And every day offered the exhilarating sensation of slicing through the sea propelled by nothing but the wind. On another day, I had the thrill of donning a harness and climbing up the mainmast to the crow's nest. Stretched out on the Royal Clipper's bowsprit, I experienced complete tranquility, as the sparkling ocean danced below me and the giant white sails consumed the breeze overhead. The new ship, which has yet to be named, is being modeled on France II, which was launched in 1912.īy launching these elegant clipper ships, Krafft has reacquainted the world with the golden era of sailing, and has established an alternative to mass-market cruises that is more in harmony with the wind and the sea. The company announced in September it will add a fourth clipper ship in 2011 that will be the largest - and most expensive - sailing vessel ever constructed (518 feet long 7,400 gross tons). Royal Clipper won't be the largest Star Clipper for long. With 42 sails and open teak decks, the ship is a sight to behold. Based on the last tall ship of its kind, Preussen, which was launched in 1902, the 227-passenger Royal Clipper is the world's only five-masted, fully rigged sailing ship, and the largest in the Star Clipper fleet. The identical sister ship Star Clipper followed a few years later, but Krafft's vision wasn't complete until 2000, when he launched the line's flagship, Royal Clipper. This goose-bump effect is precisely what Star Clippers' Swedish founder Mikael Krafft wanted to share with people from around the world when he set about building his first clipper, Star Flyer, in 1989. Add the interest of islands less-traveled, a bagpipe-playing captain and a mix of European and American travelers and you have yourself a truly wonderful sailing experience. Each time the Royal Clipper slips its mooring and sets sail for new shores, this traditional Star Clippers send-off awakens in its passengers a sense of adventure, anticipation and awe. the silent Caribbean night is filled with the powerful music of Vangelis' "Conquest of Paradise," making goose bumps rise on my arms. A gentle sea breeze, a star-studded sky, billowing white sails then.
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