Tall Ship Strikes and Damages Tall Ship

On Tuesday, the tall ship Royal Helena struck and damaged the tall ship Nao Victoria in the harbor at Oudeschild, the Netherlands. 

Witnesses told the Texeles Courant that the Bulgarian-flagged Royal Helena entered the harbor at speed, and video shows her on a steady heading closing in on the Victoria's port side. The damage from the impact appeared to be confined to a small section of the Victoria’s bulwarks.

The Nao Victoria is a replica of the Spanish carrack (or "nao") Victoria, one of five vessels in Ferdinand Magellan's fleet and the only one to complete his planned voyage around the world. She returned to Spain in rough shape and with only 18 crewmembers – a small fraction of the 250 men who set out on the expedition. She was later purchased by a merchant for commercial trade and was lost in 1570 while under way to Seville. The replica Nao Victoria was constructed in Spain in 1991, and she made her own voyage around the world from 2004-2006. She is presently on a tour of the UK and Europe. 

The Royal Helena is a Bulgarian-built barquentine commissioned in 2009. She is owned by a yacht brokerage agency, and she is employed in sailing education and in chartering.