A GROUP of specially invited guests took the opportunity to visit the NAO Victoria, as it officially opened to the public this morning (Wednesday).
The Deputy Mayor of Eastbourne, Councillor Hugh Parker, along with the Mayor’s Deputy Consort, Councillor Teri Sayers-Cooper, were joined by the crew from the Eastbourne Lifeboat and were the first members of the public to visit the 500-year-old replica.
From 18–22 June, residents and visitors will have the rare opportunity to step aboard this extraordinary vessel, which is docked at Sovereign Harbour.
The original Nao Victoria famously completed the first-ever round-the-world journey in 1522, under the command of Spanish explorer Juan Sebastián Elcano. After three harrowing years at sea, traversing uncharted oceans and enduring extreme hardship, just 18 of the original 243-strong crew returned to Spain, etched forever in maritime history.
Today, the replica Nao Victoria stands as a floating museum, educational experience and ambassador of Spanish maritime history. Built in 1991 in Andalusia for Seville’s EXPO ’92, the ship was painstakingly constructed using traditional shipbuilding techniques. It later repeated the original voyage between 2004 and 2006, becoming the first replica to fully circumnavigate the globe, visiting 17 countries and covering nearly 27,000 nautical miles.
Since then, the ship has sailed across Europe and the Americas, sharing the incredible story of courage, exploration and endurance with more than 6 million visitors.
Tickets to board the Nao Victoria during its Eastbourne visit are priced at £8 for adults, £4 for children up to 14, or £20 for a family ticket.
Watch the video below of the arrival of the ship into Eastbourne yesterday (Tuesday).
.){kind=link}