If you are thinking of going on a sailing boat cruise, they will have appointed you, without a doubt, to do it on a clipper, or clipper, if we write it as it is done in English. In this article I will tell you about the characteristics of this type of boat that appeared in the XNUMXth century, and that today, modernized, continues to sail commercially on luxury cruises, and privately on the oceans.
Your name, the clipper comes from clip, which in the nineteenth century came to mean speed. It is elongated and narrow in shape, and usually has three or more masts, and as its name suggests it reaches significant speeds.
A schooner launched in Aberdeen (Scotland) in 1839 is considered to be the origin of the clippers. By propelling themselves under sail they had the advantage of not having to stop to refuel, which made them the ideal ships to transport cargoes of tea from the Indian coast to Great Britain in the shortest possible time. When the Suez Canal opened in 1869 the clippers began to decline like transport ships.
One of the most famous clippers and you will surely recognize his image is the Cutty Sark built in 1870, which has been in commercial service until 1922 and later became a floating museum until May 20, 2007.
The luxury cruise company Star Clipper continues to offer cruises on this type of vessel. Its star ship is the Royal Clippers, with 5 masts, measures 134 meters in length by 16 in beam and is considered the largest sailboat in the world. It can accommodate up to 228 tourists and cruises through the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. Do not think that being a sailboat does not have all the comfort and safety of a XNUMXst century boat, nothing is further from reality, on board you will find a lounge & spa, Turkish baths, massage rooms, a library, a dining room. , the best gastronomy and, from my point of view, the best is that they will share all the secrets of sailing.
Here You have information about one of the cruises proposed by Star Clipper for 2018.