THE SS Pallada is one of the world's fastest tall ships and a group of students from the Singapore Polytechnic was the first from Singapore to get a chance to sail on it.
The Pallada is the pride of Far Eastern State Technical Fisheries University (FESTFU) of Vladivostok in Russia and the trip came about as a result of a collaboration between the Poly's Singapore Maritime Academy and the Russian university.
An agreement to cooperate on maritime research and development and education was signed between the two educational institutions when the three-mast training vessel visited Singapore in February this year.
The maritime students and leaders from SMA had what was described by the SMA as a 'rare privilege' to sail on this 356-foot ship and learn practical navigation as well as traditional sail training.
They also had the benefit of interacting with 100 cadets of various nationalities on board.
With 26 sails and masts soaring 162 feet above the deck, this tall ship has made over 80 voyages covering more than 200,000 miles of the world's oceans, to the admiration of the world's sailors. The Pallada has been the undisputed winner of the annual Tall Ship Regatta in Japan for the last 10 years and is in the Guinness Book of Records for the highest speed recorded by a tall ship.
For young Singapore sailing enthusiasts, an opportunity to sail in the Pallada may be a compelling reason to enrol for one of the courses offered by the SMA.
