Polish Amateur Radio Special Event Station SN2012WW "Memorial for WLADEK WAGNER" will work from Radio Club SP9KRT and on board of Polish tall ship, brig, (sail training ship) "sts FRYDERYK CHOPIN" and from Caribbean Sea according local weather inJanuary 2012. http://www.fryderykchopin.pl/ http://pl-pl.facebook.com/STS.Fryderyk.Chopin current position http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/shipdetails.aspx?mmsi=261000290.

In 2012 Wladek Wagner Year also will work WLADEK WAGNER Award (see below)stations:

- HF80 WW 08.06.2012 - 08.07.2012,

- HF20WW 15.08.2012 - 15.09.2012,

- HF100WW 17.09.2012 - 17.10.2012.

Who is Wladek WAGNER?

Born in Poland, which had regained its independence and access to the sea in 1918, as a young boy scout, he was fascinated by maritime life possibilities and his own spirit of adventure. He started his circumnavigation of the world at the age of 20 in 1932, from the recently constructed new harbour town of Gdynia. The young sailor continued his voyage with remarkable perseverance on board of three boats called consecutively ZJAWA, ZJAWA TWO, and ZJAWA THREE. The Polish name Zjawa means "The Phantom". On several legs of the trip he was accompanied by different crew members. He met famous French sailor Alain Gerbault twice on his way. He closed the loop of his epic voyage in 1939 but the outbreak of WW2 prevented his return to Poland. Stopped in Great Britain he spent the war years in the Polish Merchant Navy under command of British Admiralty. The geopolitical results of war barred his return to homeland for good and he remained an expatriate in the Americas. As such, in spite of his unquestionable merits, he was not much revered by the official authorities in Poland at that time and largely forgotten. With his Scottish wife he had two children and lived for long periods in Trellis Bay, BVI and later in San Juan, Puerto Rico where he established Wagner Shipyard for all type of marine vessel. He wrote books about his sailing, titled "By the Sun and Stars"-1988, "Temptation of the Horizon"-1937 and "Podlug slonca i gwiazd" - 1934.

Alas, the second regaining of independence by Poland in 1990 came a bit too late in his life. He never returned to his native land and died in 1992 at Winter Park, Florida.

“WAGNER YEAR 2012” is especially significant.

It is the 100 years anniversary of his birth (17th September 1912), the 80 years anniversary of his departure for historic voyage (8th July 1932) and the 20^th anniversary of his death (15^th September 1992). Community of Polish yachtsmen, represented by an organizing committee at the Yacht Club of Poland in London, proclaimed the year 2012 as a WAGNER'S YEAR and proposed erection of a monument for Mr. Wladyslaw WAGNER, known abroad as WLADEK, at Trellis Bay (BVI) where he spent ten years of his pioneering life, leaving behind a first airport runway, building works, recognition and the fond remembrance of local residents. Yachtsmen wish to remove him from unmerited oblivion and fix for him a right and due place in the history of Polish yachting.

"WAGNER Sailing Rally 2012"

WSR 2012 is scheduled for 21-22 January 2012 at Bellamy Cay, in the middle of Trellis Bay of Beef Island of Caribbean British Virgin Islands. It is a gathering of many sailors to unveil a commemorative plaque for Wladek Wagner. Participation of sts FRYDERYK CHOPIN is going to give high rank for this event!!!!

WLADEK WAGNER Award

Vry 73's Janusz (member of Radio Club SP9KRT)