Bright white sails, turquoise water and palm tree beaches – this is the backdrop of the 10-part ARD documentary series “Sehnsucht Segeln” (longing sailing). At the centre of the series are two impressive 4-masted schooner barque, replicas of traditional tall ships. A crew of 75 seaman and up to 170 holidaymakers travel on board the proud cruise ships that are the stars in every port. Traditional and yet contemporary, they cover the main part of their dream routes with wind instead of motor power and drop anchor at islands that the large cruise ships can only admire from afar. The crew gives their own hands-on experience instead of steering machines. And the passengers enjoy the vastness of the oceans just a few metres above the surface. “Sehnsucht Segeln” tells both the challenges that everyday life on board the ships brings with it for the crew as well as the fascination that comes from travelling under sails in paradisiacal surroundings.
