Press release Departure April 2016
The world´s largest Viking Ship departures from Haugesund, Norway and sails towards Iceland, Greenland, Canada and USA.
On April 24th the world’s largest Viking ship, Draken Harald Hårfagre, will set sail from her homeport of Haugesund, Norway and take on the challenge of crossing the North Atlantic Ocean, to explore the world as the Vikings did a thousand years ago. The route takes her from Norway to Iceland, Greenland, Canada and finally USA. Even though she is a great sailing ship, no one can predict the weather conditions along the way and the crew will stand trial for a real challenge according to Björn Ahlander, captain of Draken Harald Hårfagre:
– It´s hard to say which stretch will be the toughest before we´ve set sail, but the area that should be respected more than anywhere else, is the waters of Cape Farewell by the coast of Greenland – among the most dangerous waters of the world. It´s extremely windswept and there will probably be a lot of ice.
Draken Harald Hårfagre is a recreation of what the Vikings would call a ”Great Ship”, built with archaeological knowledge from findings, using old boatbuilding traditions and the legends of Viking ships from the Norse sagas. Draken Harald Hårfagre is the largest Viking ship sailing in modern times.
The crew
The 32 bold men and women in the crew of Draken Harald Hårfagre, originates from Norway, Sweden, USA, Canada, Estonia, Russia, Spain, France and UK, they are all under the command of Captain Björn Ahlander.
– It is a challenge to tame the Dragon which makes reliable seamanship extremely important for the expedition. We had a delicate task to pick a crew of 32 members out of the 4000 volunteers who applied. The work onboard is heavy, wet and cold, therefore it demands a great physical and mental condition. There will be no privacy for the crew, they will be exposed to rain and cold weather with only a short breaks to sleep, says Captain Björn Ahlander.
– Sailing a ship like Draken Harald Hårfagre is a great opportunity to gain new knowledge; whilst learning and rediscovering old techniques, you also create and invent new ones, says Karolina Malmek, Crew member.
– This is a fantastic opportunity to create history by reliving the challenges of the Viking ancestors. An adventure you wouldn’t miss, Arild Nilsen, Crew member.
-The aim is to explore the world, embrace the Viking sprit to look beyond the horizon and seek adventure, to inspire people to take on challenges, Sigurd Aase, owner and the man behind the project.
Dragon’s head ceremony
The Expedition America starts in Haugesund, Norway with a Dragon’s head Ceremony at Vikinggården Avaldsnes, the 23rd of April at 4 pm. The dragon’s head is traditionally not mounted until departure for longer journeys and its purpose is to protect the ship and the crew from sea monsters, bad weather, evil creatures and unforeseen raids. The ships mythological head is uncovered in the ceremony, and the great adventure of sailing the historical route from Norway to Iceland, Greenland, Canada and the USA will be wished fair winds and following seas.
The press conference starts at 3 pm.
The ceremony will be broadcasted live on our YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNnLNJLZj11RlFYq4HZ6cTQ
Please follow our Facebook-page for updates:
www.facebook.com/drakenharaldharfagre
Download presskit:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9kjwgxkl45b3odx/AAAXI1Om1wKkwSwh_iLaWtZKa?dl=0
Draken Harald Hårfagre – hard facts
An open clinker-built Viking ship with,
Hull: Oak
Mast: Douglas fir
Rigg: Hemp
Sail: Silk
Measurements:
35 m (115 ft) from stem to stern
8 m (26 ft) wide
24 m (78 ft) mast
260 square meters sail
Route
All dates are due to fair winds and following seas. Draken will be a part of Tall Ships Challenge Great Lakes 2016 between July 1st and August 25th.
*Approximated dates.
April 24
Haugesund, Norway
May 3
Reykjavik, Iceland
May 16
Quqortoq, Greenland*
June 1
St Antony, Newfoundland, Canada*
June 15
Quebec City, Quebec, Canada*
July 1-3
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
July 8
Fairport Harbor, Ohio, USA
July 14
Bay City, Michigan, USA
July 27
Chicago, Illinois, USA
August 5
Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA
August 18
Duluth, Minnesota, USA
September
Oswego, NY Canals, New York, USA*
September 15
New York City, New York, USA*
October
Mystic Seaport, Connecticut, USA*
For press inquiries contact sarah@drakenexpeditionamerica.com
For accreditation to the Dragon’s head ceremony please contact: