FAMOUS CROATIAN SAILING BOAT ENDS VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD

ZAGREB, June 5 (Hina) - A "Croatian Tern" (or "Hrvatska Cigra") sailing boat, which has been leading a scientific and sports expedition from the Arctic to the Antarctic, will return to its home port of Kraljevica, the northern Adriatic, between at about noon on Saturday, June 7, when it will have finished a 40,000 nautical mile-long voyage round the world along meridians in three years and a month. The "Hrvatska Cigra", built in Kraljevica with special purposes and equipped with ice-breaking devices, entered Croatian territorial waters sailing toward Kraljevica that it left on May 7, 1994 for a challenging and risky voyage. The Arctic-Antarctic expedition is the most ambitious feat of Croatian sailing sport. The ultimate goal to sail round the world in the north-east direction by meridians and through icy parts of the Arctic and the Antarctic has been fully accomplished. The Croatian crew, led by the project's creator, Mladen Sutej, managed to go through the ice-covered and dangerous North-Western Passage near the North Pole in short time, which is a great sailing feat. A Croatian flag has been displayed at the stern of the 23-long boat, designed by an American, Bruce Roberts, all the time of its voyage through the Atlantic, the Pacific, Cape Horn and the cold waters of the Antarctic Ocean. Besides Sutej, about 50 members of the crew have been changed during the adventure. The port of Kraljevica is preparing to give a warm and enthusiastic welcome to the famous Croatian boat that is coming back after 1126 days of sailing. A fleet of vessels will depart from Kraljevica on early Saturday to meet and greet the "Croatian Tern" sailing boat. (hina) jn mš 051150 MET jun 97