Chilean sail training ship Esmerelda lights up the night sky while alongside at Fleet Base East.

A small but enthusiastic group from Sydney's Chilean community

was at Fleet Base East late last month to welcome one of the most magnificent ships sailing the world's oceans today.

With flags waving, banners thrust skywards, pom poms swirling and shouts of "si, si, si" the group welcomed the Chilean Navy's sail training ship Esmeralda.

The 300 white uniformed officers and sailors lining the decks of the 3,420 tonne square rigged craft responded by singing national songs to music supplied by the ship's band.

Commissioned in 1954 the ship has the role of training 80 midshipmen per deployment.

She arrived in Sydney on November 22 after a 30 day non-stop voyage from Shanghai.

"She left home on July 15 calling at Peru, Mexico, Hawaii, Tokyo, Pusan and Shanghai before coming to Australia," the Consul General of Chile, Mr Jorge Canelas told Navy News.

Although under diesel power and with her sails furled, the white and green hulled sailing ship made a magnificent sight as she entered Sydney Harbour under a leaden sky.

Her first welcome came in the form of a kite, with the Chilean flag suspended beneath it, flown from South Head.

Several large tourist cruisers and a heavily laden press launch accompanied towards the Harbour Bridge and Opera House before she turned to Fleet Base East and the waiting crowd.

Then, after days of stormy skies, the sun broke through over Sydney, bathing the ship in brilliant light.

The ship, under the command of CAPT Gustave Lopez, spent five days in Sydney.

She is expected to return to Australia next year for a "convention of sailing ships."

One of her ship's company was an Australian midshipman on exchange to Chile. (See story above).