After the emotion and excitement of the send-off from Amaliehaven, Copenhagen, yesterday afternoon, the crew of Oceans of Hope sailed north in the sunshine and light winds and spent the night in harbour at Helsingør, in the shadow of the magnificent Kronborg.

The imposing castle is the setting for William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet.

Oceans of Hope’s skipper, Kristian Bo Echwald Hansen, reports that it was, “A great day in Amaliehaven with amazing atmosphere and perfect take off. Quiet weather and smooth sailing, we only wished for some more wind.”

For crew member Marie Stjernholm, it was a magical day and an emotional one and she writes about the departure in her blog: “Wind in the face, the fading sun and a glimpse of friends and family who, dedicated, touched and excited, had gathered to send us off with style and a heart-warming farewell.”

Kronborg castle has special significance for Danish sailors, who look forward to having the landmark on their starboard side as they sail home.

But Marie acknowledges the enormity of the round the world voyage that lies ahead for Oceans of Hope, all 61,000 kilometres (33,000 nautical miles) of it, saying, “It will be a year and a half before we pass by here again, southbound. We are going out to conquer our worlds first.”

Today, after the high emotion of the departure from Copenhagen, Kristian adds, “As expected the first stage of the voyage was both a big relief and also exhausting, which is why we are now enjoying a lay-over day in Gilleleje, where the crew is resting and enjoying themselves.”

Oceans of Hope is due to arrive in Kiel, Germany, on Thursday 19 June.