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Mexican ``Cuauhtemoc'' Races South to the Port of Los Angeles; Mexican Naval Training Ship Joins TallShips(R)LA Festivities

Posted on: Wednesday, 20 July 2005, 21:01 CDT

On Thursday, August 11, the Cuauhtemoc, a Mexican Navy Barque, also known as the Ambassador and Gentleman of the Seas, a tireless navigator will be the largest of the visiting tall ships to sail into the Port of Los Angeles as part of TallShipsLA festival, August 11-14.

As a sail training ship, the Cuauhtemoc has operated for over two decades and trained 24 generations of officers, cadets and sailors in navigation and sailing maneuvers. She has sailed approximately 408,853 miles in 3,178 days. On July 29, she will celebrate her 23rd anniversary as a training vessel with the Mexican Navy.

The Cuauhtemoc is the last vessel of a series of four windjammers. Her sister ships include the Gloria from Columbia, the Guayas from Ecuador, which participated in the Los Angeles Festival of Sail in 2002, and the Simon Bolivar from Venezuela. Cuauhtemoc bears the name of the last Aztec emperor, who was imprisoned and executed in 1528 by order of Herman Cortes, the conquistador.

The Cuauhtemoc is a Class A, three-masted Barque built in Bilbao, Spain, in 1982. She was the first ship of her kind in Mexico. The ship is 297 feet in length, weighs 1,800 tons with a rig height of 168 feet. She carries 23 sails with a maximum sail area of 2,368 square feet. She home ports in Acapulco, Mexico.

The Cuauhtemoc is currently racing down the coast to Los Angeles with 15 other majestic tall ships, the Argus, Bill of Rights, Californian, Exy Johnson, Antigua's Kaisei, Lynx, the R. Tucker Thompson of New Zealand, Russia's Pallada, Pilgrim, Robert C. Seamans, Royaliste, Spirit of Dana Point, Swift of Ipswich, Talofa, and Tole Mour.

Los Angeles is the sixth port of call in the American Sail Training Association's Pacific Coast 2005 Tall Ship Challenge(R) Series that originated in Vancouver, B.C., over the fourth of July weekend and will conclude in San Diego.

Spectators can view the TallShipsLA Grand Parade of Sail on Thursday, August 11, at 11 a.m. Cuauhtemoc will be docked at Berths 87-90 north of the Maritime Museum. The other tall ships will be anchored along the waterfront from the Los Angeles Maritime Museum at Harbor Boulevard and Sixth Street to Ports O' Call Village. Public viewing of the vessels will take place on Thursday, August 11, from 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.; Friday, August 12, from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Saturday, August 13 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; and Sunday, August 14, from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Tickets for day sail adventures will be available to purchase on a first-come, first-served basis. Children's games and nautical-themed activities will also be available throughout the weekend. For more information or to make a day sail reservation, call the toll-free line 1-800-TAL-SHIP (877-7447) or visit www.tallshipsla.com.

The Port of Los Angeles is America's premier port. As the leading containerport in the nation and a critical hub in the international supply chain, the Port generates thousands of stable, well paying jobs. It has also placed a high priority on smart growth initiatives combined with high security, environmental stewardship and community outreach. The Port of Los Angeles is a proprietary, self-supporting department of the City of Los Angeles. The Port of Los Angeles ... Anchoring a bright future.

NOTE: "Cuauhtemoc" has an accent over the "e."

Source: Business Wire

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