Royal Clipper

History
Malta[1]
Name	Royal Clipper
Owner	Star Clippers
Port of registry	Valletta
Identification	IMO number: 8712178 MMSI number: 215813000 Callsign: 9HA2796
Status	Active
General characteristics
Type	Cruise ship
Tonnage	4,425 GT
Length	439 ft (134.8 m)
Beam	54 ft (16.5 m)
Draft	18.5 ft (5.6 m)
Propulsion	Masts: 5 Sails: 42 Sail Area: 56,000 ft^2 (5,202.6 m^2) Engines: 2 Caterpillar 3516 diesels
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 redesigned 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 designed by Zygmunt Choreń that was modified by the Gdańsk Shipyard, where 24 metres (79 ft) was added to its length.

Originally built by Polish communist authorities as "Gwarek" she was intended as a floating vacation home for miners^{[citation needed]} . She was sold because of financial problems^{[citation needed]}. The Merwede shipyard completed the ship's interior in July 2000, whilst visiting the Pool of London, for its pre-launch to the travel industry. The renovations included frescography murals by Rainer Maria Latzke completing the ship's Mediterranean interior.^[2] 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 5,202 square metres (55,990 sq ft) of sail. Her sails can be handled with a crew as small as twenty using powered controls.^[3]

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.^[4]

Gallery

• 
  Royal Clipper silhouetted against the sunset
• 
  Lobby of Royal Clipper with murals from Rainer Maria Latzke
• 
  Royal Clipper (painting by Rainer Maria Latzke)
• 
  Royal Clipper
• 
  Bow of Royal Clipper
• 
  Bell of Royal Clipper
• 
  Sails of Royal Clipper
• 
  Helm of Royal Clipper
• 
  Royal Clipper anchored near the port of Split, Croatia, on 3 July 2011.
• 
  Royal Clipper anchored in Martinique (Caribbean Sea side) in March 2018.

See also

• Star Clipper
• Star Flyer
• Flying Clipper
• List of cruise ships
• List of large sailing vessels

References

1. "Ship ROYAL CLIPPER (Passenger Ship) Registered in Malta – Vessel details, Current position and Voyage information – IMO 8712178, MMSI 215813000, Call Sign 9HA2796".
2. Sheila Gibson Stoodley, "21 Ultimate Gifts: A Tall Order" Archived 22 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine, Robb Report, 1 December 2005
3. Wallace Immen, "Cruising on the winds of change", The Globe and Mail, 23 June 2007
4. Julie Watson, "Smooth Sailing", Forbes, January 2005

External links

• 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" Archived 8 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, "Part Two" Archived 29 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine and "Part Three" Archived 27 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine – review by Peter Knego in Maritime Matters
• "Setting Sail" – review of Royal Clipper in Cruise Passenger.