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In the modernized and informationized Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, there is actually a three-masted sailing ship? According to Upstream News, the "Breaking Waves" ship made its public debut at the "Navy Cup" International Sailing Invitational Competition held recently, which attracted attention. What kind of ship is this? What special status and role does it have in the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy? Upstream News has learned about it based on public reports.

First appearance at a major international event

From July 19 to 25, the Dalian Naval Academy held the "Navy Cup" International Sailing Invitational Competition and International Student Week. On the afternoon of the 19th, a "city tour" was held in the Dalian Donggang area.

As one of the highlights of this invitational tournament, the city parade includes three parts: land march, sea march and performances along the way. The event aims to showcase the spirit of the navies of various countries.

At about 16:00 on the same day, the Chinese Navy's "Polang" ship with the hull number 86 first arrived at the waters near Gangdong Fifth Street, a well-known "check-in spot" in Dalian. Afterwards, the parade team consisting of a military band performance team, a contestant team and a student representative team gathered at the Donggang Love Wall Square. Among them, the contestant team included naval cadets from 10 countries including Brazil, Iran, Italy, and Russia, and cadets from 7 Chinese naval academies including the Dalian Naval Academy, the Naval University of Engineering, and the Naval Submarine Academy.

The "Breaking Waves" sail training ship. Ministry of National Defense website

After the assembly, the parade team marched along the coastal boardwalk all the way to Dolphin Square. The contestants and student representatives held national flags of various countries and waved to the citizens along the way. The crew of the "Breaking Waves" ship performed a mast-standing sailing demonstration to greet the contestants and citizens and "escort" the parade team.

It is reported that this is the first time that the ship has made a public appearance at a large-scale international event.

The three-masted sailing ship "Breaking Waves" is not simple

With the modernization and informatization of the Chinese People's Liberation Army's equipment, aircraft carriers,DestroyerThe majestic and simple appearance of equipment such as ships and frigates has become the mainstream of the navy, while a three-masted sailing ship with a complicated and "retro" style is also a member of the navy. This "contrasting cuteness" has also aroused the interest of the public.

It is understood that the "Polang" sailing training ship with the hull number 86 belongs to a training ship detachment of the Dalian Naval Academy. It is the first and only sailing training ship of the People's Navy. It is a three-masted full-rigged clipper sailboat, mainly driven by sail power. It is mainly used for naval academy students to train basic seamanship skills and traditional navigation skills such as climbing high masts, operating sails and cables, tying knots, astronomical navigation, etc. At the same time, it shoulders the functions of conducting foreign military exchanges and promoting the navy's unique culture.

Public information shows that the "Polang" sailing training ship is 85 meters long, 11 meters wide, with a standard displacement of more than 1,200 tons, a maximum sail area of ​​2,630 square meters, a maximum sail speed of about 18 knots, and can accommodate 50 naval cadets for internship.

"Polang" sail training ship. "Naval Aviation University" WeChat public account

It is reported that a sailing training ship refers to a service ship that uses sails to obtain power for naval academy students and sailors to conduct maritime internship training.

Historically, sailing was an important symbol of the development of human civilization. It was only with the emergence of steam power that the sailing warships that dominated the ocean gradually faded out of the historical stage, but sailing ships have not completely retired. Of course, most of these ships have been modernized and are no longer copies of the sailing ships of the past. At present, most sailing training ships use hybrid power, equipped with diesel engines and propellers to ensure that the ships can sail freely under special weather conditions or when entering and leaving the port. In order to facilitate ocean voyages, sailing training ships are generally equipped with modern long-distance navigation equipment, such asradar, navigation and radio communications and other electronic equipment.

There are many benefits to equipping a sail training ship

Although sails are no longer used in modern navies, sail training ships can still provide many different exercises from ordinary training. Sail training ships play an irreplaceable and important role in training ocean-going sailing skills, inheriting the navy's unique culture, and conducting foreign military exchanges.

It is conducive to improving the comprehensive quality of naval trainees. The sail training ship provides a good training platform and environment, allowing trainees to learn from the most primitive sailor work during sea voyages, and practice basic seamanship skills and traditional navigation skills such as how to observe astronomical phenomena, understand hydrology, climb masts, operate sails and cables, and tie knots.Information warfareIn the process of sailing, these skills will come in handy once the advanced navigation system and other equipment on the warship are destroyed by the enemy. In addition, by fighting the wind and waves and galloping on the ocean, you can exercise your body, temper your will, and cultivate the courage, bloodiness and fighting spirit of naval officers and soldiers. In addition, most actions on a sailboat, such as raising the sail, retracting the sail, and paddling, require many people to cooperate to complete. This habit and action of "being in the same boat" will naturally produce a collective cohesive effect, which helps to cultivate the team awareness and cooperation spirit of trainees and sailors.

It is conducive to inheriting the culture of the navy. A country and nation that is unfamiliar with the ocean can buy the best warships, but it cannot buy the ocean will and naval warfare theory. If China wants to go to the deep blue, it must cultivate its own naval culture and ocean culture, and the sail training ship can play its unique role. Standing on the sail training ship, it seems to travel through history, which will make people more deeply understand the significance of the navy. Using sail training ships for navigation training can achieve zero-distance contact with the sea, allowing trainees to directly experience marine meteorology, hydrology, tides, and ocean currents, deeply think about the factors affecting maritime military operations, deeply feel the marine culture, and forge the excellent character of naval officers and soldiers in the process of respecting the ocean and inheriting the unique culture of the navy.

Students tie the sail together. "Naval Aviation University" WeChat public account

Reduce the cost-effectiveness of training. The structure and equipment of sailing training ships are relatively simple, and the tonnage is small. Its displacement is mostly between 1,000 and 3,000 tons. It is generally designed and built according to civilian standards, with a short construction period and low cost. Sail training ships rely on wind power to sail on the sea, with low fuel consumption and mechanical loss, green and environmentally friendly, but with strong training capacity. The 2,000-ton sailing training ships of foreign navies can usually accommodate more than 100 people for training. It can be seen that sailing training ships can be called a cost-effective training platform for primary crew members.

Fully display the image of the navy. The sailing training ship shoulders the important functions of promoting the navy's unique culture and conducting foreign military exchanges. When sailing and berthing in domestic ports, it can serve as a mobile patriotism education platform to spread marine knowledge and culture, and play an important role in strengthening marine concepts and supporting national defense construction. In addition, the navy is an international military service, and it is a common practice in the international community to invite foreign soldiers to participate in navigation training or warships to visit other countries. In order to meet the needs of ocean voyages, sailing training ships are generally equipped with modern long-distance equipment, but not equipped with a large number of weapons and equipment. Compared with modern ships, the simple and elegant appearance of sailing training ships is more conducive to eliminating barriers between countries and achieving barrier-free communication. Therefore, naval personnel can more friendly show the navigation technology and comprehensive quality of the People's Navy to foreign countries by operating sailing training ships to visit foreign countries and participate in international competitions, and enhance exchanges and friendship.

What is it like to intern on the Breaking Waves?

So what is it like to intern on the three-masted sailing ship "Breaking Waves"? A post on the WeChat public account of "Naval Aviation University" may give you some ideas.

A post on the public account in 2023 said that the university's 2022 flight cadets "fought the waves and honed their skills" with the sail training ship, and "this wonderful time was recorded in the 'navigation log'."

"The classroom has moved from land to sea, and the roles have changed from students to crew members. From the moment they stepped onto the deck, they learned about the ocean and approached the deep blue through the repeated teachings of the crew instructors." The post introduced that climbing high masts, hoisting and lowering sails, and tying cable knots enabled the students to master traditional sailing skills while forging strong courage, bravery and confidence. "Stepping on ropes at high altitudes and using all their strength to tie sails not only tested the students' physical endurance and perseverance, but also cultivated their teamwork skills."

The "Breaking Waves" sailing training ship."Naval Aviation University" WeChat Official Account

"Drawing and calculating, using the most accurate information to escort the mission; giving precise commands, using the shortest commands to keep the work in order."

"The trainees made their own preparations and conducted sea and weather forecasts; they also held maritime situation consultations and shared mission experiences, further honing their skills in training practice."

"We hold a shift handover meeting at sea every night to assess the situation, formulate measures, and promote the safe and smooth development of teaching and training work."

"As the tide approached the end, the internship came to an end. Officers and soldiers gathered on the deck, and the ship's leaders awarded each trainee a certificate of completion."

The post said that from being unfamiliar to being familiar, from passive participation to active command, the flight trainees have further experienced the ocean at their posts. "Steel is forged in the wind and rain, swords are pointed at the deep blue in the waves, breaking through the waves, breaking through the waves. From here, they have added wings for long-distance voyages."

Upstream news is compiled from the People's Liberation Army Daily, China News Service, Dalian News, China Youth Daily, "Naval Aviation University" WeChat public account, etc.