Russian sailing ship circumnavigates the world

Russia's Nadezhda (Hope) sailing ship, or frigate, which is now circumnavigating the globe, has arrived in Port Stanley on the Falkland islands from Rio de Janeiro.

The frigate has already travelled two-thirds of its route, covering 26,534 nautical miles, people at the Vladivostok-based maritime university's press center noted. The Nadezhda still has another 13,048 miles to go, eventually casting anchor in Vladivostok, her homeport, next March.

The Nadezhda sailed out of Vladivostok January 25, 2003.

This voyage around the world is devoted to the 200th anniversary of the first Russian world tour under the command of Ivan Kruzenshtern and Yury Lisyansky. The Nadezhda's route follows their route to the greatest possible extent.

Apart from her crew and cadets, the sailing ship is carrying a Russian scientific expedition to study the World Ocean's environmental problems and processes.