Russia's Kruzenshtern sailing ship has won a race against the Russian Sedov barque on the Rostock-Amsterdam route, officially making it Russia’s fastest barque, the Murmansk State Technical University press service said.

The regatta started on August 10 on the beam of Skagen in Denmark. The Kruzenshtern sailing ship from Russia’s Kaliningrad region beat the Sedov barque from the northern Russian town of Murmansk.

“Both ships are over 80 years old, both were built in the 1920s on German dockyards and given to the Soviet Union as World War II reparations,” the statement said. “The world’s last two remaining four masted barques were racing for a globe-like cup made of semi-precious stones.”

The race distance of 470 miles was divided into two stretches. Shortly after the beginning of the competition, favorable wind conditions allowed the vessels to reach a speed of 10 knots.

The wind later dropped for two days, bringing the two ships to a standstill, but when it picked up again, the captain of the Kruzenshtern reached the ship’s maximum possible speed and won the race.

After its stay in Amsterdam, the Sedov barque will head for Iceland and start its Northern expedition.

MURMANSK, August 20 (RIA Novosti)