Famous Yachts

 luxurious and advanced private yacht. Throughout its
The Allure of the Yachttime as Onassis’ floating home until 1975, the
Christina O was the floating ‘who’s
Nothing quite equals the fantasy of lying back on thewho’ of Hollywood, entertaining the likes of
deck of a yacht, the sun warming your face and aMarilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Maria Callas and King
cocktail in hand. From its days as a feared war craftFarouk of Egypt.
to its rise as the most sought after leisure cruiser,The famous Ari’s Bar on board is the spot
the allure of the yacht is as timeless as it is enigmatic.where President John F Kennedy first met Sir
Winston Churchill and the deck was witness to the
The yacht began life as a military vessel that utilisedwedding of Grace Kelly to Prince Rainier and Onassis
its speed and manoeuvrability to carry vital militaryhimself to Jackie Kennedy. After Onassis’ death,
messages between battalions. There are fewthe Christina O was donated to the Greek
historical sea battles that the yacht did not play agovernment and has recently been bought by John
significant part in. From a triumphant military historyPaul Papanicolaou. This shipping magnate and Onassis
to the vessel of choice for kings and queens, thefamily friend is meticulously restoring the Christina O
yacht has its own special place in history.to her former high-seas glory.
  
The Grand Yachts of HistoryThe Unusual Cosmic Muffin
 The technologically advanced Boeing 307 Stratoliner
The Duyfkenwas one of ten planes made in 1939 that could fly
One of the world’s most memorable yachts isabove any bad weather. Owned by the infamous
the Duyfken, a Dutch three-masted gem that wasHoward Hughes, becoming the Hughes 307, only two
armed with several cannons. Her speed andof these planes survived the tumultuous 1940s - the
manoeuvrability made her the perfect scout andone safely housed in the National Air and Space
messenger in times of battle and is credited withMuseum and the other in Fort Lauderdale.
playing a critical role in the defeat of the PortugueseThe fierce hurricane Cleo severely damaged the
blockade that allowed the Dutch entrance to theHughes 307 in Fort Lauderdale, to the point of
lucrative spice trade in 1601. The years that followedscrapping in 1964. But the fuselage was saved and in
saw this yacht head out on many exploratory1974, launched as the world’s most unusual
adventures in search of new avenues for trade.yacht. The original 1939 controls are used to pilot the
From Cape Agulhas to the Mozambique Channel andyacht and it is powered by twin Yamaha motors,
on to India, the Duyfken became one of the mostwith a cruising speed of 13 knots. The inspiration for
travelled yachts of the 17th century.books and songs, this vessel has been visited by
 Oprah, CNN, the Travel Channel and countless other
But it was the Duyfken’s 1606 journey thatmedia. Custom designed furniture and fittings make
made it one of the grandest and most memorablethe interior luxurious and the Cosmic Muffin recently
yachts in history. Captained by Willem Janszoon, thesold on eBay for over $9 million.
next Dutch voyage headed out in search of the 
legendary King Solomon’s mines in the southThe World’s Most Exclusive Yacht
east and took the yacht and her sailors to the
furthest ends of the Earth then known to man.Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, the Saudi Arabian
Heading further south than New Guinea, the yachtdefence minister, is the proud owner of one of the
and its crew happened upon the Cape Yorkworld’s largest yachts, the Al Salamah. The 457
Peninsula, better know today as Australia. Captainft vessel sports facilities that can only be guessed at,
Janszoon and his yacht the Duyfken are officiallydue to the secrecy of the crew and its owner.
acknowledged as the first authenticated EuropeanRumours put the room count at over 90, including a
voyage to the Australian continent. By 1608, thehospital and an indoor swimming pool. Her tight
Duyfken was declared to be damaged beyond repairdeadline meant that builders only had two years to
and this remarkable little yacht, who helped make allcomplete the finished yacht, make her one of the
seven continents known to European geographers,most impressive feats of yachting construction in our
ended her time on the sea.times.
 
The AmericaThe Yacht Takes Over Hollywood
Designed by revolutionary yacht designer George
Steers, the 101 ft America was one of the firstNo sea adventure in Hollywood is complete without
racing vessels to benefit from his trademark knife-likethe majestic character of the yacht. As winds ravage
bow widening aft that increased speed and agility.the ocean and humans battle nature, it is the yacht
This design was put to the test in 1851, when thethat acts as the most exciting and unusual set
America entered the first ever Royal Yachtpossible.
Squadron's "One Hundred Guinea Cup". In the 
prestigious 53 mile race around the Isle of Wight, theWhether it is a pivotal part of the plot, like the
America won by eight minutes under the watchfulrunaway speed boat in Speed 2, or a unique location
eye of Queen Victoria. This esteemed internationalto move the story along, yachts make for a
racing trophy was then renamed the America Cupfavourite tool of filmmakers. In the latest Superman
after its inaugural winner and is a tradition that stillinstalment, Superman Returns, Lex Luther conducts
challenges sailors today.his evil business from a 200 ft luxury yacht. The
 Gertrude acted as the exterior of this magnificent
The America changed hands many times followinggetaway vehicle and the interior was a full 360° set
her famous win and was owned by private sailors tobuilt on a sound stage in Australia and enabled
military commanders, but few were committed toviewers to get a total view of the wealth and luxury
her upkeep. By 1940 she was owned by the USof the villain.
Naval Academy but her once majestic oak, cedar and 
chestnut frame was seriously decaying. When herEven out of the water, a yacht holds a certain
shed home collapsed in 1945, she was burned alongromantic appeal and the modern movie version of
with the debris.riding off into the sunset is fast becoming sailing off
 into the setting sun aboard a luxury yacht. In The
The Magnificent Yachts of Our TimeWedding Date it is the yacht in the driveway that
makes the ideal location for the main characters’
Christina Ofirst rendezvous. When they are caught in the
A 1943 Canadian convoy escort, this yacht wasmorning by the girl’s father, his comment of
purchased and converted by shipping magnate“Well, I'm glad to see that someone is making
Aristotle Onassis in 1954. Named after his daughtergood use of her again” of course referred to the
Christina, this vessel became the world’s mostyacht.