Statsraad Lehmkuhl

The fastest in the world - again!

over 1 year ago
Written by Helene Spurkeland
Statsraad Lehmkuhl > The fastest in the world - again!

The fastest in the world - again!

over 1 year agoStatsraad Lehmkuhl
Written by Helene Spurkeland

Statsraad Lehmkuhl has been named the world's fastest tall ship in 2022. This is the ninth time Lehmkuhl wins The Boston Tea Pot Trophy.

The winning voyage took place in the Atlantic Ocean during a voyage with the Norwegian Naval Academy in January last year. Lehmkuhl had just emerged from a severe storm off the east coast of the United States and was heading for the Azores.

«After we had "ridden off" the blizzard that caught us off Nova Scotia, we had a strong and stable sailing wind towards the Azores», says captain Marcus Albert Seidl.

«The experience was like all the previous Boston Tea Pot voyages, namely extra exciting."

sailing ship
Storm i the Atlantic. Photo: Hanna Thevik

Tall ships all over the world compete every year for the coveted Boston Tea Pot Trophy. The prize goes to the ship that covers the greatest possible distance during 124 hours under sail. Within the 124-hour limit, Statsraad Lehmkuhl sailed 1,125 nautical miles.

sailing ship
Across the Atlantic, January 2022. Photo: Hanna Thevik

«It is undoubtedly a stamp of quality for the ship and a feather in the sailor's cap to the crews involved, who carried out such a fast voyage without damage to either people or material. We are all proud to have been involved in the achievement of course», Seidl says.

Cadets working the sails. Photo: Hanna Thevik

This is the ninth time that Lehmkuhl can bring the trophy home to Bergen. She also holds the length record of 1,548 nautical miles, which gives an average speed of 12.48 knots.

«The reason Statsraad Lehmkuhl has won this award nine times is simply because she is a solidly rigged sailing vessel with fine lines. With an underwater hull length of nearly 75 metres, a weight of 2,500 tonnes and a high freeboard, she withstands very well the stresses that arise in strong winds and rough seas.»

sailing ship
Lehmkuhl is build for the opes sea. Photo: Hanna Thevik

It is the ships themselves that report their distance sailed to Sail Training International. Lehmkuhl's winning voyages have all taken place in the Atlantic, but Seidl emphasizes that they do not actively seek out these voyages.

«We do not expose ourselves to storms unnecessarily, and we do not sail any harder than we would normally have done. These are optimal sailing voyages that eventually come about when the conditions are right for it, and which we all greatly appreciate experiencing when it first happens, says Seid.

sailng ship
Able sea man Signi Maersk Svendsen was a part of what turned out to be the winning voyage last January. Photo: Hanna Thevik

Captain Seidl and Statsraad Lehmkuhl are currently on their way to Natal in Brazil, one of the last port visits before The Ocean Expedition ends in Bergen on 15 April. Seidl hopes that the next shift, led by captain Jens Joachim Hiorth, will also have wind in their sails.

«It will be exciting to see whether JJ & Co. have the conditions on their side when they sail the last leg across the Atlantic in a few weeks. Maybe they can secure the tenth Boston Tea Pot trophy for Statsraad Lehmkuhl», says Seidl.

Brothers on board. Captain Marcus Seidl (to the right) and Chief officer David Seidl. Photo: Helene Spurkeland
Brothers on board. Captain Marcus Seidl (to the right) and Chief officer David Seidl. Photo: Helene Spurkeland

Haakon Vatle, CEO of the Lehmkuhl Foundation, says that the Boston Tea Pot Trophy is one of the best prizes a tall ship can receive.

«This is an incredibly great recognition of both ship and crew. The special thing about this particular voyage was that the cadets and crew got off to a brutal start with a terrific storm shortly after departure from Newport. All the more pleasant that the storm changed to particularly favorable winds, which gave the ship fantastic speed» Vatle says.

tea pot
The Boston Tea Pot Trophy is a replica of a teapot from 1782. The original was a symbol of the famous American rebellion against the British in 1773, called "The Boston Tea Party» which became a precursor to the American War of Independence. Photo: Helene Spurkeland

Every time Statsraad Lehmkuhl has won the trophy, there have been cadets from the Norwegian Naval College on board.

«We will do our best to keep this tradition going in the years to come», Vatle says.

The presentation of the Boston Tea Pot Trophy will take place on February 28 in London.

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The One Ocean Expedition 2025-2026 is a 12-month voyage aboard the Norwegian tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl, aimed at raising awareness and sharing knowledge about the crucial importance of the ocean for a sustainable future on a global scale.

Follow the expedition