Barlovento II

The unique Rigel-type Bermuda ketch Barlovento II is a regular participant in the well-known “Trunks and Rust” regatta, and we are pleased to welcome her to Sails. Built in 1988 at the Remontowa Shipyard in Szczecin, she is equipped with a furling genoa and staysail, as well as a classic mainsail and mizzen. Barlovento II is not deterred by frost and continues to prove her capabilities in Northern Europe, competing with much larger research vessels. The yacht has a rich history of Arctic expeditions, dating back to the previous century.

• In 1996, under the command of Captain Mieczysław Siarkiewicz, the yacht circumnavigated Spitsbergen — a voyage that earned her the Cruise of the Year 1996 award and the Silver Sextant.
• Since 2013, Barlovento II’s Arctic expeditions have been organized by Captain Maciej Sodkiewicz. His first major achievement was navigating the yacht to the Russian Arctic, reaching the Franz Josef Land archipelago, where a latitude of 82°10.5′N was achieved. At the time, this was a Polish record and the second-highest latitude reached in the world by a sport sailing vessel — accomplished without needing to force a path through sea ice.
• In 2014, as part of the Ice Lands project, Barlovento II reached East Greenland and Jan Mayen. During this expedition, the crew succeeded in reaching a latitude of 82°37′N. It is worth noting that, at the time, only six yachts had crossed the 82°N line: Vagabond’eux (Janusz Kurbiel), Panorama (Piotr Kuźniar), Peter I (Danil Gavrilov), the German yacht Luna (under the command of Astrid Ewe), Apostle Andrei (Nikolay Litau), and Barlovento II — which achieved this feat twice.
• The sailors returned home with extraordinary stories of Neptune’s whims, navigating through ice, the hospitality of the Inuit, and even pitching tents and building fires on thick sea ice.

This spartan yacht is sure to capture the attention of many North Sea sailing enthusiasts.