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The rally of a lifetime 2021-2024

Grand large yachting world odyssey 500, discover the adventure of a lifetime around the world. 13 nationalities, 32 boats, 100 participants and more than 30000 nautical miles crossing 3 oceans and more than 20 destinations., the rally of a lifetime 2021-2024 grand large yachting 500, where in the world is our fleet check this location map for real time updates., the grand large yachting world odyssey 500 a 3-year round-the-world voyage..

A fleet of 32 boats holding more than 100 crew members from 13 Nationalities, and 2 dogs, have embarked on a three-year round-the world adventure this October. Organised by blue water sailing group.

Grand Large Yachting and famous sailor Jimmy Cornell – initiator of the event – the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500 commemorates the 500th anniversary of the first round-the-world voyage by Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastian Elcano between 1519 and 1522.

“Our mission as a company is to enable everyone, experienced sailor or not, to realise their dream of blue water sailing while respecting the oceans and providing them with security, serenity and support at every stage of the project. We are thrilled to be able to make this real by giving our sailors the opportunity to travel around the globe with the support of a group which provides not just a boat, but also the training and services to help ensure a safe and memorable experience.

What makes this really special is that, as part of the official events commemorating the 500th anniversary of the first circumnavigation, we are connecting like-minded people who will share together the experience of a lifetime. We cannot wait to embark on this fantastic journey with everyone involved,” says Xavier Desmarest, co-founder of Grand Large Yachting.

To allow sailors of different levels of experience to participate, famous sailor Jimmy Cornell and the Grand Large Yachting team have carefully designed the itinerary with

2 routes : A tropical route that follows the traditional trade/ easterly winds

through the Panama canal, and a southern route truer to the original

voyage via Patagonia. These two routes will meet in Tahiti, from where the whole fleet will sail together for the rest of the rally.

Rally route

Sustainable sailing

At Grand Large Yachting our mission as a company is to enable everyone, experienced sailor or not, to realize their dream of blue water sailing while respecting the oceans and while providing them with security, serenity and support at every stage of the project.  

Discover a few simple gestures to help reduce our impact on the environment while Blue Water Cruising.

Meet our crews

We asked the participants why they did the rally, how they describe their boat, and the object they always take with them on their trip.

Our navigators come from all horizons. Discover their profile here and follow their adventure!

great circle outremer 55

Crew :   Marijke and Mark 

“Sailing around the wolrd was a dream. The importance of the group and the support of Grand Large Yachting group made our decision easy to take.”

Describe its/their boat

Beautiful, efficient, comfortable

Lucky charm on board

SPLENDID C's Outremer 51

Crew :   Mie and Charles and Bosko ( the dog) 

“We always wanted to go around the world by boat. We enjoyed the Mediterranean sea by boat, and we wanted to see the rest of the world.”

Fast, comfortable, a great home

Our dog (Bosko)

SURYA outremer 5x

Crew :   Els, Joost, Annelies, Thomas and Nelson

“We read an article about the rally. Interesting by the eco-friendly and sustainability part of the event.”

eco-friendly, efficent, safe

 The logotype of the boat. The name of the boat means « god of the sun » 

PIEDRA LIBRE outremer 51

Crew :   Bertrand and Manu

“The supervision and the freedom provided by the rally at the same time.”

efficient, safe, beautiful

My good conscience

CACHALOT RM 1370

Crew : Andrea, Olmo and Neo

” Grand Large Yachting reputation.”

Gentle, Demanding, Sportive

Neo and a rock from places we’ve bee, traveling.

CHAPS allures 44

Crew : Marie-Laure and Arnault

” An old dream, and the fact that it is organized motivated us.”

Strong, reliable, family-friendly

An olive branch belonging to a deceased admiral friend.

grandma allures 45.9

Crew :   Serdar and Freddie

” I was sailing from la Grande Motte to Turquie and I thought this boat has to be sailed to the blue waters. In 2019, I heard about the rally, and I was the first candidate who send money to the company to participate to the rally.”

My boat is 42 foot, actually comparing to the other boat it’s small, but it is safe . His lifting kell has a huge advantage to go to shallow waters to ancher. 

A special stone from east of Turkey.

endless joy outremer 45

Crew :   Keri and Rob

” We like the comfort of the group, from a social perspective and a security perspective.”

Esthetics, fast, and comfortable

We don’t have personal thing, for us the thing is the journey.

inky blue outremer 51

Crew : Katharine, Kingsley and James

” See the beauty of the world. The opportunity to sail with our own boat.”

Safe, fast Comfortable

The flip flops

speekend outremer 51

Crew : Mirella and Mark

” Doing it together.”

Fast, comfortable, Safe

Family picture’s.

loly allures 45.9

Crew : Geneviève and Etienne 

” Make a childhood dream come true. We are retired and we have the opportunity to do so.  I love boating, and I love my husband.”

Safe, comfortable, and seaworthy

We are going to make a photo board with our 4 children and 7 grandchildren

manaca outremer 51

Crew : Vera and Jacques

” Slow travelling.”

Feminine, welcoming, reassuring

A small wooden crocodile.

fou de bassan allures 51.9

Crew : Véronique and Dominique

” Make a childhood dream come true.  Allow my husband to make his childhood dream come true.”

Superb, Elegant

A sailor’s knife that I already had on my self when I was a teenager.  Stones against seasickness.

nop nop Wauquiez Pilot Saloon 48

Crew : Jeanne and Lionel

” We always wanted to go around the world. The fact that it is organizing made our decision to participate.”

Beautiful, Comfortable

A pirate doll

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Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500

Related Articles

Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500

The grand large yachting world odyssey 500 is a round the world rally, commemorating the 500th anniversary of the first round the world voyage by ferdinand magellan and juan sebastian elcano..

To celebrate this special occasion,  Jimmy Cornell  and the  Grand Large Yachting  team invite you to join an exclusive rally, initially reserved for Outremer, Garcia, Allures and Gunboat owners but now open to a few boats outside of the group.

The itinerary, highlighting the global reach of this event, will include 2 routes:

• Tropical,  along the traditional trade wind route,
• Southern  via the Magellan Strait and Patagonia,

The two routes will merge in Tahiti from where the combined fleet will sail together for the remaining part of the rally.

A scientific and educational program specifically created for the event.

The GLYWO 500 is a round the world sailing event aimed at  highlighting the consequences of climate change  by calling at some of the most endangered island communities. This global sailing event will also endeavor to highlight the effects of climate change on the Arctic icecap, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Galapagos Islands, all of which lie on the GLYWO 500 route.

In line with the overall aim of the Odyssey,  participants will play an active role in projects  undertaken by the event by being involved in an  educational program , including contact with a school of origin and local schools along the way to keep them informed of the progress of the rally, and which will be visited upon arrival. Participants will also be invited to take part in  scientific data gathering  on behalf of international research institutions, and to contribute to  community projects in some of the endangered places  the GLYWO 500 will be visiting.

Click here to access the rally leaflet

>> Visit the rally website

MAP OF THE ROUTES AND STOPOVERS

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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Everything you need to know about sailing rallies and cruising in company

• Helen Fretter
• January 28, 2022

Entries for sailing rallies are booming like never before – we discover the allure of cruising in company. Plus our essential listing of organised rallies to take you anywhere in the world

There is a pent up enthusiasm for experiences right now. After nearly two years of limitations, many of us are hankering for wider horizons, to escape the Zoom meetings, look beyond the box-set, and sense freedom once again. But international travel is still not straightforward: entry regulations and health checks vary frequently, and simply keeping on top of the ever-changing rules is time-consuming and stressful.

So it’s no surprise that organised rallies are seeing a resurgence. Already the default option for many cruising sailors planning to take on a first transocean passage , many rallies are gathering bumper entries for 2022 and beyond after cruisers postponed their 2020/21 plans.

But there are also growing numbers of sailors prompted by the pandemic to make the leap to long-term cruising, and for whom the safety net of an organiser on call, who’ll keep on top of the health protocols and even catch your lines on arrival, was the deciding factor.

Jeremy Wyatt of the World Cruising Club, organisers of the ARC transatlantic rally among other events, is seeing a trend: “We are definitely getting some interest from sailors because of the extra administration that Covid is causing them as a cruiser.

“But I would also say there’s been a definite mindset of people reviewing their lives, looking at what their priorities are and saying ‘No, we need to go and do what we talked about doing’. So in terms of numbers of enquiries and how it’s looking for next year, it’s really gone crazy.”

Wyatt has noticed that an increasing proportion of enquiries come from the younger families. “The 40-something families are the ones deciding, ‘Let’s go and do it. Why are we sitting in the rat race?’”

With up to four or five years from first enquiry to first rally entry for many ARC crews, Wyatt is expecting participation numbers to stay high for years to come.

Allie Smith, head of group events at Oyster Yachts and organiser of the Oyster World Rally , has noticed similar: “We’ve got experienced owners that are on maybe their third or fourth Oyster that have taken the plunge. And we’ve got people that wanted to seize the day, and just said: ‘This is what I want to do. I’m going to buy an Oyster – whether new or brokerage – to just do it.’

“The vast majority of [owners] now confirmed as taking part are the type that will think, ‘Right, we’re just going to go for it.’ We know things may not be as we would like them to be in certain places. We have to do a bit of compromising, but they’re all quite gung-ho that they’re going, which is fantastic.”

The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers is among the world’s most popular sailing rally events. Photo: James Mitchell

Where it all began

A rally can be anything from a loose group of friends who choose to sail in approximately the same direction at the same time, to a commercially run, strictly organised series of stopovers with a full maintenance, service and social programme, and range from free to join, to tens of thousands of pounds.

Over the past decade several small rallies have been absorbed by the larger, more professionally-run events, while others in less popular seas have been cancelled. However, social media now enables sailors to connect, share information, and liaise to cruise in company in a more informal set up.

Jimmy Cornell is widely regarded as having created the first organised cruising rally when he formed the World Cruising Club to run the inaugural Atlantic Rally for Cruisers in 1986. “The ARC was certainly the first properly organised transocean sailing event,” Cornell explains.

Enduring concept

“I happened to be in Las Palmas on Gran Canaria in November 1985 and a group of French cruising boats had been brought together by a Frenchman, Guy Plantier, for an Atlantic crossing named Le Transat des Alisées. People arrived when they felt like it, and it all looked like the proverbial attempt at herding cats.

But I could see the potential of organising a proper sailing event with its own structure, rules and regulations, and an absolute stress on safety. That format was applied the following year, when 209 boats took the start of the first ARC,” Cornell recalls.

Yachts preparing for the start of the ARC. Photo: James Mitchell

“Before the start all boats had been inspected for their seaworthiness and all essential safety equipment was checked. That structure, which I’d laid down in those early days, has been followed to this very day in the ARC, and has been adopted by countless other rallies.

“I spoke to Dick Johnson [Yachting World editor of the time]. He embraced the idea wholeheartedly and the ARC has been closely associated with the magazine ever since.

“I am convinced that the rally concept will continue to attract participants for the same reasons, especially the safety aspect in today’s uncertain world, as it is even more important to be part of an event where the organisers are in a position to liaise with the hosting authorities.”

Full circle sailing rallies

Grand large yachting world odyssey.

Start: Cherbourg and La Grande-Motte, France; Seville, Spain; Key West, USA.

Route: This three-year epic has two routes, including one through the Panama Canal , an option of going around Cape Horn , and several start options from France and Key West from autumn 2021-January 2022. The two routes, one along the tropical tradewind route, and one around Patagonia, will come together in Tahiti.

About: Created to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the globe by Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastian Elcano, it was originally only open to Grand Large Yachting models but later opened to a limited number of other yachts. The first edition has 32 participants, the second is planned to start in 2025.

Cost: c.€40,000

Info: gly-world-odyssey.com

Oyster World Rally

Start: Antigua, January 2022.

Route: Headed west through the Panama Canal, across the Pacific, past Vanuatu and north Australia, Cape Town, up the coast of Brazil and back to Antigua: a 27,000-mile circumnavigation.

About: Fully booked for 2022. The fleet is made up of a wide range of Oyster models, ranging from 56ft-70ft plus. Registration for 2024/25 is now open, with a waiting list already filling up. Prestart seminars and training included, while Oyster service team will assist with repairs, sourcing parts etc at stopover ports.

Cost: From £40,000-£70,000 according to length of boat.

Info: oysteryachts.com

Start: Saint Lucia and Australia, 2023.

Route: A 26,000-mile tradewind circumnavigation, which starts from St Lucia, through the Panama Canal and across the Pacific to Australia. Crews can opt to end their voyage, or rejoin after some time out, in Australia. The return leg from Australia visits Cocos Keeling, Mauritius, Reunion, South Africa, Namibia, St Helena, then on to Salvador, Brazil. It finishes with a cruise of the Windward Isles to return to St Lucia.

About: The World Cruising Club has postponed the scheduled 2022 World ARC, with the next start not before January 2023. “Responsible sailors would rightly be hesitant to leave port with an extended unfavourable forecast, and as it stands there is no clear path on exactly how the borders will be opened to whom, under what conditions and over what time frame,” the organisers explained.

Cost: £21,000 per 45ft yacht, £2,500 per adult.

Info: worldcruising.com/world_arc

Rallies offer youngsters on family boats a chance to befriend other cruising kids at stopovers – here before the GLY World Odyssey. Photo: Grand Large Yachting

Transatlantic sailing rallies

Start: Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, November.

Route: Canaries to St Lucia.

About: The original transatlantic rally, run by the World Cruising Club. Justly renowned for its thorough safety checks, pre-start briefings and seminars, and detailed organisation, the ARC is now in its 36th year. Thousands of sailors have begun their bluewater cruising adventure after being guided through the process by the WCC’s famous yellow shirted staff. The ARC includes a racing division with logged engine hours and a handicap applied, while the bulk of the fleet cruise across the Atlantic at leisure.

Cost: £1,500 per 45ft yacht, £150 per adult.

Info: worldcruising.com/arc

Route: Canaries to Grenada, via the Cape Verdes.

About: Originally launched in response to the ever growing popularity of the ARC, this more southerly route with an additional stopover attracts many family crews, setting off a week before the ARC. New for this year is a finish in Grenada, placing crews within easy reach of one of the world’s best cruising grounds around the Grenadines. More than 70 boats set off this year.

Cost: £1,800 per 45ft yacht, £225 per adult.

Info: worldcruising.com/arc_plus

Rallye des Iles du Soleil

Route: La Palma, Canaries to Cape Verde, finishing in Marie-Galante, Guadaloupe.

About: A French-run transatlantic rally open to boats over 10m LOA with a minimum of two crew.

Info: en.rallye-ilesdusoleil.com

Catamarans are increasingly popular for ARC participants. Photo: James Mitchell

ARC January

Start: Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, January.

Route: To Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia.

About: New for 2022 is a January option to cross the Atlantic, intended to give crews more flexibility around Christmas/New Year, as well as to pick up on the more stable tradewinds later in the winter.

Cost: £1,400 per 45ft yacht, £150 per adult.

Info: worldcruising.com/arc_january/event.aspx

Viking Explorers Rally

Start: Gran Canaria, January 2022.

Route: Canaries to Grenada with an option to stop in Cape Verdes.

About: This rally is limited to 25 boats to create a smaller, more intimate fleet, which means participants can expect to get to know their fellow sailors well. Vaccinations are required.

Cost: €55 per metre.

Info: vikingexplorersrally.com

Start: BVI or Chesapeake, May 2022.

Route: Eastbound from the BVIs or Chesapeake Bay, USA, to Bermuda, then to Azores, finishing in Lagos, Portugal.

About: The WCC’s eastbound Atlantic crossing with teams at every stop to help you plan, repair or socialise. A great way to return home or start a European adventure, with the reassurance of weather briefings and radio safety nets along this often challenging west-to-east route.

Cost: £1,000 per 45ft yacht, £425 per adult.

Info: worldcruising.com/arc_europe

The crew of Strummer celebrate their crossing with the Viking Explorers Rally. Photo:

Sailing rallies in the Americas

Brally amazon.

Start: Amazon Delta, October.

Route: Around the Amazon Delta and then up the Amazon River itself.

About: Runs over 20 days covering 500 miles into the Amazon River. Starts at Marajó Island, the largest marine river island in the world, at the mouth of the Amazon and navigates river channels upriver to tropical Alter do Chão. First run in 2021 but more are planned.

Cost: $2,500, discounts for early sign up

Info: brallyamazon.com/en-us/

Start: Newport, Rhode Island, October.

Route: USA to Caribbean.

About: The NARC Rally began in 2000 as an informal group of skippers delivering Swan yachts from Newport, Rhode Island, to French St Maarten in the Caribbean before developing into an organised rally. For 2021 it has reverted to a looser format, with boats invited to join the fleet sailing to St Maarten via a planned stop in Bemuda, but organisers have made it clear they are not responsible if countries close due to Covid restrictions.

Cost: Free to join, but a $100 fee per person for socials.

Info: sailopo.com

Cruising in company up the Amazon River with the Brally Amazon.

Panama Posse

Start: California, USA, November.

Route: Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Jamaica, Roatan Bay of Islands, Rio Dulce, Belize, Yucatan peninsula, Cuba and Key West.

About: The Panama Posse claims to be the biggest rally in the world, with 300 boats expected for the sixth edition. It has no set schedule or route, boats join from many different locations and it runs both east-west and west-east. The fleet usually grows as it travels down the west coast from California but most join from Mexico before heading through the Panama Canal. Entry includes a Panama Canal agent. Time frame is determined by the start and finish of the hurricane season. Boats range in size from 30-footers upwards, with the average age of a participants 45-65 and plenty of families taking part.

Participants choose their own route, stopping in discounted marinas or verified anchorages, liaising via chat groups and radio nets. There is a strong emphasis on exploration and the environment. Organisers do not insist on vaccination for participants but strongly encourage it. Many locations on the route have mandatory vaccination policies or are high risk for Covid.

Cost: $200.

Info: panamaposse.com

Salty Dawg Caribbean Rally

Start: Hampton, Virginia USA, November.

Route: Chesapeake to Antigua, or the Abacos in the Bahamas.

About: Claims to be the largest rally leaving the US East Coast each autumn. Caters to a slightly older crowd but with plenty of families also taking part.

Cost: $300.

Info: saltydawgsailing.org/caribbean-rally

The Baja Ha-Ha

Start: San Diego, November.

Route: San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, California.

About: A 750-mile rally down the western coast of California with stops, delivering yachts to the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula. The Ha-Ha was cancelled last year but it’s back for its 27th running in 2021 (organisers say over 10,000 sailors have cruised with the Ha-Ha over the years). Crews are a mixed age range, with a family vibe and many retirees.

Cost: $495 per boat.

Info: baja-haha.com

Preparing provisions for an Atlantic crossing. Photo: James Mitchell

ARC Caribbean 1500

Start: Chesapeake Bay, November.

Route: Chesapeake to Tortola, BVIs.

About: North America’s longest running sailing rally. The rally is open to yachts 35ft upwards, and is designed to offer a safe passage from the US east coast to the Caribbean between late summer hurricane season and before early winter gales begin. Plenty of ARC weather forecasting support.

Cost: $800 plus crew fee of $125 per person.

Info: worldcruising.com/Carib1500

Salty Dawg East Coast Rally

Start: US Virgin Islands, May.

Route: Virginia, USA.

About: Official destination is Hampton, Virginia, but boats sail directly to various ports on the US east coast and Canada. Usually attracts 25-35 boats. Similar focus on fun and friends as with other Salty Dawg rallies.

Info: saltydawgsailing.org/east-coast-rally

Salty Dwg Delmarva Rally

Start: Hampton, Virginia, June.

Route: Counter-clockwise around the DelMarVa Peninsula (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia).

About: A good starting point for cruisers keen to experience overnight sailing without being far from shore, this covers some 450 miles with shoreside support.

Info: saltydawgsailing.org/delmarva-rally

Salty Dawg Bermuda Rally

Start: Chesapeake, June.

Route: Virginia, USA to Bermuda.

About: Pre-rally preparations, seminars, and socials events normally take four days to complete before the fleet heads offshore into the Atlantic, for the 650-mile passage to St George’s, Bermuda.

Cost: TBC for 2022.

Info: saltydawgsailing.org/bermuda-rally

Today’s rallies pride themselves on being true sailing communities

Salty Dawg Downeast Rally

Start: Chesapeake, July.

Route: Chesapeake to Newport to Maine.

About: Another Salty Dawg rally aimed at building experience on longer passages. Timed to avoid the worst of Maine fog.

Cost: $150.

Info: saltydawgsailing.org/downeast-rally

Salty Dawg Maritime Rally

Start: Maine and Massachusetts, July.

Route: Maine or Massachusetts to Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island.

About: Cancelled for 2021, next event should take place in 2022 if travel restrictions allow. Offers incredible scenery and the chance to sail on Bras d’Or Lake. Some skippers sail on to Newfoundland.

Cost: $125.

Info: saltydawgsailing.org/maritime-rally

Start: Puget Sound, August 2022.

Route: Seattle to San Diego.

About: A small fleet rally, which ties in nicely with the Baja Ha-Ha on the west coast of the States. Organisers describe it as ‘a sail down the world’s longest lee shore’, with seminars and online resources offered.

Cost: $695.

Info: cohohoho.com

Vancouver Rally

Start: Vancouver, September 2022. Route: A week-long cruise around the Gulf Islands, Vancouver, Canada.

About: Jointly run by the Royal Vancouver YC and British Royal Thames YC, this explores a beautiful area of wildlife and almost untouched landscapes.

Cost: Free to RTYC members.

Info: royalthames.com/Sailing/Cruising-Events/Vancouver_Rally

Beyond the Barrier Rally at Flinders Reef, Queensland in Australia

Tropics & Asia rallies

Savaadheeththa dhathuru maldives yacht rally.

Start: Haa Alif Atoll, February 2022.

Route: Around the Maldives, ending at Baa Atoll.

About: A new 20-day cruise of the Maldives, exploring 15 different islands. The rally looks to highlight the Maldives’ history and its well preserved natural habitats.

Cost: $1,000-$1,500.

Info: maldivesyachtrally.com

Sail Malaysia Passage to the East Yacht Rally

Start: Langkawi, Malaysia, March 2022.

Route: Around Malaysia, with stops in Indonesia and Bruni. Ends in Tawau.

About: Until recently much of south-east Asia has been closed to travel but the team at Sail Malaysia are confident this year’s rally will go ahead. The route coincides with several local festivals.

Cost: £350.

Info: sailmalaysia.life

Setouchi International Yacht rally

Start: Setouchi, Japan, May 2022.

Route: Around the Seto inland sea.

About: Created by two Japanese sailors who’d enjoyed rallying abroad and hope to bring the concept back home. This small rally (around 10 yachts) has been cancelled for two years but offers sailors an opportunity to experience guided tours and traditional Japanese tea ceremonies.

Cost: £130 per boat and £230 per person.

Info: cruisingjapan.org/wp1

Safety gear checks before a rally start. Photo: James Mitchell

Sail 2 Indonesia Yacht Rally

Start: Australia/New Zealand, date TBC.

About: This annual event takes yachts from Australia and New Zealand to Indonesia, but was paused due to the pandemic. The next edition has no firm start date, but organisers are accepting expressions of interest and hope to have more news in early 2022.

Info: sail2indonesia.com

Pacific sailing rallies

Van diemen’s  land circumnavigation cruise.

Start: Hobart, Australia, February 2022.

Route: Around Tasmania.

About: Organised by the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania this is a challenging 800-mile cruise around the island. Gaining in popularity, and with the Antipodes beginning to open up after lockdown, this could be a sell-out event. Fleet is limited to just 45 yachts (minimum 9m LOA). Run every two years.

Cost: AUS$575.

Info: ryct.org.au/vdl-c-cruise-2022

OZ to NZ Rally

Start: Queensland, Australia, February 2022.

Route: Gold Coast or Coffs Harbour to Opua, New Zealand.

About: A new rally for 2022 planned by Down Under Rallies in conjunction with Island Cruising New Zealand. The 1,200-mile leg may stop over at Lord Howe Island, subject to weather. Subject to travel restrictions, or as organisers put it, plans are ‘written in the sand at low tide’. Other events scheduled for 2022 include Go East, from Queensland to New Caledonia; New Caledonia to Vanuatu; the return from Fiji/Vanuatu back to New Caledonia; a new Mystery Island Rally, and the Go West rally, from the south west Pacific to Bundaberg, Australia.

Cost: From AUS$595.

Info: downunderrally.com

Pacific Puddle Jump

Start: US west coast, March 2022.

Route: Various start points, across the Pacific to French Polynesia.

About: Despite French Polynesia still being closed to travel the Pacific Puddle Jump has received special dispensation to hold its informal rally again for 2022, having run for 25-plus years previously. Puddle Jump crews set sail independently, sharing information on weather routing and island destinations via radio nets and online. Yachts arrive in French Polynesia from April to June, meeting in the islands.

Cost: $75 to join.

Info: pacificpuddlejump.com

Beyond the Barrier Rally

Start: Queensland, Australia, June 2022.

Route: A voyage beyond the Barrier Reef into the Coral Sea Marine Park.

About: Created during lockdown to give Australian yacht owners an offshore cruising adventure during Covid, with 36 yachts exploring reefs, islets and cays of the Coral Sea Marine Park. Anchorages are 200-400 miles offshore and the fleet is at sea for 18-21 days.

Cost: AUD$2,480.

South Island Rally

Start: North Island, New Zealand, December 2022

Route: A cruise between New Zealand’s North and South islands, returning in March.

About: Island Cruising New Zealand has six rallies planned for 2022, in the hope that border restrictions will be relaxed sufficiently to allow a Pacific circuit. Besides the South Island rally and Oz to NZ (see left), there are also plans to run rallies to New Caledonia, Fiji and French Polynesia. The circuit finishes with a Pacific to New Zealand rally in October, with international cruisers welcome to sail the return leg to New Zealand (entry restrictions permitting).

Cost: NZL$60o (South Island Rally).

Info: islandcruising.nz

Swedish islands Hallberg-Rassy Rally

Sailing rallies in Europe

Hallberg-rassy rally.

Start: Ellös, Sweden, June 2022.

Route: A loop around Swedish islands.

About: Starts and finishes at Hallberg-Rassy HQ, and usually attracts around 40 boats from 24ft upwards. A short weekend rally that is a fun starting point for people new to cruising in company. The rally has no time keeper but every boat taking part wins a prize, for categories such as friendliest crew to oldest boat.

Cost: £65 per boat and £60 per person.

Info: hallberg-rassy.com/news/rally-2022

ARC Portugal

Start: Plymouth, UK, June 2022.

Route: Crossing the Bay of Biscay from Plymouth to Bayona, then sailing the coast of Portugal to Marina de Lagos.

About: A 550-mile Biscay crossing followed by three weeks of day/overnight cruising in company, with onshore excursions and socials.

Cost: £850 per 45ft yacht, £525 per adult.

Info: worldcruising.com/arc_portugal

Start: Rostock, Germany, July 2022.

Route: Includes Gotland, Tallinn, St Petersburg, Helsinki, Mariehamn and the Swedish archipelago.

About: A six-week, 1,800-mile cruise around Europe’s historic eastern seas and cities. Some overnight sailing and challenging navigation to be expected, fleet numbers are kept small.

Cost: £1,980 per 45ft yacht, £975 per adult.

Info: worldcruising.com/arc_baltic

First run in 1964, the Aegean Rally is for both leisure cruisers and those wishing to race. Photo: HORC/Nikos Alevromytis

Aegean Rally

Start: Piraeus (Athens), July 2022.

Route: To be confirmed.

About: The longest running rally in our guide, first run in 1964. The Aegean Rally route varies each year but takes in many of the most beautiful cruising waters in the Aegean and allows you to see some of the lesser known areas of Greece. Typical route is 350-500 miles long, and there’s a racing option.

Cost: Joining fee €60.

Info: aegeanrally.gr

Dodecanese Rally

Start: Kos, Greece, September 2022.

Route: From Kos, around the Dodecanese Islands.

About: A two-week rally exploring Leros, Patmos, Symi, and many of the area’s lesser known anchorages and ports, with an optional crossing to Turkey. One- and two-week itineraries.

Info: royalthames.com/Sailing/Cruising-Events/Dodecanese_Rally

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Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey - A human adventure around the world!

Endless Joy

Great Circle

Article published on 26/01/2024

By Julie Echelle

published in n°194 mar. / apr.

Created on the initiative of Jimmy Cornell, the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey (GLYWO) celebrates the circumnavigation of the globe undertaken by Ferdinand de Magellan and Juan Sebastián Elcano between 1519 and 1522. For 3 years, between 2021 and 2024, 32 boats from the Grand Large Group (including Outremer for the multihulls) are taking part in a round-the-world rally. On the occasion of the Australian leg last June, five Outremer catamaran crews told us all about this nautical and, above all, human adventure.

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Who: Rob and Hanneke (Ningyo), Rob and Kery (Endless Joy), Mark and Marijke (Great Circle), Kinglsey and Kathe-rine (Inky Blue), Richard and Anne (2 Canoes) Where: Round the world rally Multihulls: Outremer 45, 51 and 55 Site:   gly-world-odyssey.com

So why embark on such an adventure? “The GLYWO is really the champions league of long-distance cruising”, say Rob and Hanneke from Ningyo. “At the start, a 3-year rally seemed like a very long time”. For Rob and Kery from Endless Joy, “Choosing the rally was also a way of convincing and reassuring Kery. The presence of the organization made us feel more secure”. Two crews have also chosen to take one or more crew members on board to make their daily life on board easier, like Kinglsey and Katherine from Inky Blue and Mark and Marijke from Great Circle: «We always take at least one crew member on board because Marijke doesn’t sleep well at sea. As captain, she carries a lot of responsibility and it’s important that she can count on the crew so that she can get some rest.” The intensive experience of a rally allows you to quickly build up your navigational and organizational skills. “When we set off, to be honest, we hardly knew how to do anything,” admit Rob and Kery. At the start, we were all pretty stressed about the crossings, but not at all today. “We do less and less preparation: it’s al-most become automatic, which is a good sign,” adds the crew of Great Circle. On Endless Joy, “We just revictual and set off. The briefings are getting shorter and shorter as we become more confident. We have fewer questions than during the first ones. We’ve made so much progress in the way we sail thanks to the GLYWO. We’re so proud!” The rally is also an opportunity to discover destinations that you wouldn’t necessarily have considered on your own. “In Vanuatu, Luc (in charge of social activities for GLYWO) did an incredible job,” recall Kingsley and Katherine “We felt like we were really interacting with the different villages, right up to the highlight of the trip: the famous Nanggol or Land Diving. We would never have been able to see all that and experi-ence all those moments otherwise: we would have missed it completely.” “Colombia was a wonderful surprise on this trip. We hadn’t planned to stop there, but we absolutely must make this stopover compulsory”, enthuse Richard and Anne from 2 Canoes. “The Galapagos, on the other hand, is a much less welcoming place, unless you’re a diver. It’s very strict and not necessarily very friendly at first. Fiji is also very nice: it’s better to head for the lagoon rather than the west coast. Sometimes, however, the rally can be a hindrance: in New Caledonia for example, it’s better to go to the Ile du Levant alone than as part of a fleet. You have to be aware of that and organize yourselves.” “The pace is still pretty intense, and there are a lot of places where we would have liked to have stayed longer,” admits the crew of Ningyo. “We loved Cartagena in Colombia, for example, which was a nice surprise. The San Blas are also magnificent.” “Colombia was great, as were the Society Islands and the Marquesas Islands,» adds the crew of Endless Joy. “We were less taken with Tuamotus, although they’re a great place for diving.” But the GLYWO is above all a human adventure, bringing together 100 crew members of 13 different nationalities. “At the start, of course, it wasn’t so easy to bond,” say Kinglsey and Katherine. “There was the language barrier. Then there were the monos on one side and the multis on the other... and in the end, as the miles went by, things just happened naturally.” Rob, from Ningyo, praises the solidarity and mutual support between the participants, which is proving to be a source of motivation: “I had a serious heart problem in French Polynesia and had to return to Europe for treatment. At that point, we fell behind schedule, and we had to catch up with the fleet in New Zealand. Since then, I’ve been enjoying everything we’re experiencing together even more intensely.” This group solidarity also comes into its own when one of the participants encounters a problem on board. “We had a collision in Aruba with a 67-tonne vessel,” recall Mark and Marijke. “It was obviously very fright-ening and we really thought we would have to stop there. But the fleet rallied round to help us. Jimbo, for example, Inky Blue’s crewman, came immediately to take stock of the situation. The support from the or-ganization was also incredible, and we were finally able to set off again and rejoin the fleet.” Inky Blue and her crew also had a misadventure that made them fully appreciate the spirit of camaraderie that defines the rally: “When we hit a coral reef in Polynesia, Saga immediately came to secure the boat for us. And Great Circle accompanied us all the way to Tahiti for the repairs. This rally is an adventure, but it’s one in which we’re not alone.” Rob and Kery have also created links with other crews thanks to a new feature installed on Endless Joy. They were among the first to fit Starlink to their catamaran and now believe that this technology will soon re-place all others, particularly Iridium. “Since we installed Starlink, we’ve been very popular at anchor. Ningyo in particular likes to get right behind us!” The crew of 2 Canoes also praises the friendships made during the adventure, adding that “The periods of free sailing also allow us to meet other crews, who aren’t taking part in the rally. It was important for us to keep this measure of freedom, because it’s also what we came here to find with this trip. The balance is perfect for us.” Although they still have a few months to enjoy their adventure, the participants are already thinking about what comes after. While Ningyo and her crew will continue to sail, this time probably favoring shorter trips in the Atlantic, others are not about to leave the rally lifestyle behind. «We’re enjoying it so much that we’re thinking of doing the new North Atlantic Rally proposed by Grand Large, which will set off at the end of 2024,» enthuse Mark and Marijke. For their part, Kinglsey and Katherine will be bidding farewell to Inky Blue, their Outremer 51, to think bigger: «We’re waiting for our next Outremer (a 55 this time) and after this rally, we’d love to continue on to the next one in the North Atlantic. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll be ready in time!”

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Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500

Organised by blue water sailing group Grand Large Yachting and famous sailor Jimmy Cornell – sponsor and initiator of the event – a fleet of 30 boats from 13 nationalities set out to complete a three year round-the-world rally that commemorates the 500 th anniversary of the first-ever global voyage by Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastian Elcano.

One by one, the boats trickled into Carlisle Bay in December after the official departure from Tenerife on 20 November – an almost 3000 mile-voyage – with most of the crews making the Atlantic crossing for the first time. The boats docked into the shallow draft in the Bridgetown port to complete formalities with customs, immigration and health before heading back out in Carlisle Bay to stay at anchor.

Thanks to the organisation of the Grand Large Yachting team and Barbados’ local authorities, the crews received a truly Caribbean welcome: A fruit basket and a bottle of rum, courtesy of Mount Gay Distilleries, as well as a welcome pack offered by Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc (BTMI).

During their stay the crews would go ashore and use the facilities of the Barbados Yacht Club, who kindly offered them one-week’s free membership subscription. Trips included visiting the only in-tact sugar mill in Barbados, as well as the Caribbean’s oldest rum distillery at Mount Gay in Lucy.

Between rum, hiking and experiencing the vibrant Bajan culture, crews enjoyed snorkelling on one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful coasts.

Victor Taburiaux, Grand Large Yachting event manager, said, “the Barbados local authorities really went over and above to welcome us all, and I am particularly grateful for marine engineers Steve and Andy Porter, who helped me prepare for the arrival of the fleet in close relation with the help and support of the BTMI and Barbados Port Inc authorities, with a special call-out to Barbados Port Director Mr. Ian Steward, and Stewart and Collin Williams from BTMI.

Obviously Covid has added a challenging element to logistics, and it was amazing to have the team of officers and nurses who made the arrival process very smooth for all the boats, as well as Bayview Laboratories who provided the PCR tests upon arrival.”

Audrey Mie Skinner, who is sailing on Splendid C’s, an Outremer 51, along with her husband Charles said, “after pounding across 2,900 miles, we were so happy to be met by Victor and rum. Many thanks to Victor and Grand Large Yachting for facilitating our entry to Barbados. The Splendid Cs are lucky to have a great Outremer boat and a great crew, as is probably the case for the rest of the fleet”.

All the participating crews are sailing on boats from the Grand Large Yachting group, including Allures, Garcia, RM, Gunboat and Outremer, going from 40ft (with the Allures 40,9 being the smallest boat of the fleet) up to 62ft (Gunboat 62 representing the biggest boat of the fleet).

As this is being written the boats have set off from le Marin, Martinique and heading for Panama, with most sailing south and stopping at more idyllic Caribbean islands including Bonaire, Aruba, Curacao, Santa Marta, Cartagena Colombia and the San Blas Islands before gathering in Shelter Bay on the 23rd of February. With two boats joining the group there, the fleet will then make their next journey through the Panama Canal.

To allow sailors of different levels of experience to participate, Jimmy and the Grand Large Yachting team have carefully designed the itinerary with 2 routes: A tropical route that follows the traditional trade/ easterly winds through the Panama Canal, and a southern route truer to the original voyage via Patagonia. These two routes will meet in Tahiti, from where the whole fleet will sail together for the rest of the rally.

True to Grand Large Yachting’s ethos, the duration of the trip over 3 years will allow for a leisurely pace conducive to discovering the sites and local cultures during     multiple stop-overs in some of the world’s most beautiful places.

Follow the rally on the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500 website , Instagram and Facebook page

Great Circle has also made a great video of their stay in Barbados, which you can see here

Initiated by the famous sailor Jimmy Cornell, the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500 is an exclusive rally, reserved primarily for owners of Grand Large Yachting brands, including Outremer, Garcia, Allures, RM and Gunboat yachts. Scheduled between September 2021 and April 2024, this event has been recognised by the Spanish Quincentenary Commission as an official event to celebrate the anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the globe by Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastian Elcano between 1519 and 1522.

It is this landmark anniversary that inspired Grand Large Yachting to organise its first ever event, and give blue water sailing enthusiasts the opportunity to stand on the shoulders of giants and make their own history by following the legendary explorers’ expedition. The project has attracted participants from all over the world, including Canada, the USA, Brazil and Australia as well as several European countries.

“ Our mission as a company is to enable everyone, experienced sailor or not, to realise their dream of blue water sailing while respecting the oceans and providing them with security, serenity and support at every stage of the project. We are thrilled to be able to make this real by giving our sailors the opportunity to travel around the globe with the support of a group which provides not just a boat, but also the training and services to help ensure a safe and memorable experience.

What makes this really special is that, as part of the official events commemorating the 500th anniversary of the first circumnavigation, we are connecting like-minded people who will share together the experience of a lifetime. We cannot wait to embark on this fantastic journey with everyone involved, ” says Xavier Demarest, co-founder of Grand Large Yachting.

Useful Information

• The event is part of the official events commemorating the 500th anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the world, one of the greatest exploratory feats of all time
• Each boat is equipped with a tracking system and you will be able to follow their individual journeys on the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey dedicated website
• All along the rally the Grand Large Yachting teams will provide full support to the fleet. At each stopover there will be team members to support on logistics and technical issues

About Grand Large Yachting

Founded in 2003, Grand Large Yachting Group comprises five shipyards – Outremer, Allures, Garcia, RM and Gunboat – and two service companies. The group is the international leader in the blue water sailing market, and is notably recognized for its production of reliable and seaworthy catamarans and monohulls.

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The Living Barbados editorial team brings you the latest for living and vacationing in Barbados. From decor and design, properties for sale & rent to events, fashion and things to do - you'll be inspired to celebrate island life!

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Grand Large Yachting, leader de la construction de voiliers de grande croisière

« notre mission est de permettre à chacun, marin chevronné ou non, de réaliser son rêve de petit ou grand voyage à la voile, dans le respect des océans, en lui apportant sécurité, sérénité et accompagnement à chaque étape du projet ».

Voiliers pour petits et grands voyages

Grand Large Yachting propose une offre élargie de cinq gammes de bateaux de grande croisière, tous fabriqués en France.

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Grand Large Yachting accompagne les propriétaires tout au long de leur projet, en leur offrant une gamme de services adaptée à leur programme de navigation.

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Fleet sets off for 3 year round-the-world voyage

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Pre-start of the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey

The round the world rally of a lifetime

Join us, starting september 2021.

The Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500 is a round the world rally, commemorating the 500th anniversary of the first round the world voyage by Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastian Elcano.

To celebrate this special occasion, Jimmy Cornell and the Grand Large Yachting team invite you to join an exclusive rally, initially reserved for Outremer, Garcia, Allures and Gunboat owners but now open to a few boats outside of the group.

The itinerary, highlighting the global reach of this event, will include 2 routes:

• Tropical, along the traditional trade wind route,
• Southern via the Magellan Strait and Patagonia,

The two routes will merge in Tahiti from where the combined fleet will sail together for the remaining part of the rally.

A scientific and educational program specifically created for the event.

The GLYWO 500 is a round the world sailing event aimed at highlighting the consequences of climate change by calling at some of the most endangered island communities. This global sailing event will also endeavor to highlight the effects of climate change on the Arctic icecap, the Great Barrier Reef, and the Galapagos Islands, all of which lie on the GLYWO 500 route.

In line with the overall aim of the Odyssey, participants will play an active role in projects undertaken by the event by being involved in an educational program, including contact with a school of origin and local schools along the way to keep them informed of the progress of the rally, and which will be visited upon arrival. Participants will also be invited to take part in scientific data gathering on behalf of international research institutions, and to contribute to community projects in some of the endangered places the GLYWO 500 will be visiting.

Learn more on the dedicated website gly-world-odyssey.com.

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New 2018: the Outremer 51 gets a new look

A worthy successor to the Outremer 49, winner of both European Yacht of the Year and Boat of the Year in the United States, the Outremer 51 sets the standard in cruising catamarans for families around the world.

The new Outremer 51 elected Multihull of the Year

For the first edition of the election for Multihull of the year by Voile Magazine, we are proud to announce that the new Outremer 51 has been elected Multihull of the year!

Ten Days that Shook the World

The Military Revolutionary Committee, with a fierce intensity, followed up its victory:

November 14th.

To all Army, corps, divisional and regimental Committees, to all Soviets of Workers’, Soldiers’ and Peasants’ Deputies, to all, all, all.

Conforming to the agreement between the Cossacks, yunkers, soldiers, sailors and workers, it has been decided to arraign Alexander Feodorvitch Kerensky before a tribunal of the people. We demand that Kerensky be arrested, and that he be ordered, in the name of the organisations hereinafter mentioned, to come immediately to Petrograd and present himself to the tribunal.

Signed, The Cossacks of the First Division of Ussuri Cavalry; the Committee of Yunkers of the Petrograd detachment of Franc-Tireurs; the delegate of the Fifth Army. People’s Commissar Dybenko

The Committee for Salvation, the Duma, the Central Committee of the Socialist Revolutionary party—proudly claiming Kerensky as a member—all passionately protested that he could only be held responsible to the Constituent Assembly.

On the evening of November 16th I watched two thousand Red Guards swing down the Zagorodny Prospekt behind a military band playing the Marseillaise —and how appropriate it sounded—with blood-red flags over the dark ranks of workmen, to welcome home again their brothers who had defended “Red Petrograd.” In the bitter dusk they tramped, men and women, their tall bayonets swaying; through streets faintly lighted and slippery with mud, between silent crowds of bourgeois, contemptuous but fearful….

All were against them—business men, speculators, investors, land-owners, army officers, politicians, teachers, students, professional men, shop-keepers, clerks, agents. The other Socialist parties hated the Bolsheviki with an implacable hatred. On the side of the Soviets were the rank and file of the workers, the sailors, all the undemoralised soldiers, the landless peasants, and a few—a very few—intellectuals….

From the farthest corners of great Russia, whereupon desperate street-fighting burst like a wave, news of Kerensky’s defeat came echoing back the immense roar of proletarian victory. Kazan, Saratov, Novgorod, Vinnitza—where the streets had run with blood; Moscow, where the Bolsheviki had turned their artillery against the last strong-hold of the bourgeoisie—the Kremlin.

“They are bombarding the Kremlin!” The news passed from mouth to mouth in the streets of Petrograd, almost with a sense of terror. Travellers from “white and shining little mother Moscow” told fearful tales. Thousands killed; the Tverskaya and the Kuznetsky Most in flames; the church of Vasili Blazheiny a smoking ruin; Usspensky Cathedral crumbling down; the Spasskaya Gate of the Kremlin tottering; the Duma burned to the ground. [1]

Nothing that the Bolsheviki had done could compare with this fearful blasphemy in the heart of Holy Russia. To the ears of the devout sounded the shock of guns crashing in the face of the Holy Orthodox Church, and pounding to dust the sanctuary of the Russian nation….

On November 15th, Lunatcharsky, Commissar of Education, broke into tears at the session of the Council of People’s Commissars, and rushed from the room, crying, “I cannot stand it! I cannot bear the monstrous destruction of beauty and tradition….”

That afternoon his letter of resignation was published in the newspapers:

I have just been informed, by people arriving from Moscow, what has happened there.

The Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed, the Cathedral of the Assumption, are being bombarded. The Kremlin, where are now gathered the most important art treasures of Petrograd and of Moscow, is under artillery fire. There are thousands of victims.

The fearful struggle there has reached a pitch of bestial ferocity.

What is left? What more can happen?

I cannot bear this. My cup is full. I am unable to endure these horrors. It is impossible to work under the pressure of thoughts which drive me mad!

That is why I am leaving the Council of People’s Commissars.

I fully realise the gravity of this decision. But I can bear no more… [2]

That same day the White Guards and yunkers in the Kremlin surrendered, and were allowed to march out unharmed. The treaty of peace follows:

1. The Committee of Public Safety ceases to exist.

2. The White Guard gives up its arms and dissolves. The officers retain their swords and regulations side-arms. In the Military Schools are retained only the arms necessary for instruction; all others are surrendered by the yunkers. The Military Revolutionary Committee guarantees the liberty and inviolability of the person.

3. To settle the question of disarmament, as set forth in section 2, a special commission is appointed, consisting of representatives from all organisations which took part in the peace negotiations.

4. From the moment of the signature of this peace treaty, both parties shall immediately give order to cease firing and halt all military operations, taking measures to ensure punctual obedience to this order.

5. At the signature of the treaty, all prisoners made by the two parties shall be released….

For two days now the Bolsheviki had been in control of the city. The frightened citizens were creeping out of their cellars to seek their dead; the barricades in the streets were being removed. Instead of diminishing, however, the stories of destruction in Moscow continued to grow…. And it was under the influence of these fearful reports that we decided to go there.

Petrograd, after all, in spite of being for a century the seat of Government, is still an artificial city. Moscow is real Russia, Russia as it was and will be; in Moscow we would get the true feeling of the Russian people about the Revolution. Life was more intense there.

For the past week the Petrograd Military Revolutionary Committee, aided by the rank and file of the Railway Workers, had seized control of the Nicolai Railroad, and hurled trainload after trainload of sailors and Red Guards southwest…. We were provided with passes from Smolny, without which no one could leave the capital…. When the train backed into the station, a mob of shabby soldiers, all carrying huge sacks of eatables, stormed the doors, smashed the windows, and poured into all the compartments, filling up the aisles and even climbing onto the roof. Three of us managed to wedge our way into a compartment, but almost immediately about twenty soldiers entered…. There was room for only four people; we argued, expostulated, and the conductor joined us—but the soldiers merely laughed. Were they to bother about the comfort of a lot of boorzhui (bourgeois)? We produced the passes from Smolny; instantly the soldiers changed their attitude.

“Come, comrades,” cried one, “these are American tovarishtchi. They have come thirty thousand versts to see our Revolution, and they are naturally tired….”

With polite and friendly apologies the soldiers began to leave. Shortly afterward we heard them breaking into a compartment occupied by two stout, well-dressed Russians, who had bribed the conductor and locked their door….

About seven o’clock in the evening we drew out of the station, an immense long train drawn by a weak little locomotive burning wood, and stumbled along slowly, with many stops. The soldiers on the roof kicked with their heels and sang whining peasant songs; and in the corridor, so jammed that it was impossible to pass, violent political debates raged all night long. Occasionally the conductor came through, as a matter of habit, looking for tickets. He found very few except ours, and after a half-hour of futile wrangling, lifted his arms despairingly and withdrew. The atmosphere was stifling, full of smoke and foul odours; if it hadn’t been for the broken windows we would doubtless have smothered during the night.

In the morning, hours late, we looked out upon a snowy world. It was bitter cold. About noon a peasant woman got on with a basket-full of bread-chunks and a great can of luke warm coffee-substitute. From then on until dark there was nothing but the packed train, jolting and stopping, and occasional stations where a ravenous mob swooped down on the scantily-furnished buffet and swept it clean…. At one of these halts I ran into Nogin and Rykov, the seceding Commissars, who were returning to Moscow to put their grievances before their own Soviet, and further along was Bukharin, a short, red-bearded man with the eyes of a fanatic—“more Left than Lenin,” they said of him….

Then the three strokes of the bell and we made a rush for the train, worming our way through the packed and noisy aisle…. A good-natured crowd, bearing the discomfort with humorous patience, interminably arguing about everything from the situation in Petrograd to the British Trade-Union system, and disputing loudly with the few boorzhui who were on board. Before we reached Moscow almost every car had organised a Committee to secure and distribute food, and these Committees became divided into political factions, who wrangled over fundamental principles….

The station at Moscow was deserted. We went to the office of the Commissar, in order to arrange for our return tickets. He was a sullen youth with the shoulder-straps of a Lieutenant; when we showed him our papers from Smolny, he lost his temper and declared that he was no Bolshevik, that he represented the Committee of Public Safety…. It was characteristic—in the general turmoil attending the conquest of the city, the chief railway station had been forgotten by the victors….

Not a cab in sight. A few blocks down the street, however, we woke up a grotesquely-padded izvostchik asleep upright on the box of his little sleigh. “How much to the centre of the town?”

He scratched his head. “The barini won’t be able to find a room in any hotel,” he said. “But I’ll take you around for a hundred rubles….” Before the Revolution it cost two! We objected, but he simply shrugged his shoulders. “It takes a good deal of courage to drive a sleigh nowadays,” he went on. We could not beat him down below fifty…. As we sped along the silent, snowy half-lighted streets, he recounted his adventures during the six days’ fighting. “Driving along, or waiting for a fare on the corner,” he said, “all of a sudden pooff! a cannon ball exploding here, pooff! a cannon ball there, ratt-ratt! a machine-gun…. I gallop, the devils shooting all around. I get to a nice quiet street and stop, doze a little, pooff! another cannon ball, ratt-ratt …. Devils! Devils! Devils! Brrr!”

In the centre of the town the snow-piled streets were quiet with the stillness of convalescence. Only a few arc-lights were burning, only a few pedestrians hurried along the side-walks. An icy wind blew from the great plain, cutting to the bone. At the first hotel we entered an office illuminated by two candles.

“Yes, we have some very comfortable rooms, but all the windows are shot out. If the gospodin does not mind a little fresh air….”

Down the Tverskaya the shop-windows were broken, and there were shell-holes and torn-up paving stones in the street. Hotel after hotel, all full, or the proprietors still so frightened that all they could say was, “No, no, there is no room! There is no room!” On the main streets, where the great banking-houses and mercantile houses lay, the Bolshevik artillery had been indiscriminately effective. As one Soviet official told me, “Whenever we didn’t know just where the yunkers and White Guards were, we bombarded their pocketbooks….”

At the big Hotel National they finally took us in; for we were foreigners, and the Military Revolutionary Committee had promised to protect the dwellings of foreigners…. On the top floor the manager showed us where shrapnel had shattered several windows. “The animals!” said he, shaking his first at imaginary Bolsheviki. “But wait! Their time will come; in just a few days now their ridiculous Government will fall, and then we shall make them suffer!”

We dined at a vegetarian restaurant with the enticing name, “I Eat Nobody,” and Tolstoy’s picture prominent on the walls, and then sallied out into the streets.

The headquarters of the Moscow Soviet was in the palace of the former Governor-General, an imposing white building fronting Skobeliev Square. Red Guards stood sentry at the door. At the head of the wide, formal stairway, whose walls were plastered with announcements of committee-meetings and addresses of political parties, we passed through a series of lofty ante-rooms, hung with red-shrouded pictures in gold frames, to the splendid state salon, with its magnificent crystal lustres and gilded cornices. A low-voiced hum of talk, underlaid with the whirring bass of a score of sewing machines, filled the place. Huge bolts of red and black cotton cloth were unrolled, serpentining across the parqueted floor and over tables, at which sat half a hundred women, cutting and sewing streamers and banners for the Funeral of the Revolutionary Dead. The faces of these women were roughened and scarred with life at its most difficult; they worked now sternly, many of them with eyes red from weeping…. The losses of the Red Army had been heavy.

At a desk in one corner was Rogov, an intelligent, bearded man with glasses, wearing the black blouse of a worker. He invited us to march with the Central Executive Committee in the funeral procession next morning….

“It is impossible to teach the Socialist Revolutionaries and the Mensheviki anything!” he exclaimed. “They compromise from sheer habit. Imagine! They proposed that we hold a joint funeral with the yunkers!”

Across the hall came a man in a ragged soldier-coat and shapka, whose face was familiar; I recognised Melnichansky, whom I had known as the watch-maker George Melcher in Bayonne, New Jersey, during the great Standard Oil strike. Now, he told me, he was secretary of the Moscow Metal-Workers’ Union, and a Commissar of the Military Revolutionary Committee during the fighting….

“You see me!” he cried, showing his decrepit clothing. “I was with the boys in the Kremlin when the yunkers came the first time. They shut me up in the cellar and swiped my overcoat, my money, watch and even the ring on my finger. This is all I’ve got to wear!”

From him I learned many details of the bloody six-day battle which had rent Moscow in two. Unlike in Petrograd, in Moscow the City Duma had taken command of the yunkers and White Guards. Rudnev, the Mayor, and Minor, president of the Duma, had directed the activities of the Committee of Public Safety and the troops. Riabtsev, Commandant of the city, a man of democratic instincts, had hesitated about opposing the Military Revolutionary Committee; but the Duma had forced him…. It was the Mayor who had urged the occupation of the Kremlin; “They will never dare fire on you there,” he said….

One garrison regiment, badly demoralised by long inactivity, had been approached by both sides. The regiment held a meeting to decide what action to take. Resolved, that the regiment remain neutral, and continue its present activities—which consisted in peddling rubbers and sunflower seeds!

“But worst of all,” said Melnichansky, “we had to organise while we were fighting. The other side knew just what it wanted; but here the soldiers had their Soviet and the workers theirs…. There was a fearful wrangle over who should be Commander-in-chief; some regiments talked for days before they decided what to do; and when the officers suddenly deserted us, we had no battle-staff to give orders….”

Vivid little pictures he gave me. On a cold grey day he had stood at a corner of the Nikitskaya, which was swept by blasts of machine-gun fire. A throng of little boys were gathered there—street waifs who used to be newsboys. Shrill, excited as if with a new game, they waited until the firing slackened, and then tried to run across the street…. Many were killed, but the rest dashed backward and forward, laughing, daring each other….

Late in the evening I went to the Dvorianskoye Sobranie —the Nobles’ Club—where the Moscow Bolsheviki were to meet and consider the report of Nogin, Rykov and the others who had left the Council of People’s Commissars.

The meeting-place was a theatre, in which, under the old ré#233;gime, to audiences of officers and glittering ladies, amateur presentations of the latest French comedy had once taken place.

At first the place filled with the intellectuals—those who lived near the centre of the town. Nogin spoke, and most of his listeners were plainly with him. It was very late before the workers arrived; the working-class quarters were on the outskirts of the town, and no street-cars were running. But about midnight they began to clump up the stairs, in groups of ten or twenty—big, rough men, in coarse clothes, fresh from the battle-line, where they had fought like devils for a week, seeing their comrades fall all about them.

Scarcely had the meeting formally opened before Nogin was assailed with a tempest of jeers and angry shouts. In vain he tried to argue, to explain; they would not listen. He had left the Council of People’s Commissars; he had deserted his post while the battle was raging. As for the bourgeois press, here in Moscow there was no more bourgeois press; even the City Duma had been dissolved. [4] Bukharin stood up, savage, logical, with a voice which plunged and struck, plunged and struck…. Him they listened to with shining eyes. Resolution, to support the action of the Council of People’s Commissars, passed by overwhelming majority. So spoke Moscow….

Late in the night we went through the empty streets and under the Iberian Gate to the great Red Square in front of the Kremlin. The church of Vasili Blazheiny loomed fantastic, its bright-coloured, convoluted and blazoned cupolas vague in the darkness. There was no sign of any damage…. Along one side of the square the dark towers and walls of the Kremlin stood up. On the high walls flickered redly the light of hidden flames; voices reached us across the immense place, and the sound of picks and shovels. We crossed over.

Mountains of dirt and rock were piled high near the base of the wall. Climbing these we looked down into two massive pits, ten or fifteen feet deep and fifty yards long, where hundreds of soldiers and workers were digging in the light of huge fires.

A young student spoke to us in German. “The Brotherhood Grave,” he explained. “To-morrow we shall bury here five hundred proletarians who died for the Revolution.”

He took us down into the pit. In frantic haste swung the picks and shovels, and the earth-mountains grew. No one spoke. Overhead the night was thick with stars, and the ancient Imperial Kremlin wall towered up immeasurably.

“Here in this holy place,” said the student, “holiest of all Russia, we shall bury our most holy. Here where are the tombs of the Tsars, our Tsar—the People—shall sleep….” His arm was in a sling, from a bullet-wound gained in the fighting. He looked at it. “You foreigners look down on us Russians because so long we tolerated a mediæval monarchy,” said he. “But we saw that the Tsar was not the only tyrant in the world; capitalism was worse, and in all the countries of the world capitalism was Emperor…. Russian revolutionary tactics are best….”

As we left, the workers in the pit, exhausted and running with sweat in spite of the cold, began to climb wearily out. Across the Red Square a dark knot of men came hurrying. They swarmed into the pits, picked up the tools and began digging, digging, without a word….

So, all the long night volunteers of the People relieved each other, never halting in their driving speed, and the cold light of the dawn laid bare the great Square, white with snow, and the yawning brown pits of the Brotherhood Grave, quite finished.

We rose before sunrise, and hurried through the dark streets to Skobeliev Square. In all the great city not a human being could be seen; but there was a faint sound of stirring, far and near, like a deep wind coming. In the pale half-light a little group of men and women were gathered before the Soviet headquarters, with a sheaf of gold-lettered red banners—the Central Executive Committee of the Moscow Soviets. It grew light. From afar the vague stirring sound deepened and became louder, a steady and tremendous bass. The city was rising. We set out down the Tverskaya, the banners flapping overhead. The little street chapels along our way were locked and dark, as was the Chapel of the Iberian Virgin, which each new Tsar used to visit before he went to the Kremlin to crown himself, and which, day or night, was always open and crowded, and brilliant with the candles of the devout gleaming on the gold and silver and jewels of the ikons. Now, for the first time since Napoleon was in Moscow, they say, the candles were out.

The Holy Orthodox Church had withdrawn the light of its countenance from Moscow, the nest of irreverent vipers who had bombarded the Kremlin. Dark and silent and cold were the churches; the priests had disappeared. There were no popes to officiate at the Red Burial, there had been no sacrament for the dead, nor were any prayers to be said over the grave of the blasphemers. Tikhon, Metropolitan of Moscow, was soon to excommunicate the Soviets….

Also the shops were closed, and the propertied classes stayed at home—but for other reasons. This was the Day of the People, the rumour of whose coming was thunderous as surf….

Already through the Iberian Gate a human river was flowing, and the vast Red Square was spotted with people, thousands of them. I remarked that as the throng passed the Iberian Chapel, where always before the passerby had crossed himself, they did not seem to notice it….

We forced our way through the dense mass packed near the Kremlin wall, and stood upon one of the dirt-mountains. Already several men were there, among them Muranov, the soldier who had been elected Commandant of Moscow—a tall, simple-looking, bearded man with a gentle face.

Through all the streets to the Red Square the torrents of people poured, thousands upon thousands of them, all with the look of the poor and the toiling. A military band came marching up, playing the Internationale, and spontaneously the song caught and spread like wind-ripples on a sea, slow and solemn. From the top of the Kremlin wall gigantic banners unrolled to the ground; red, with great letters in gold and in white, saying, “Martyrs of the Beginning of World Social Revolution,” and “Long Live the Brotherhood of Workers of the World.”

A bitter wind swept the Square, lifting the banners. Now from the far quarters of the city the workers of the different factories were arriving, with their dead. They could be seen coming through the Gate, the blare of their banners, and the dull red—like blood—of the coffins they carried. These were rude boxes, made of unplaned wood and daubed with crimson, borne high on the shoulders of rough men who marched with tears streaming down their faces, and followed by women who sobbed and screamed, or walked stiffly, with white, dead faces. Some of the coffins were open, the lid carried behind them; others were covered with gilded or silvered cloth, or had a soldier’s hat nailed on the top. There were many wreaths of hideous artificial flowers….

Through an irregular lane that opened and closed again the procession slowly moved toward us. Now through the Gate was flowing an endless stream of banners, all shades of red, with silver and gold lettering, knots of crepe hanging from the top—and some Anarchist flags, black with white letters. The band was playing the Revolutionary Funeral March, and against the immense singing of the mass of people, standing uncovered, the paraders sang hoarsely, choked with sobs….

Between the factory-workers came companies of soldiers with their coffins, too, and squadrons of cavalry, riding at salute, and artillery batteries, the cannon wound with red and black—forever, it seemed. Their banners said, “Long live the Third International!” or “We Want an Honest, General, Democratic Peace!”

Slowly the marchers came with their coffins to the entrance of the grave, and the bearers clambered up with their burdens and went down into the pit. Many of them were women—squat, strong proletarian women. Behind the dead came other women—women young and broken, or old, wrinkled women making noises like hurt animals, who tried to follow their sons and husbands into the Brotherhood Grave, and shrieked when compassionate hands restrained them. The poor love each other so!

All the long day the funeral procession passed, coming in by the Iberian Gate and leaving the Square by way of the Nikolskaya, a river of red banners, bearing words of hope and brotherhood and stupendous prophecies, against a back-ground of fifty thousand people,—under the eyes of the world’s workers and their descendants forever….

One by one the five hundred coffins were laid in the pits. Dusk fell, and still the banners came drooping and fluttering, the band played the Funeral March, and the huge assemblage chanted. In the leafless branches of the trees above the grave the wreaths were hung, like strange, multi-coloured blossoms. Two hundred men began to shovel in the dirt. It rained dully down upon the coffins with a thudding sound, audible beneath the singing….

The lights came out. The last banners passed, and the last moaning women, looking back with awful intensity as they went. Slowly from the great Square ebbed the proletarian tide….

I suddenly realised that the devout Russian people no longer needed priests to pray them into heaven. On earth they were building a kingdom more bright than any heaven had to offer, and for which it was a glory to die….

[1] Damage To The Kremlin I myself verified the damage to the Kremlin, which I visited immediately after the bombardment. The Little Nicolai Palace, a building of no particular importance, which was occupied occasionally by receptions of one of the Grand Duchesses, had served as barracks for the yunkers. It was not only bombarded, but pretty well sacked; fortunately there was nothing in it of particular historical value.

Usspensky Cathedral had a shell-hole in one of the cupolas, but except for a few feet of mosaic in the ceiling, was undamaged. The frescoes on the porch of Blagovestchensky Cathedral were badly damaged by a shell. Another shell hit the corner of Ivan Veliki. Tchudovsky Monastery was hit about thirty times, but only one shell went through a window into the interior, the others breaking the brick window-moulding and the roof cornices.

The clock over the Spasskaya Gate was smashed. Troitsky Gate was battered, but easily reparable. One of the lower towers had lost its brick spire.

[2] Lunatcharsky’s Declaration “Comrades! You are the young masters of the country, and although now you have much to do and think about, you must know how to defend your artistic and scientific treasures.

“Comrades! That which is happening at Moscow is a horrible, irreparable misfortune…. The People in its struggle for the power has mutilated our glorious capital.

“It is particularly terrible in these days of violent struggle, of destructive warfare, to be Commissar of Public Education. Only the hope of the victory of Socialism, the source of a new and superior culture, brings me comfort. On me weighs the responsibility of protecting the artistic wealth of the people…. Not being able to remain at my post, where I had no influence, I resigned. My comrades, the other Commissars, considered this resignation inadmissible. I shall therefore remain at my post…. And moreover, I understand that the damage done to the Kremlin is not as serious as has been reported….

“But I beg you, comrades, to give me your support…. Preserve for yourselves and your descendants the beauty of our land; be the guardians of the property of the People.

[3] Questionnaire For The Bourgeoisie

In virtue of the powers vested in me by the Military Revolutionary Committee attached to the Moscow Soviet of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies, I decree:

1. All banks with branches, the Central State Savings Bank with branches, and the savings banks at the Post and Telegraph offices are to be opened beginning November 22nd, from 11 A. M. to 1 P. M. until further order.

2. On current accounts and on the books of the savings banks, payments will be made by the above mentioned institutions, of not more than 150 rubles for each depositor during the course of the next week.

3. Payments of amounts exceeding 150 rubles a week on current accounts and savings banks books, also payments on other accounts of all kinds will be allowed during the next three days—November 22nd, 23d, and 24th, only in the following cases:

(a) On the accounts of military organisations for the satisfaction of their needs;

(b) For the payment of salaries of employees and the earnings of workers according to the tables and lists certified by the Factory Committees or Soviets of Employees, and attested by the signatures of the Commissars, or the representatives of the Military Revolutionary Committee, and the district Military Revolutionary Committees.

4. Not more than 150 rubles are to be paid against drafts; the remaining sums are to be entered on current account, payments on which are to be made in the order established by the present decree.

5. All other banking operations are prohibited during these three days.

6. The receipt of money on all accounts is allowed for any amount.

7. The representatives of the Finance Council for the certification of the authorisations indicated in clause 3 will hold their office in the building of the Stock Exchange, Ilyinka Street, from 10 A. M. to 2 P. M.

8. The Banks and Savings Banks shall send the totals of daily cash operations by 5 P. M. to the headquarters of the Soviet, Skobeliev Square, to the Military Revolutionary Committee, for the Finance Council.

9. All employees and managers of credit institutions of all kinds who refuse to comply with this decree shall be responsible as enemies of the Revolution and of the mass of the population, before the Revolutionary Tribunals. Their names shall be published for general information.

10. For the control of the operations of Branches of the Savings Banks and Banks within the limits of this decree, the district Military Revolutionary Committees shall elect three representatives and appoint their place of business.

Ch. 9 The Development of Russia

Ivan i and the rise of moscow, learning objective.

• Outline the key points that helped Moscow become so powerful and how Ivan I accomplished these major victories
• Moscow was considered a small trading outpost under the principality of Vladimir-Suzdal into the 13th century.
• Power struggles and constant raids under the Mongol Empire’s Golden Horde caused once powerful cities, such as Kiev, to struggle financially and culturally.
• Ivan I utilized the relative calm and safety of the northern city of Moscow to entice a larger population and wealth to move there.
• Alliances between Golden Horde leaders and Ivan I saved Moscow from many of the raids and destruction of other centers, like Tver.

A rival city to Moscow that eventually lost favor under the Golden Horde.

Grand Prince of Vladimir

The title given to the ruler of this northern province, where Moscow was situated.

The Rise of Moscow

Moscow was only a small trading outpost in the principality of Vladimir-Suzdal in Kievan Rus’ before the invasion of Mongol forces during the 13th century. However, due to the unstable environment of the Golden Horde, and the deft leadership of Ivan I at a critical time during the 13th century, Moscow became a safe haven of prosperity during his reign. It also became the new seat of power of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Ivan I (also known as Ivan Kalita) was born around 1288 to the Prince of Moscow, Daniil Aleksandrovich. He was born during a time of devastation and upheaval in Rus’. Kiev had been overtaken by the invading Mongol forces in 1240, and most of the Rus’ principalities had been absorbed into the Golden Horde of the Mongol Empire by the time Ivan was born. He ascended to the seat of Prince of Moscow after the death of his father, and then the death of his older brother Yury.

Ivan I. He was born around 1288 and died in either 1340 or 1341, still holding the title of Grand Prince of Vladimir.

Ivan I stepped into a role that had already been expanded by his predecessors. Both his older brother and his father had captured nearby lands, including Kolomna and Mozhaisk. Yury had also made a successful alliance with the Mongol leader Uzbeg Khan and married his sister, securing more power and advantages within the hierarchy of the Golden Horde.

Ivan I continued the family tradition and petitioned the leaders of the Golden Horde to gain the seat of Grand Prince of Vladimir. His other three rivals, all princes of Tver, had previously been granted the title in prior years. However they were all subsequently deprived of the title and all three aspiring princes also eventually ended up murdered. Ivan I, on the other hand, garnered the title from Khan Muhammad Ozbeg in 1328. This new title, which he kept until his death around 1340, meant he could collect taxes from the Russian lands as a ruling prince and position his tiny city as a major player in the Vladimir region.

Moscow’s Rise

During this time of upheaval, the tiny outpost of Moscow had multiple advantages that repositioned this town and set it up for future prosperity under Ivan I. Three major contributing factors helped Ivan I relocate power to this area:

• It was situated in between other major principalities on the east and west so it was often protected from the more devastating invasions.
• This relative safety, compared to Tver and Ryazan, for example, started to bring in tax-paying citizens who wanted a safe place to build a home and earn a livelihood.
• Finally, Moscow was set up perfectly along the trade route from Novgorod to the Volga River, giving it an economic advantage from the start.

Ivan I also spurred on the growth of Moscow by actively recruiting people to move to the region. In addition, he bought the freedom of people who had been captured by the extensive Mongol raids. These recruits further bolstered the population of Moscow. Finally, he focused his attention on establishing peace and routing out thieves and raiding parties in the region, making for a safe and calm metaphorical island in a storm of unsettled political and military upsets.

Kievan Rus’ 1220-1240. This map illustrates the power dynamics at play during the 13th century shortly before Ivan I was born. Sarai, the capital of the Golden Horde, sat to the southeast, while Moscow (not visible on this map) was tucked up in the northern forests of Vladimir-Suzdal.

Ivan I knew that the peace of his region depended upon keeping up an alliance with the Golden Horde, which he did faithfully. Moscow’s increased wealth during this era also allowed him to loan money to neighboring principalities. These regions then became indebted to Moscow, bolstering its political and financial position.

In addition, a few neighboring cities and villages were subsumed into Moscow during the 1320s and 1330s, including Uglich, Belozero, and Galich. These shifts slowly transformed the tiny trading outpost into a bustling city center in the northern forests of what was once Kievan Rus’.

Russian Orthodox Church and The Center of Moscow

Ivan I committed some of Moscow’s new wealth to building a splendid city center and creating an iconic religious setting. He built stone churches in the center of Moscow with his newly gained wealth. Ivan I also tempted one of the most important religious leaders in Rus’, the Orthodox Metropolitan Peter, to the city of Moscow. Before the rule of the Golden Horde the original Russian Orthodox Church was based in Kiev. After years of devastation, Metropolitan Peter transferred the seat of power to Moscow where a new Renaissance of culture was blossoming. This perfectly timed transformation of Moscow coincided with the decades of devastation in Kiev, effectively transferring power to the north once again.

Peter of Moscow and scenes from his life as depicted in a 15th-century icon. This religious leader helped bring cultural power to Moscow by moving the seat of the Russian Orthodox Church there during Ivan I’s reign.

One of the most lasting accomplishments of Ivan I was to petition the Khan based in Sarai to designate his son, who would become Simeon the Proud, as the heir to the title of Grand Prince of Vladimir. This agreement a line of succession that meant the ruling head of Moscow would almost always hold power over the principality of Vladimir, ensuring Moscow held a powerful position for decades to come.

• Boundless World History. Authored by : Boundless. Located at : https://www.boundless.com/world-history/textbooks/boundless-world-history-textbook/ . License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike

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Moscow hopes to become first 5G city by 2020

One of the 5G network will be a speed of 100 megabits per second for residents of large cities.

The Moscow mayor's office is in talks with a consortium of mobile operators over the possibility of developing 5G networks, the Kommersant daily reported on April 7. The government is determined to make the project an attractive investment for the operators and hopes the Russian capital will have 5G networks in 2020. 

Moscow’s telecom market is divided between four major players: Russian companies Megfon, VimpelCom, and MTS, plus European Tele2 – which entered the fray in 2015. A query from RBTH about a 5G consortium received an optimistic response from Megafon and Tele2, but VimpelCom and MTS decided not to answer. 

"The consortium may lay the foundation for the joint development of this technology by all the operators," said Konstantin Prokshin, head of strategic communications at Tele2.

The support of the authorities is important for telecom operators because such issues as equipment deployment and power supply can often be solved only with the government’s help, explained Yulia Dorokhina, head of the press service at Megafon.

2018 World Cup and rivalry with London

City of London Corp., which runs London's financial center at the municipal level, has announced its plans to switch to the 5G standard as soon as it becomes available, writes The Financial Times. The company has signed a multimillion dollar wireless Internet upgrade contract with Cornerstone, which is owned by the Vodafone and O2 telecom operators.

Global capitals will be competing with each other over which of them will become the first to switch to 5G, said Konstantin Prokshin. The pace at which new technologies are introduced suggests that Moscow can indeed become one of the leaders in the development of 5G, he added. "Moscow's mobile market is one of the most developed in the world, with a low average cost of services and high quality," Prokshin pointed out.

During the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Megafon plans to set up 5G test zones, Yulia Dorokhina said. "One of the main advantages offered by the new network is its huge capacity. The client receives high-quality signal in places of mass gathering of people – stadiums, railway stations, traffic jams," she added.

What is known about 5G today

Exact 5G specifications are still being developed, but one of them – as identified by the Next Generation Mobile Networks alliance – will be a speed of 100 megabits per second for residents of large cities.

"So far, some disparate research experiments have been conducted. What exactly the 'fifth generation' will provide is not quite clear," said Vladimir Korovkin, head of Innovations and Digital Technologies at the Moscow School of Management Skolkovo.

He added that the focus of 5G developers is not to increase the bandwidth of the channel, but to provide a guaranteed high-speed signal and density of coverage. "Both these features are important for mass use of M2M (machine to machine) networks," Korovkin explained.

One of the crucial questions is who will be producing the technical equipment and how the link to international networks will work. For the first time, Chinese companies, in particular Huawei, are taking an active part in creating a new standard, Korovkin pointed out. For example, Megafon has successfully tested mobile data transmission at 1 Gbit/s using Huawei equipment and at 5 Gbit/s during network equipment tests with the Finnish company Nokia, Dorokhina said.

Read more: Russians believe their life would not change without Internet>>>

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