Podcast: Heroes of the Seas – Diplomat of the Oceans

Every week, passionate ocean lover Christian Weigand interviews a different passionate ocean lover in his BLUE AWARENESS PODAST “HEROES OF THE OCEANS”. I had the pleasure and honour of being his guest. You can listen to our inspiring conversation in German by following this LINK TO THE ORIGINAL PAGE.

Christian writes: “This episode features Jochen Werne, a “people diplomat” who organises sailing expeditions to commemorate historic moments, bring people together and deliver important messages. He receives support from well-known personalities such as Prince Albert II and the Queen of England.

Jochen discovered his passion for the sea as a navigator in the navy, where he himself was an instructor on the Gorch Fock. Although his professional career brought him back to land, he is still an enthusiastic sailor. He founded the GOST (Global Offshore Sailing Team) @expeditionblueocean, in which people from different nationalities set off on expeditions to raise awareness for sustainability and peace”

You can find Jochen’s homepage here: www.jochenwerne.com

About the Podcast “Heroes of the Seas”

Fascinating stories of the ocean adventure. The heroes of the seas inspire you in an interview with Christian Weigand with their unique experiences at sea. Dive into the world of water sports enthusiasts, researchers, explorers, adventurers and conservationists and be inspired!

You can find pictures and further information on Instagram at @Helden_der_Meere

“A Life for the Ocean” is a book that accompanies the podcast. It tells 10 stories about the heroes of the oceans and is visually stunning in its enthusiasm for the ocean. You can order it at www.ein-leben-fuer-den-ozean.de.

Expedition Andaman Sea promotes international understanding and environmental awareness

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.

PLEASE REFER FOR NEWS TO EXPEDITION WEBSITE

www.ExpeditionAndamanSea.com

“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

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: Solving global challenges needs borderless international collaboration

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.

PEACE IS NOT A GIVEN

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
  • Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club
  • The Dover Harbour Board
  • Club Nautica Internacional de Hemingway Cuba
  • Maximino Gomez
  • Seaside Productions
  • Münz Corp.
  • Beach Cleaners
  • The Sea Cap Initiative

International Understanding: VETERANS CALL FOR PEACE & RECONCILIATION

Six years ago, World War II veterans proclaimed a message that everyone should have heard and that is more important today and every day that comes.

Jochen Werne, Co-Founder mission4peace

‘Message to the World’ – DECLARATION OF NATIONS RECONCILIATION

For the first time in the history of international relations the Second World War veterans and diplomats representing several countries met on Sunday 8 May in Hamburg (Germany) for the signing of the Declaration of Nations Reconciliation.

The event ‘Message to the World’, held within the framework of the international project mission4peace, was attended by veterans from Germany, Great Britain, Russia, the USA, the Netherlands, Italy and Serbia.

The veterans and guests have been greeted by the International Maritime History Museum Hamburg. The party was addressed by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium H.E. Ghislain D’Hoop. The event has been coordinated by the founders of mission4peace and organisers of ‘Message to the World’ event Eugene Kasevin (Ukraine) and Jochen Werne (Germany).

The veterans addressed the auditorium with personal messages and appealed to all countries and their leaders to maintain peaceful relations between nations regardless of cultural, religious and ideological differences. Following the official part of the event, veterans and guests released white doves from the roof of the historical museum as a sign of remembrance, reconciliation and peaceful coexistence of all peoples.

“One of the main goals of the mission4peace project is to bring together and unite forward-looking people who share the conviction that peaceful human coexistence can be achieved through the perseverance of intellectual and intercultural exchange while accepting differences. The “Message to the World” event is designed to allow veterans to share their messages and show that we are capable of overcoming the most deeply rooted historical resentments. In this case, it is the inherited resentments between people and nations that participated in the Second World War, which continue to be an obstacle in politics and trade, in the social sphere and in the everyday lives of ordinary people.”

Eugene Kasevin, Co-Founder mission4peace


One of the most influential British military leaders, the former Chief of the Defence Staff and Head of the British Armed Forces, General Lord David Richards of Herstmonceux GCB CBE DSO commented:

“At a time of considerable international tension, mission4peace is a timely and thought provoking initiative that deserves the attention and support of us all.”

AIDHNC congratulates GOST on it’s 20th anniversary and the milestones in the field of international understanding

We’ve been honoured by a message arrived from the ASOCIACIÓN PARA LA INVESTIGACIÓN Y DIFUCIÓN DE LA HISTORIA NAVAL DE CUBA. We are grateful that we were able to establish a long-term relationship with this esteemed association and its great members . Together we reached far beyond the boundaries often faced by national politics.

Jochen Werne
Co-Founder Global Offshore Sailing Team

¡EXCELENTE! 20 años de esfuerzos, destinados al matenimiento de las tradiciones e historia naval, a mantener vivas las hazañas de los pioneros exploradores, a unir a la familia naval internacional, a unir pueblos, culturas, a salvaguardar el medio ambiente y a lograr la union de los pueblos con un mensaje de paz y de concordia. Toda esa labor a hecho grande a GOST, que sin dudas hoy ocupa el liderazgo entre la organizaciones de su clase. Nos sentimos profundamente honrados y orgullosos de haber sido un pedacito de esta hazaña de gigantes. ¡Larga vida a Global Offshore Sailing Team! Sois un ejemplo a seguir, una esperanza. FELICITACIONES!!!! Reciban todos su miembros, las muestrasde del más profundo respeto y admiración  de la Asociacion para la Investigacion y Difusión  de la Histora Naval de Cuba. Gracias por existir.

Maximino Gomez Alvarez
Vice-President of the AIDHNC
Historian Maximino Gomez Alvarez with the AIDHNC flag

Translation: EXCELLENT! 20 years of efforts aimed at maintaining naval traditions and history, keeping alive the exploits of pioneer explorers, uniting the international naval family, uniting peoples, cultures, safeguarding the environment and achieving the union of peoples with a message of peace and harmony. All that work has done great to GOST, which undoubtedly today occupies the leadership among the organizations of its kind. We feel deeply honored and proud to have been a bit of this feat of giants. Long live Global Offshore Sailing Team! You are an example to follow, a hope. CONGRATULATIONS! Receive all your members, the deepest respect and admiration of the Association for the Research and Dissemination of the Naval History of Cuba. Thank you for existing.

History lessons, international understanding & peoples`diplomacy: 76 years Channel Dash

On Feb 12, 1942, the Channel Dash happened. 70 years later, on Feb 12, 2012, the Global Offshore Sailing Team has been invited for the first time by the Channel Dash Association to commemorate brave air and sea man and to create and strengthen friendships between people and nations who were enemies in former times. Today at the 76th anniversary of the Channel Dash we continue the tradition to remember and to make us all aware how precious and equally vulnerable peace is. And therefore how important the engagement of our civil society is to strengthen the roots of peace every day.

12 February 2012: Jochen Werne, Skipper and Representative of the GLOBAL OFFSHORE SAILING TEAM (www.gost.org) is commenting the “Channel Dash” during the CHANNEL DASH ASSOCIATION’s 70th Anniversary Remembrance Event at the Royal Airforce Base Manston. The Team thanks greatly the CDA (www.channeldash.org) for the kind invitation and hospitality. The Channel Dash, (codenamed Operation “Cerberus” by the Germans), was a major naval engagement during World War II in which a German Kriegsmarine squadron consisting of both Scharnhorst class battleships, and heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen along with escorts, ran a British blockade and successfully sailed from Brest in Brittany to their home bases in Germany via the English Channel.* The Expedition Corps of the Global Offshore Sailing Team will leave – 70 years after Operation “Cerberus”– Brest on a 50ft sailing yacht on the historical footsteps of this spectacular operation. This historic research Expedition “CERBERUS” 2012 wants to be a platform for remembering and honoring all woman and men who fought on both sides with great bravery. The Daily Mail reported in 1942 “This is an episode of which Britons can be rightly proud. In planes which, against the German protecting aircraft, were as slow as a cart horse compared with a motorcar, 18 men of the Fleet Air Arm flew over the Channel. Crippled and ablaze before they got within range, they kept on, delivered their attacks – and died!” *www.wikipedia.de

GOST Expedition Cerberus

We also want to remember the man who inspired us so much bringing our goal of creating international understanding forward: Peter Nixon

Peter Nixon, Chairman of the Channel Dash Association once reflected about history and human mankind with the following words:

„ … working so hard to bring history back to everyone`s 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 Winner`s 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
Peter Nixon

The world lost in July 2018 an outstanding personality and many of us a dear friend. His ideas and inspiration will remain with us. Jochen Werne Co-Founder – GOST