NRP Sagres

Sagres Class

NRP Sagres was built in 1937 at the Blohm and Voss shipyards (Hamburg), having received the name “Albert Leo Schlageter”. It was the third of a series of four ships built for the Kriegsmarine. In 1962, it was incorporated into the Portuguese Navy as a school ship with the name “Sagres”.

COAT OF ARMS

The Order of Christ cross (Gules) was used on the sails of Portuguese ships from the fifteenth century onwards. It was the symbol of the Military Order of Christ, of which Infant D. Henrique was “regent and governor” since 1420. This fact constituted an important economical support and made possible the beginning of the Portuguese Expansion and Discoveries. The holly oak branch Or was the personal symbol of the Infant and expressed tenacity, hardiness and nonattachment to material goods and easy honors.
The astrolabe Or, although not used during the Infant´s life, represents the science and the instruction of the art of sailing which allowed the Portuguese pilots to quest for new harbors, new continents and new islands.
The backdrop Azure, where the motifs mentioned above can be found, represents the “ocean sea”, which as a legacy of Portugal no longer separates, but instead unites.

PATRON

Infant D. Henrique, figurehead of NRP Sagres, third son of D. João I, was the main driver of the Portuguese Discoveries. At the beginning of Portuguese Expansion in Africa, he participated alongside his father in the conquest of Ceuta in 1415. During the time he was alive, Portugal consolidated its Atlantic option, already on display at the time of the alliance with England established in 1373.
With a pragmatic and calculating posture, he created the bases for the maritime expansion that he begun and which could be continued after his death. In reality, when he ordered the first voyages to the south, his objectives were not innovative in face of the values of the time. But the results of those navigations were extraordinary for Portugal and to the World. His motto “Talant de bien faire” (willingness to do well) is, justly so, used on the Coat of Arms of the Naval Academy.

CHARACTERISTICS

Displacement1893 tonsLength89,5 metersBeam12 metersDraught5,5 meters
PropulsionMaximum speed9,5 knots
Crew

MISSION AND EMPLOYMENT

The current school ship Sagres was yielded to the Brazilian Navy with the purpose of facing the damages caused by German submarines to its ships during the war. In 1961, it was acquired by Portugal, meant to replace the old Sagres, itself also a German ship curiously.

Its main mission is to represent the Navy and the country, frequently visiting foreign harbors engaged in either training voyages for the Navy´s officers, large scale commemorations, and as direct support to the diplomatic action of the country´s sovereign bodies at the time of official visits by the State´s highest authorities, functioning as a travelling embassy for Portugal.

NRP Sagres is the most decorated ship in the Portuguese Navy and the only one to display foreign decorations on its national standard.

Order of Infant D. Henrique (1985)

Vasco da Gama Naval Medal (2007)

Military Order of Christ (2012)

Tamandaré Merit Medal, Brazil (2016)

Honor Star 1st class, Cape Verde (2016)

Honorary Member of Avis Military Order (2017)