Golden Horizon, which boasts 5 towering masts, was anchored off Cowes Harbour on Sunday.
This luxury ship, which can carry 272 passengers, 159 crew members and has 140 sea-facing cabins, was catching the eye of onlookers walking along Cowes Parade.
It is the world’s largest square-rigged sailing vessel and a near-replica of the France II vessel built in 1913 which was a famous French 5-mast cargo windjammer.
Designed by Polish naval architect Zygmunt Choreń, for Star Clippers Ltd. of Sweden and named Flying Clipper, it was built by the Brodosplit Shipyard in Split, Croatia. She is one of the largest sailing ships ever launched and was renamed Golden Horizon by Tradewind Voyages – the firm which is running its cruises.
It is registered in Malta, and the hull is strengthened to ice class standards for voyages to the Arctic and Antarctica regions.
Golden Horizon is due back in the waters off Cowes during Cowes Week when a visit to the Island will be one of the scheduled stops on the ship’s English South Coast and Islands voyage which sets sails out of Harwich on 4th August.
Island Echo, she is due back in Cowes at 06:00 tomorrow morning and is approaching the Island now..
Do you do ours of the ship ? Anyone !