The Amerigo Vespucci rounds Cape Horn for the first time. Crosetto: "Pride of Defence and Italy".

The Amerigo Vespucci has rounded Cape Horn for the first time, the crossroads between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, one of the most challenging passages in the world for navigation due to the continuous disturbances created by the proximity to Antarctica, which push enormous masses of water towards the Drake Strait, where the seabed drops from 4,000 to 100 metres. "Pride of Defence and symbol of Italian excellence, on board, with the crew, the entire Sistema Paese is sailing to promote the excellence of Made in Italy," commented Defence Minister Guido Crosetto.

Amerigo Vespucci leaves for round-the-world trip, Crosetto: 'As he passes, the world will see Italy'

The historic sailing and training ship of the Italian Navy, one of the symbols of Italy in the world, began its world tour at Crosetto's behest, leaving the port of Genoa on 1 July 2023. "In each nation," Crosetto said, "not only will the most beautiful ship in the world arrive, but Italy. At each port of call, the intention is to combine the traditional training of trainee officers and the promotion of Italian excellence. During the voyage, which will last two years, the 'Italy Village' will be set up, where the activities of the individual ministries involved will converge: a showcase of Italian products and culture, conceived by the Govetno also as an opportunity for our companies.

The motto of the Amerigo Vespucci training ship is 'Not he who begins but he who perseveres'. It is the oldest naval unit in service in the Navy: it turned 93 years old last 22 February: powered by sail, it has three vertical masts (foremast of 52 metres, mainmast of 56 and mizzen of 45), equipped with spars and 24 sails, with a total area of 2,635 square metres. The ship's waterline hull measures 82 metres, while its maximum overall length is 101 metres; its width is 15.6 metres and its displacement when fully loaded is 4,300 tonnes. The record speed she can reach is 14.6 knots (27 km/h).

There are 264 military personnel on board the Amerigo Vespucci, supplemented by about one hundred cadets each year and support staff from the Naval Academy, for a total of about 400 sailors embarked on training campaigns. There were 87 between 1931 and 2023 for students in the first class of the Naval Academy. The first circumnavigation of the globe took place between May 2002 and September 2003. The one undertaken in 2023 is therefore the second round-the-world voyage, with stops at more than 30 ports in 28 countries, touching five continents of the globe by February 2025. On 28 April next, the Vespucci will enter the port of Valparaiso in Chile.