Congratulations to all who have continuously worked to protect our oceans, paving the way for a unique global agreement.
March 2023 is a month of hope, a victory for diplomacy, and a ray of hope for our oceans and us humans living on this beautiful blue planet.
Jochen Werne commenting on the “High Seas Treaty”, the historic agreement reached by UN delegates to protect marine biodiversity in international waters
Following the 1951 Antarctic Treaty, the Convention on the Protection of Marine Biodiversity in International Waters is an important step towards achieving UNEP’s SDG targets and thus a better world for us all.
As members of the Global Offshore Sailing Team, which has been working to promote environmental awareness since 1999, we are very grateful to the dedicated diplomats for reaching such a milestone in history.
For everyone interested please read more on the “High Seas Treaty” here:
United Nations: UN delegates reach historic agreement on protecting marine biodiversity in international waters https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/03/1134157
The Global Offshore Sailing Team is proud to announce that we will be organizing an Expedition Andaman Sea from April 14th to 22nd, 2022. This expedition is being held to promote international understanding and environmental awareness for this geopolitically important and naturally beautiful region.
One of the highlights of the expedition will be a wreath laying ceremony to honor and pay tribute to those who have worked for peace in this important geopolitical region and for the promotion of the conservation of the Andaman Sea’s beautiful nature. This ceremony will be an homage to the rich values and culture of Thailand and its people, whose engagement is key to the Andaman Sea.
We invite all individuals and organizations who are committed to these values to join us in this important expedition and contribute to our mission of promoting understanding and awareness in this important part of the world.
“Expedition Andaman Sea aims to promote international understanding and support international relations by creating awareness about the geopolitical importance of the Andaman Sea region. As part of this goal, the expedition will lay a wreath to honor and commemorate those who have served and engaged themselves for peace in the Andaman Sea. This gesture serves to underscore the importance of peace and stability in the region and the efforts of those who have worked towards this goal.”
Jochen Werne – Expedition Leader
„The Andaman Sea is a vital and diverse maritime ecosystem that is essential to the health and productivity of the region. From its abundant marine life to its stunning coral reefs, the Andaman Sea is a treasure worth protecting. The protection of this ecosystem is closely tied to the United Nations‘ sustainable development goals, and it is a major goal of Expedition Andaman Sea to promote these goals and the initiatives being undertaken to support them. Join us on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure and help us raise awareness about the importance of preserving the beauty and prosperity of the Andaman Sea for generations to come.“
Guido Zoeller – Co-Founder Global Offshore Sailing Team
It is with great sadness that we have been informed by our friends of the Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club Dover of the death of a unique personality, sailor, leadership example, GOST member of honour and friend – Admiral of the Fleet, The Lord Boyce.
He will forever accompany us on board in our midst. May he rest in eternal peace.
Messages of Condolence and personal notes:
On a really sad note Lord Boyce who was the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and who many of us have met passed away yesterday. A really good and nice man who we are going to miss. Look up his obituary. We were very privileged to have him as a friend.
Bernard Sealy
Dear Skipper, that are really sad news. May he rest in peace forever. All our thoughts are with our English friends.
Götz Credé
…for us of the Global Offshore Sailing Team this is a big loss but for the faith that distinguishes us The Lord Boyce will always accompany and guide us in our future missions, by sea and by land.
Stefano Malvestio
He was the BEACON for GOST! Thank you!!
Bernd Lehmann
It is truly sad, but we are very lucky that we had him to invite and guide us through his parliament, the House of Lords!
Guido Zoeller
It was a true honor having met this kind Gentlemen
Dr. Benon Janos
Memorable moments with Admiral of the Fleet, the Lord Boyce and GOST
In 1999, Guido Zoeller and Jochen Werne founded the Global Offshore Sailing Team (GOST). The mission: to challenge the seven seas to promote international understanding and create environmental awareness. The success was made possible by the highly committed team members and GOST supporters. Each is unique and has dedicated themselves to the set goals in dozens of expeditions from the Andaman Sea to the Arctic Ocean. Through its people’s diplomacy approach, GOST has created a network with the highest echelons of politics, business and diplomacy. In a One-to-One interview with with the highly recognised eco-book author Maurice Abbati, expedition leader Jochen Werne describes how this became possible and why passion, teamwork and inner fire are of utmost importance to achieve great goals.
MONACŒCOART® (MonacoEcoART, MŒA enPR= Monaco MyHeart) is a new media editorial project aimed at discovering sustainability from different angles with a special focus on projects, relevant figures, best practices and smart ideas linked to the Principality of Monaco and its vast network.
With pride GOST (Global Offshore Sailing Team) collaborates since years with the Asociación para la Investigación y Difusión de la Historia Naval de Cuba. The latest collaboration with respect to Expedition Blue Ocean is a living example, that despite the political state of affairs, organisations strongly focused on supporting international understanding can be instrumental in solving challenges which cannot be solved within the borders of just one country.
Excerpt from EL Faro, June 2022 – Author: Maximino Gomez Alvarez – translated with deepL
AIDHNC SUPPORTS EXPEDITION BLUE OCEAN AND COMBINES IT WITH THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDATION OF THE HEMINGWAY INTERNATIONAL YACHT CLUB OF CUBA”.
Despite the many difficulties faced, including the COVID 19 pandemic that we have been suffering for more than two years, the Association for Research and Dissemination of the Naval History of Cuba has not rested in its arduous work. 2022 has been an illustrative year of the progress made by this organisation, achieving great objectives in its growth and organisation. Several collaboration agreements have been signed, including one with the Hemingway International Sailing Club of Cuba, and support has also been given to various activities carried out by the prestigious international organisation Global Offshore Sailing Team.
Two events stood out in the month of May, Expedition Blue Ocean and the celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the creation of the Hemingway International Yacht Club of Cuba, in both activities the AIDHNC has been present.
In the case of the support given to the North Sea Endurance Expedition within the framework of the Blue Ocean event, several voyages were made, the one made by GOST, two others leaving from the port of Miami to Key West with the vessel La Caña (as the flagship of the AIDHNC) and another one made in Cuban waters to the north of the Province of Havana, with five vessels of the CNIHC. Thus, the flag of our organisation flew in the waters of the North Sea, until reaching the English coast, the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the Atlantic, the Gulf of Mexico and Cuba.
Extensive publicity work was carried out to publicise the Expedition Blue Ocean. Another of the activities programmed was a Children’s Drawing Competition with the slogan “For a clean and beautiful ocean” in greeting and support of the Blue Ocean Expedition and the 30th Anniversary of the CNIHC.
In the case of the Hemingway International Yacht Club of Cuba, with which a Collaboration Agreement had previously been signed, a complete collection of naval-themed works published by the AIDHNC was donated to this institution, and a Diploma of the AIDHNC was presented to Commodore José Miguel Díaz Escrich, who has directed this illustrious and renowned Cuban nautical institution since its foundation and up to the present day. Likewise, we supported the activities of celebration of the 30th Anniversary of this renowned Cuban Yacht Club, participating in the regatta held also in salute to this anniversary, as well as in the Reception held as a culmination of the activities held in the framework of these celebrations.
A generation that has experienced peace as the status quo might easily tend to forget that war has historically been more of a status quo than peace. Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institute and historian Niall Ferguson’s books are full of examples. The long period of peace in historically hostile Europe was due to the hard work of visionary figures after the Second World War. They worked on a European concept of unity and cooperation. An idea that was unthinkable in the past but is a reality today. For all the shortcomings we may experience, it is of the utmost importance to always remember what a great goal has been achieved over such a long period of time: PEACE.
It would be of utmost importance to create even more initiatives like this as a basis for addressing the global challenges that lie ahead. Challenges that we can only solve on a global basis.
GOST has made it a priority to support INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING through its missions by teaching history and raising awareness of issues of global importance. We are proud to have achieved this again with Expedition Blue Ocean ( www.ExpeditionBlueOcen.org ).
The list of supporters is long and we would like to extend a special thank you to
The House of Lords
Admiral of the Fleet, Lord Boyce
The City of London
The Police of the City of London
The staff of the House of Lords
St. Katharine’s Dock Marina
Asociación para la Investigación y Difusión de la Historia Naval de Cuba
London, May 16, 2022 It was a great honor to receive an invitation to the House of Lords from the Admiral of the Fleet, Lord Boyce, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. The hospitality extended during this visit will be unforgettable. The members of the Global Offshore Sailing Team are very grateful to Lord Boyce for the opportunity to gain an insight into the daily operations and passion with which the honorable members of the House of Lords conduct their debates. As a special end to the visit, Lord Boyce presented the Expedition Blue Ocean Corps of the Global Offshore Sailing Team with a special despatch to be sailed by sea from London to Dover – celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club. The mission was successfully completed with the delivery of the shipment to RCPYC Commodore Judith White on May 18. The welcome for the crew in Dover was beyond compare. Special thanks are due to the members of the RCPYC, not only for their extraordinary cordiality, but especially for their untiring efforts for international understanding.
Handover of the dispatch to the Global Offshore Sailing Team – Westminster Hall – House of Parliament, LondonHandover of the dispatch to the Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club DoveryThe Global Offshore Sailing Team as guest of the Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club Dover Expedition Blue Ocea on seaBenon Janos (Chief Security Officer) and Jochen Werne (Skipper) on watch during Expedition Blue Ocean
80TH ANNIVERSARY CHANNEL DASH Manston, 12 February 2022
SPEECH ON THE OCCASION OF THE COMMEMORATION OF THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHANNEL DASH held by Jochen Werne, Co-Founder of GOST
Speech held by Jochen Werne – Co-Founder GOST
Ladies and Gentlemen
I’m truly honoured to be here to speak on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Channel Dash. It was 10 years ago that the members of the Global Offshore Sailing Team, planning their commemorative voyage from Brest to Kiel, first met the honourable members of the Channel Dash Association. Outstanding individuals who have done so much to keep history alive and remind us that we are all part of something bigger than ourselves. The aim of the GOST expeditions has always been to get a feel for the background and struggles of events at sea.
As our dear friend Peter Nixon – whom we will always remember – summed up perfectly:
“ … working so hard to bring history back to everyones attention and recognizing the many great acts of courage performed on our behalf by men and women of all sides during a period of conflict. ... It is not about Winners or Loser`s. … The world is a wonderful place to live because it is made up of many different, but beautiful countries…. We should be proud of this fact. Equally, we should not be ashamed of our past, nor should we glorify it, for it was our past which created what we are today.”
Peter Nixon
In the fateful days 1942, British air and ship crews threw themselves with an incredible sense of duty against German battleships and their protection. The enemy which the Swordfish crews met on this day 80 years ago consisted not only of large scale naval vessels but also of an air cover operation code named “Thunderbolt“. The operation was planned by Adolf Galland, who himself survived being shot down kept the ships under a constant Messerschmidt fighter jets umbrella during the whole Operation Cerberus. Anyone who witnessed the performance differences between a Swordfish and a Spitfire, the British equivalent of the Messerschmidt, at one of the recent Channel Dash commemorations understands well the words of Captain Hoffmann of the Scharnhorst; “Poor fellows. They are so very slow. It is nothing but suicide for them to fly against these big ships”. Everyone on the bridges of the Battleships felt the same. Willhelm Wolf, on the Scharnhorst, said; “What an heroic stage for them to meet their end on. Behind them their homeland which they had just left with their hearts steeled to their purpose still in view”. Admiral Ciliax, watching from the Scharnhorst Bridge, the Swordfish lumbering towards her, remarked to Captain Hoffmann: “The British are now throwing their mothball Navy at us. Those Swordfish are doing well to get their torpedoes away”.
Christoph Ciliax, the grandson of Admiral Ciliax, wanted to be with us today, but unfortunately Covid restrictions got in the way, and he asked me to represent him and his words: „On behalf of the Ciliax family, I would like to express my utmost respect and appreciation to the British soldiers who lost their lives on 12 February 1942. The German ships and their crews served a brutal, criminal regime of injustice. We Germans can be all the more grateful that the German fallen are also included in the commemoration and that representatives of the German Navy as well as their families are invited to the event. This is a great gesture of friendship and bridging to the former enemy. Today, British and German servicemen and women serve side by side, advocating world peace, a democratic world order as well as stability and security in Europe. I, too, wear the Navy uniform for this reason and stand for the fact that never again a regime of injustice can grow in Germany, from which terror and violence towards our neighbouring countries and the world emanates. This is what my father already stood up for as a soldier and I am sure my grandfather would do the same, who was first and foremost a sailor and soldier for his country. However, never would I defend serving for a criminal regime what at the end serving in the Kriegsmarine meant. It is all the more impressive and deserving of thanks that Great Britain, when honouring their fallen also remembers the German soldiers killed in action. My mother and wife of Rear Admiral Otto H. Ciliax, my late father, would as well like to attend the commemoration event and honour the British soldiers; but she is also unable to do so due to COVID restrictions and therefore sends her thanks and greetings.“
Many thanks from our side to the Ciliax family
I am also grateful to be able to quote from the letter sent by the Federal Minister of Defence, Christine Lambrecht, to the Channel Dash Association. She underlines:
“Your thoughtful gesture of not only inviting representative from the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, but also representatives from the German Navy is a sign of reconciliation and long-standing friendship between our nations. “
Captain Heuer, thank you for being as official representative of the Federal Republic of Germany with us today. As the former Commodore of the Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club and GOST member Bernard Sealy once said and it remains true today and it will remain the truth into the distant time… we’re all sailors.
Ladies and Gentlemen, please let me conclude on this historic day with a thought and a quote. The beauty of our nations is that we cherish the same freedoms, defend the same values and respect the same fundamental laws. We are bound together not simply by institutions, but by our common beliefs in democracy, openness and equality before the law. We are bound together by friendship. Friendship, lived through the great people who are in this hangar today, and many who have already left us but whom we keep in our hearts. Today is a very special day. It is not an end, but a beginning. So let me conclude with the famous words of Konrad Adenauer, the first post-war German Chancellor:
“Wenn die anderen glauben, man ist am Ende, so muss man erst richtig anfangen.” (“when others think we’ve reached the end, that’s when we’ve got to really begin”).
Enjoy a glimpse of the thrills awaiting the men aboard their expeditionary sailing yacht in the North Sea with this introductory trailer featuring moments from previous GOST missions.
The challenging tides, rough weather and dense ship traffic of the North Sea will be the first chapter within the Global Offshore Sailing Team‘s Expedition Blue Ocean. In 2022, GOST will undertake various missions to all Seven Seas to learn about and promote the most exciting #CLEAN ENERGY & #CLEAN SEAS projects and the driving forces behind them.
Inspired by the great Prince of the Sea Albert I and his strong commitment to international understanding, the environment and our oceans, we will carry out various missions with our supporters around the globe to promote international understanding and environmental awareness around #cleanseas and #cleanenergy
I’m proud commanding the 1st Mission with an outstanding experienced team:
NORTH SEA ENDURANCE 600+nm Offshore (Expedition Blue Ocean) Departure Zeebrugge, Belgium – 14 May 22: Into the Night – 271 nm Offshore to Wilhelmshaven/Bremerhaven – Meet the drivers of the #CLEAN SEAS initiatives of the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence, Beach Cleaner and many more. Sail from Wilhelmshaven North-West to the major offshore wind farms. Meet Northern Helicopters and others who keep these breathtaking #CLEAN ENERGY projects running in such challenging conditions.
Other missions to come: GOST-Senior Officer Wolfgang Händel will command parallel to NORTH SEA ENDURANCE, the MEDITERRANEAN ENDURANCE MISSION in the Thyrenian Sea. With the great support of the Asociación para la Investigación y Difusión de la Historia Naval de Cuba projects with the Yacht Club de Havana (CARRIBEAN ENDURANCE) are in planning. Same with the Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club (ATLANTIC ENDURANCE), our Californian team mates (PACIFIC ENDURANCE) and many more.
Please find updates at www.ExpeditionBlueOcean.com
