The ‘Juan Sebastián de Elcano’ starts the first stage of her 85th Training Cruise

The training ship ‘Juan Sebastián de Elcano’ has just set sail from San Fernando (Cádiz) to start the first stage of her 85th Training Cruise which will take place in Mediterranean waters until February 22nd.

The ship welcomed 69 midshipmen from the Naval Academy (Marín) and 33 future petty officers (1st class and 2nd class) from the La Graña School (Ferrol) who will train to become specialists in Navigation and Maneuver.

This first stage of the cruise repeats the experience of 2013 when leading seamen and ratings took part in the training cruise for the first time. The good results obtained last year encouraged another try and on this occasion 33 leading seamen embarked to train and become petty officers (1st class and 2nd class). The cruise will serve to boost their naval, military, social and human formation with different classes, drills and exercises both at sea and in port.

In addition to the 33 leading seamen, 69 midshipmen from the 415th Spanish Navy Graduation Class and the 145th Marine Corps Graduation Class from the Naval Academy (Marín) have embarked to continue with their 4th year studies on board, mainly with subjects related to Navigation, Astronomy, Meteorology, Maneuver and English. To this end, lecturers from Naval Academy University Centre also embarked on board the ‘Juan Sebastián de Elcano’.

During the first stage of the training cruise the ship is scheduled to call at the following ports: Cagliari (Italy), Mahón, Sete (France) and Melilla. After sailing around 2,300 miles, the ship will arrive at San Fernando (Cádiz) on February 22nd to set sail once again on March 1st to start the second stage of her training cruise.

The commanding officer of the ‘Juan Sebastián de Elcano’ is Captain Enrique Torres Piñeyro, and her crew consists of 23 officers, 22 NCOs, 140 leading seamen and ratings, and 5 civilians.