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