Royal Clipper
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History | |
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Name | Royal Clipper |
Owner | Star Clippers |
Port of registry | Malta |
Identification |
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Status | Active |
General characteristics | |
Type | Cruise ship |
Tonnage | 5,000 GT |
Length | 439 ft (134.8 m) |
Beam | 54 ft (16.5 m) |
Draft | 18.5 ft (5.6 m) |
Propulsion |
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Capacity | 227 passengers (Max) |
Crew | 106 |
Royal Clipper is a steel-hulled five-masted fully rigged tall ship used as a cruise ship. She was designed by Robert McFarlane of McFarlane ShipDesign, for Star Clippers Ltd. of Sweden, the same designer behind the cruise company's first two vessels. This third one was built using an existing steel hull that was modified by the Gdańsk Shipyard. She was sold because of financial problems. The Merwede shipyard completed the ship's interior in July 2000. The renovations included frescography murals by Rainer Maria Latzke completing the ship's Mediterranean interior.[1] Her design was based on Preussen, a famous German five-mast Flying P-Liner windjammer built in 1902.
Star Clippers claims that she is the largest "true sailing ship" built since Preussen. She is listed in Guinness World Records as the largest square-rigged ship in service, with 5202 square metres of sail. Her sails can be handled with a crew as small as twenty using powered controls.[2]
Royal Clipper cruises the Mediterranean during the summer. During the winter she offers Caribbean trips through the southern parts of the Lesser Antilles area. Because of her size, she can visit smaller ports that larger (motor) cruise ships can't reach. Transatlantic crossings are available between seasons.[3]
Gallery
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Royal Clipper silhouetted against the sunset
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Lobby of Royal Clipper with murals from Rainer Maria Latzke
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Royal Clipper (painting by Rainer Maria Latzke)
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Royal Clipper
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Bow of Royal Clipper
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Bell of Royal Clipper
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Sails of Royal Clipper
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Helm of Royal Clipper
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Royal Clipper anchored near the port of Split, Croatia, on July the 3rd 2011.
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Royal Clipper anchored in Martinique (Caribbean Sea side) in March 2018.
See also
References
- ^ Sheila Gibson Stoodley, "21 Ultimate Gifts: A Tall Order", Robb Report, 1 December 2005
- ^ Wallace Immen, "Cruising on the winds of change", The Globe and Mail, 23 June 2007
- ^ Julie Watson, "Smooth Sailing", Forbes, January 2005
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Star Clippers website about Royal Clipper
- "Royal Clipper: melding the thrills of sailing with the comforts of cruising aboard Star Clippers' mega-yacht" by Charles Doherty, Cruise Travel (magazine/journal), September 2005, as found online at LookSmart Find Articles
- "Royal Clipper" – review by Douglas Ward in The Daily Telegraph, London
- "ROYAL CLIPPER To The Grenadines, Part One", "Part Two" and "Part Three" – review by Peter Knego in Maritime Matters
- "Setting Sail" – review of Royal Clipper in Cruise Passenger.