Apostol Andrei Yacht Sets Sail For 2nd Round-The-World Voyage

On Sunday the yacht Apostol Andrei has set sail from St. Petersburg for a second voyage around the world, said chiefs of the Adventure club, which owns the yacht, and its crew to journalists at a meeting. This yachting expedition is unique in many respects, said organizers. Much of the route lies across the Western hemisphere. From the Baltic through the Atlantic waters the Apostol Andrei will reach the Antarctic. From here, it will sail North, where it will make a voyage along the Alaskan shores and Canada's Arctic archipelago. "The crew's wisdom and expertise are the earnest of navigational success," Dmitry Shparo, director of the Adventure club, is sure. The crew was "seasoned" by its first navigation in 1996-1999. Under the guidance of captain Nikolai Litau the Apostol Andrei set three world records - for the first time a sailing vessel made a round-the-world meridian voyage, crossing the four oceans, and passed along the Northern Sea Route. The British Royal Cruising Club recognised the first world-circuiting trip as the most outstanding achievement in world yachting in 1999. The voyage is planned to end in November 2002.