully picked 'reliable' Soviet bods under the beady eye of a rather remote 'commissar'. None of this seemed the least bit Yacht Clubbish.

It makes me wonder just how much yachting (as opposed to superyacht willy-waving) goes on in Russia. Why would the Russian Navy need or want even a clapped out Nicholson 55 - I know their large scale sail training is done on the big square riggers but surely there are comparably useful yachts around in Russia...or are there not?

The St Petersburg Yacht Club Главная - Яхт-Клуб Санкт-Петербурга seems active with Oppies, Lasers, Dragons and some fancy pure hi-tec racing 'yachts' but no sign I can see of the more relaxed sort of sailing like cruising or sailing just for the fun of it.

I've found no recent record of Flora, but what sort of yachting activity happens there?

Facilities presumably few going none but I bet the welcome would be spectacular.

Anyone visited? Any knowledge?

 

[ryanroberts]

Anecdotal but my current employer has a Russian office, their project manager is a pretty keen Med charter sailor. As far as I have read it the black sea is a very under cruised area.

 

[doug748]

There's an interesting thread below Nicholson 55 - ‘Adventure’ on our old TSS Adventure, which after thirty years of punishing service as a Naval sail training vessel was donated to, of all places, the Russian Navy. Now when I sailed her (in 1984) she was pretty tired (after just 10 years service) yet she's carried on to a further life decades later and now looks spick and span after clearly much tlc from her new owners.

I gather the reason for the gift was to encourage the sport of sailing in Russia but it seems a little odd that we'd donate what by then must have been all but a basket case -requiring a great deal of work for them to put her back in good order.....

A lot of work but they will have all the skills in house and one of those boats would possibly be a million quid to recreate now.

I don't know a lot about Russian sailing but have enjoyed looking at these folk's videos:

See:
Toyboat Custom Проекты и кит-наборы

.

 

[capnsensible]

We had a sailing school in Gibraltar for a number of years. From perhaps around 2009 we started to get Russian students that followed on in increasing numbers over the following years. All courses through to Yachtmaster.

I couldn't give a single reason for the interest. Had all sorts from a Lumber Merchant in Moscow to an ex Mig pilot from...somewhere. It was noticeable at that time of a big influx of genuine Russians to the Coasta Del Sol....crime elements have been there for years. Direct flights into Malaga, families couples all sorts.

Perhaps it was just the freedom to explore travel with sports? Dunno.

But also, my word, Latvians, Estonians, loadsa Polish, Bulgarian, Hungarian ( taught first ever one to pass Coastal exam!) and more.

All good for us. My wife got very adept at phrasing the invite to allow them to get visas. Those that left it late, we would pick up in La Linea. Point being, they were ...are....really keen.

Interesting moments? One was standing on a street corner in Tetouan in Morocco waiting for a cab back to the marina at Smir with a fairly drunk Russian and an American in a similar state, mid fifties, deciding they were best mates forever. The Cold War forgotten. Both had served briefly in their youth in their own militaries.

Best. Charter job from Sotogrande, five yachts all full of Russians. Brit skippers. Last day back in Soto, sat outside rather posh bar. They all got well wobbly so I got them all to sing Father Abraham, with all the arm and leg waving. Point being? Boy can they drink , be real friendly and join in a bit of fun.

So may be its just the social side or maybe a bit of one upmanship on friends or just the joy of sailing. I'm not gonna knock any of that!

 

[johnalison]

There must have been a great move towards anything that represented freedom after 1989. I doubt if much of Russia represents great cruising ground but presumably there are possibilities, especially for the intrepid. We cruised Poland from the early 2000s and the situation changed a lot in just a few years. At first there were only some Carter 30s, mostly club owned, as well as larger 40+ foot wooden ketches, also in the hands of clubs. By the last time we went five yrs ago there were quite a lot of Bavs and smallish powerboats. Early on, we tied up next to a Lithuanian boat that spent much of the day repairing a gas fridge that had caught fire during a night passage. From the old DDR to the Baltic states I think things have changed out of recognition.
The only Russians I met were on the fabulous training ship Kruzenstern, where we were taken round by a glamorous English-speaking blonde. I never spoke to anyone on Abramovitch's old yacht Pelorus while it was in Lubeck.

 

[AndrewfromFal]

The only Russians I met were on the fabulous training ship Kruzenstern, where we were taken round by a glamorous English-speaking blonde. I never spoke to anyone on Abramovitch's old yacht Pelorus while it was in Lubeck.

Probably because (in Abramovitch's ownership) most of the crew were British, aside from the security team who were Gurkhas.