Russian sailing vessel Pallada sets out on "African Odyssey"

VLADIVOSTOK, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Russian sailing vessel Pallada left here Tuesday for a Pacific and Indian Ocean tour dubbed the "African Odyssey."

This tour is dedicated to World Water Day, celebrated annually on March 22. The frigate, with 70 naval cadets on board, will call at Singapore, Port Louis (Mauritius), Durban (South Africa), and Pusan (South Korea).

The main event of the tour will be the BRICS summit in Durban on March 26-27. BRICS is an acronym for a grouping of the world's leading emerging market economies, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The three-mast Pallada has been listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the fastest sailing vessel in the world, with a speed exceeding 18 knots. It has been a star for Russia, winning many international festivals and races.

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