The legendary sailing boat of Nándor Fa and József Gál awaits visitors in restored, working condition at the Jenő Cholnoky Marina in Révfülöp (northern shore of Lake Balaton). Anyone can view the boat, that was launched 40 years ago, and learn about the story of the two sailors who were the first Hungarians to circumnavigate the globe in a small sailboat they built themselves, thanks to an outdoor tableau exhibition, Turizmus.com reports.
The ‘Balaton 31’ type Szent Jupát, named after the patron saint of canoeists, set sail on September 26, 1985. The boat was built over five years by two adventurous young men from Székesfehérvár (central Hungary), Nándor Fa and József Gál, who then sailed it for more than 700 days, covering some 60,000 kilometers and overcoming waves up to 7 meters high at times, until they circumnavigated the globe.
As a result of the cooperation between Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) and the Hungarian Technical and Transportation Museum, that began in 2024, the Szent Jupát was launched on Lake Balaton in September 2024.
Over the past year, the Szent Jupát has undergone a complete exterior and interior restoration: the ship’s engine has been refurbished, the underwater and above-water parts have been repaired, the aging plexiglass windows on deck have been replaced, and the exterior cladding has been polished.
The entire rigging system of the mast was renewed, and two new sails were installed to protect the original downwind sails. The interior was also thoroughly cleaned, preserving its original appearance.
The aim of the Museum and the MCC’s 700-day program series is to use one of the most unique relics of Hungarian shipping to introduce sailing on Lake Balaton, and outstanding moments of human achievement to the younger generation.
The sailboat, now restored to its original splendor, will soon embark on another great adventure as part of the MCC Generations meeting 2025–26 initiative. Information about the next events in the program series is available on the social media platforms and websites of the two institutions.
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Via Turizmus.com, Featured image: MTI/Katona Tibor
The post Legendary Around-the-World Sailboat Restored After Four Decades appeared first on Hungary Today.
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