Götheborg of Sweden sails to Helsingborg and H22 City Expo

The first port of call on Götheborg of Sweden’s major Asia Expedition will be Helsingborg. It is also the first time that the world’s largest wooden ship visits Helsingborg, which will happen in conjunction with the international event H22 City Expo, 30 May – 3 July.

Götheborg of Sweden leaves Gothenburg on Wednesday, 8 June and arrives at Helsingborg on Tuesday, 14 June. The 18th century ship will enter the port with full sails and a cannon salute. The ship will stay docked until Friday, 17 June.

The goal of the expedition to Asia is to use the ship as a meeting place and platform for companies and partners, with a focus on sustainability and great opportunities for Swedish business.

“Visiting Helsingborg and H22 City Expo feels like a fantastic start to our big expedition to Asia. H22 City Expo, with its focus on sustainability and innovation, is completely in line with the goal of the expedition to function as a platform for trade, relations, and solutions for a sustainable future. It also feels incredibly fun to be able to deliver on the great interest in the ship expressed by Helsingborg and Skåne during the trip to Stockholm last year,” says Kristoffer Bennis, Expedition Director for Götheborg of Sweden.

The ship will drop anchor at the City Quay in central Helsingborg and be highly visible for all the Expo visitors. She will be open to visitors during the days the ship is docked.

“With her rich history and the important role that Götheborg of Sweden has played historically, and in Swedish trade with Asia, we in the Port of Helsingborg are very happy and proud to join H22 City Expo in welcoming her and her crew this summer. In conjunction with this very exciting visit, we have offered the ship a berth at the City Quay in the heart of Helsingborg. This will allow everyone to visit this magnificent ship when it docks during four days of the Expo,” says Mark Wieden, Cruise Manager, Port of Helsingborg.

“We welcome Götheborg of Sweden to Helsingborg and H22 City Expo and find it extra fun that it’s the first time she will drop anchor in Helsingborg. The visit means a lot to us because the expedition has a focus on sustainability. The ship and its journey connects the past with what lies ahead, and shows the importance of safeguarding our common future and what we leave for coming generations,” says Soraya Axelsson, Head of H22 City Expo.

In connection with the announcement that Helsingborg will be a port of call, there is also the opportunity to apply to join the journey as an ordinary seaman on the very first stage of the expedition: Gothenburg – Helsingborg. For each stage, 70 people are required to sail the ship. About 20 people are professional crew. The others are private individuals, ordinary seamen, who join the journey to experience the adventure and learn to sail an 18th century ship.

Sailing straight to Helsingborg would only take a day or so, but the planned trip will take seven days. The wind and weather conditions will be used to really test the ship and the rig before the long voyage to Asia.

Asia Expedition 2022/2023
Götheborg will sail from Gothenburg on 8 June 2022 with a planned arrival at Shanghai in September 2023. The ship will sail in the Baltic Sea and Northern Europe and then continue down to the Mediterranean. During the winter of 2022/2023, the ship will stay in the Mediterranean, to then sail to Asia in early spring 2023. The goal of the expedition to Asia is to use the ship as a meeting place and platform for companies and partners, with a focus on sustainability and great opportunities for Swedish business.

Götheborg of Sweden – history
Götheborg is a replica of The East Indiaman, later named ”Götheborg”, which ran aground and sank at Hunnebådan by Gothenburg’s harbour entrance in 1745. In 1984, an underwater archeological excavation of the original ship began, and in 1995 construction began on the new ship. Eight years later, in 2003, Götheborg was launched. In 2005–2007, the ship sailed the historic route to Asia and back. Subsequently, a number of expeditions were carried out around Europe, the most recent in 2015. In the summer of 2021, the ship sailed from Gothenburg to Stockholm and back. More information: www.gotheborg.se

Helsingborg – one of Europe’s most innovative cities
The European Commission awards this annual prize to the European city that is best able to demonstrate its ability to harness innovation to improve the lives of its residents. Helsingborg has a proud tradition of organising major expos. In 1955, the H55 craft and design fair attracted a million visitors. In 1999, H99 became the forerunner of a wave of housing exhibitions around the country. With H22, Helsingborg is taking this tradition to a new level and focusing on issues that have become increasingly important over time. H22 City Expo is about the journey towards a smarter, thoughtful, and more sustainable city.

For more information on H22 City Expo, contact:
Maria Ploberg, Press Officer, +46 73-822 43 67, maria.ploberg@helsingborg.se
For more information on Götheborg of Sweden, contact:
Anna Creutz, Press Officer, +46 703-08 10 77, anna.creutz@soic.se