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31st of May. Our first race in this season. Look for the pictures! Photo

Autamn 2007-Spring 2008. Serious repairing of Dignite was held - under Misha's leadership we had changed 15 frames at each side, than changed 3 thwarths, all seat-pads and all pillars. Totally - 32 people worked more than 2000 hours at our workshop! At 29th of May DIGNITE was placed to water. She will be the Russian boat in AC-2008 Contest in Jacobstad. Photo

<2008>

5-16 of August. Our traditional training camp for newcomers was held at Totleben island. Beside training seaskills the team had taken part in restoring historical fortress situated on island. The TV-video (sorry, in Russian) can be seen here Video (2,5 MB)

31st of July. Our expedition "Friendship sails on Baltic" succesfully finished. Great thanks to our Finnish friends! This was something really great! Our sails become a sign of friendship and we are so happy about it!

During this expedition our teams raced in Russia, at "Primorsk Youth Sailing Week", and in Finland, at "Lovisa Small Ships Race" (raced with Equite, yeah!). Later gigs and equipages visited "Kotka Tall Ships' Races" and enjoyed seeing Tall Ships and other sailing&historical vessels in Kotka Wooden Boat Center.

We would like to pay our special thanks to Kotla Sailing Yacht Club and personally to Pentti Valipakka and Timo Yalkanen, to Lovisa Small Ships Races and personally to Dierk Khun, Anne Soukka-Tuomala and Maarit Hamalainen, to Atlantic Challenge Finland and personally to Mats Lofberg, to Kotka TSR and personally to Laura Paivio and her team.
Thank you, FRIENDS!

1st of July. Our expedition “Friendship sails on Baltic” was started during big vessel parade in the center of the City. Three Russian gigs – "Dignite", "Enchante" and "Mechta" (the Dream) joined parade with 80 other vessels under expedition pennant. By fact, only today two gigs started way to Lovisa and Kotka – “Dignite” with cox Galina Gerasimenko (she was steering the boat during AC-06 contest) and newborn “Mechta” with Misha Plekhanov as cox. Photo

30th June – 1th July. Two Russians joined Finnish crew in Equite in fantastic historical regatta – traditional boats crossing Gulf of Botnic. Many thanks for invitation, and personally to Mats! Photo

27 th of May . The third Russian gig arrived ! The boat was built at “Shtandart” boatyard this winter. The Ceremony of launching was held during City Day celebration, after beautiful Historical Water Show. Vice-governor of StPetersburg had taken part in the launching Ceremony. Lidia Plekhanova became a godmother of a new gig. Lidia took part in building Botik in 1996-1999, building Shtandart in 1995 – 2000, she was in AC Russia team in 1998 in Denmark and 2000 in France , she is one of founders of “AC Russia non-for-profit partnership”. Now she is working in Shtandart project as a project manager and rearing 5-years old Victor Plekhanov. Lidia named new gig “Mechta”, what means “The Dream”. The new boat has blue hull with white and wooden stripes.
The first cox's'n of a new gig is Alexandra Korshunova. She is sailing gig since 1995, when she was 14. She took part in building Shtandart and our second gig Dignite, she was in Russian AC team in 1998 and 2000, and in 2004-2006 she acted as a Chief mate aboard sail-training frigate “Shtandart”.
This Summer “Mechta” will join our fleet in expedition “Friendship sails” and will take part in “Small Ships' Races” in Lovisa, Finland . We are looking forward to meet her in AC-2008 in Jacobstad!
Our congratulations to Shtandart team! Well done! Photo

New! A schedule of our Summer expedition to Finland estimated. We named our project “Friendship sails at Baltic”. Sail-and-oar boats from 4 StPetersburg clubs become a young ambassadors’ fleet. Sailing along Russian and Finnish cost, we will take part in rowing race in Primorsk youth sailing week (Russia), sail race in Lovisa Small ships’ races, and sail parade of Tall Ships’ Races in Kotka. We hope to meet Equite in Lovisa and have a good sailing together!
Want you to be in Russian crew this moment? Contact us! Schedule

4th of March. The planking finished at new Russian gig, started by Shtandart team. Building progress in going forward extremely fast. The launching ceremony planned to be at StPetersburg City Day, 27 of May. Photo

Class Rules for Bantry Bay Gigs competing in Atlantic Challenge International Competitions. Word 120 ŹB

News from the boat under construction: before the end of January all frames set on Shtandart's new gig. Misha Plekhanov continues to look after the process and to consult our friends. Builders are looking to launch the boat before June. Photo 1, 2, 3

20 th of January Atlantic Challenge Russia initiated cox's'ns meeting – a round table activity, dedicated to case-study of emergency situations at sea. In our team we pay a lot of attention to the questions of safety, especially when educating our cox's'ns. Helmsmen from 4 sea-clubs shared their stories about dangerous sea-faring and even capsizing. AC team additionly shared the experience of training capsize. Everybody found something new in this case-study.
We express our thanks to all participants – cox's'ns from sea-clubs “ECO-Ladoga”, “Gals”, “Shtandart”. Photo 1, 2, 3, 4

<2007>

At 21st of October the keel for the new Russian gig was laid! The boat was started among walls of new Shtandart boatyard. The drafts were provided by our team. Misha will supervise the project all the time. Shtandart, as usually settled really "challenging" date - they plan to launch the boat at 1st of June 2007, and they're looking forward to apply to Atlantic Challenge Contest in 2008. We wish GOOD LUCK to our friends. Photo

At 7th of October we finished our 2006-navigation. During September and Octber we held 3 training sessions weekly. This winter our boats will spend in the Young Seamen' Club "Admiralteets", where we plan to realize lessons for newcomers and season works during the winter.

On September, 2-3 our boats joined Practical seminar of young seamen’ clubs. The event was organized as a 2-days trip (20 miles) the program includes “cruise in company”, crew exchange, volleyball competition and singing around the fire. Four clubs and four boats of different types had taken part in the seminar. All participants get a lot of fun, new friends and new experience. Photo

In August, September and October our team held traditional training session. More than 18 entries was realized, about 30 youngsters had taken part in activity.

At 31st of July we started our traditional project for newcomers. First part of our program was participating in friendly race for Navy Day of course, we won it :)
Now both our boats are in basic camp on Totleben island, and teams have their everyday training at sea and take part in restoration works on Totleben fortress.
We glad to inform you, that in this season our camp supported by Shimazu corp (Japan). We thank this corporation, and we wish also to send thanks to Alexander Bernikov and Mr Sumio Kumashiro, who made this cooperation possible. Photo

In July of 2006 our team had taken part in Atlantic Challenge Historical contest of Seamanship in Genova, Italy.
We are very proud of John Kerr Memorial Trophy for Seamanship we get.
We would like to express our gratitude for all people, who made this possible:
Atlantic Challenge Genova team, who held all organization difficulties
The team and the boat Zou Mai – our friends forever now, waiting for you in StPetersburg!
Dairmaid Murthy and International boat
George Genths for his kind donation

Italian Photo 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31

NEWS
At City Day of StPetersburg, 27 of May, Russian gigs started the season. Two crews 13 people each held two rowing races in one day.
At morning "Enchante" won 1st position in short race – 0.5 mile, "Dignite" was the third on the finish line.
And at noon in marathon race for "Shtandart" prize team of Dignite on distance of 4.5 (!) miles shown excellent rowing and strength and won the race in 10-oars boats class. This race has two pecularities – Shtandart team traditionally arrange this in the historical center of StPetersburg, and all boats have one start signal and one start space, not shared for lines. It was a difficult task for cox’s’ns to keep the oars safe, turning around the buoy with 22 more boats.
Our congratulations to all crewmembers and cox’s’ns! Photo

January 2006
During the Christmas week we were visited by our Italian friends Valeria Pitto and Elisa Bassani (team-members of Creuza de Ma). We tryed to present to our mideterraninan friends beautiful Russian winter, and even show to them - such a difficult task we have to train a team, when sea, and river and lakes covered by ice... And we always welcome our friends to visit StPetersburg, especially during the White nights time (end of July), or join our Baltic challenge event (beginning of August). Photo

Dear friends!
We wish you all the best in the New Year! We wish you fair winds, new adventures, reliable friends, and new challenges! Our warmest wishes to you, your family and your team! See you under sails at sea!
Atlantic Challenge Russia team

<2006>

27.12.05
BALTIC CHALLENGE 2006
27.12.05
Russian Presentation on 2005 International Trustees Meeting in Genoa, Nov 3-4
22.12.05
NEW pictures added to our report about gig capsize.

Atlantic Challenge Russia – is a brunch of Atlantic Challenge International http://www.atlanticchallenge.org/ following the same goal and mission. We are located in a city of St.Petersburg at the eastern corner of the Gulf of Finland.

Now we are a registered as non-comercial partnership Atlantic Challenge Russia directed by Zlata Bredova. Misha Plekhanov is our Trustee and representative in Atlantic Challenge international. Our boatbuilding activities are lead by Alexander Orlov and all sea going operations are run by the crew themselves. 95% of the project activities are initiated, planned and implemented by the crew themselves.

Some news reflecting our live:
- Russian Presentation on 2005 International Trustees Meeting in Genoa, Nov 3-4
- September 2005: Russia-Finland joint experience
- Summer 2005 activities summary
- 2005 Capsize report

Our history have started first in 1990 when Russian crew was invited to take part in AC contest in Roskilde, Denmark. At that time we were introduced to the Bantry Bay gigs and Atlantic Challenge philosophy. Due to traveling adventures we were late for 1992 Challenge in Douarnene, France but after this contest AC countries have send to St.Petersburg their representatives to start the construction of AC Russia base – Boat House. The construction of the Boat House have continued with a great help of Lance Lee and AC International. The keel of the first Russian gig Enchante was laid in nearly completed Boat House in October 1993. Then non-completed yet Enchante and a crew has traveled 2000 km north to port Murmansk to ketch a passing refrigerator ship going across Atlantic. Four weeks later our crew and a gig have continued construction of Enchante in Rockland, Maine USA and was launched 3 weeks later and a week before 1994 AC contests in Midland, Ontario, Canada.
We have missed 1996 contest in Bantry, Ireland but sail Enchante hard in our home waters.
We have taken part in AC contests in 1998 in Roskilde, Denmark, in Douarnene, France in 2000, Rockland USA in 2002 and in Fishguard UK in 2004.
All this was possible because of great friendly held of AC family members helping us with transportation of the boat, crew, accommodation and providing boat to race.

Meanwhile the Boat house initiated by AC participants in 1992 have grown up to the real historical shipyard where replica of the Tsar’s Peter the Great frigate Shtandart was build and launched in 1999. Many of us were lucky to play an important role in building this ship and sail her upon completion. (www.shtandart.com).

Upon Shtandart completion we have initiated building a second Russian gig. The project was difficult to accomplish because moving of the shipyard to a different location but never the less we have launched second Russian gig on June 2002 and named her Dignite.
Since then we have an opportunity to sail and race two gig at we are actively doing this during annual Baltic Challenge contest and summer camps organized by us and run out of near by Totleben island.

We invite all kind of individuals and organization to become our guests – contact us to know how you can build boats, sail, row and have fun with us in Russia, StPetersburg!
> BALTIC CHALLENGE 2006<
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