Sailing ship (training)

A sail training ship is a square-rigged or fore-and-aft rigged vessel kept in service to teach seamanship, teamwork, and leadership under sail, most flying naval or maritime-academy ensigns. Crews handle yards and miles of running rigging aloft, which builds the discipline navies value even in a motor age. Working examples include the US Coast Guard barque Eagle (built 1936 as Horst Wessel), Germany’s Gorch Fock, Italy’s Amerigo Vespucci of 1931, and Norway’s Christian Radich. They race at events like the Tall Ships’ Races. Rigs range from full-rigged ship and barque to brigantine and schooner; many were laid down as cargo windjammers before conversion to training.