''Destriero'' is a long, wide, 400-ton

displacement Displacement may refer to: Physical sciences Mathematics and Physics * Displacement (geometry), is the difference between the final and initial position of a point trajectory (for instance, the center of mass of a moving object). The actual path ...

, yacht built by

Fincantieri Fincantieri S.p.A. () is an Italian shipbuilding company based in Trieste, Italy. Already the largest shipbuilder in Europe, after the acquisition of Vard in 2013, Fincantieri group doubled in size to become the fourth largest in the world (2014 ...

in their Muggiano yard at La Spezia in 1991. She is fitted with three

GE Aviation GE Aviation, a subsidiary of General Electric, is headquartered in Evendale, Ohio, outside Cincinnati. GE Aviation is among the top aircraft engine suppliers, and offers engines for the majority of commercial aircraft. GE Aviation is part of t ...

LM1600 gas turbines totalling , providing her with a maximum speed of . ''Destriero'' was built with the sponsorship of the

Aga Khan IV Shāh Karim al-Husayni (born 13 December 1936), known by the religious title Mawlānā Hazar Imam by his Ismaili followers and elsewhere as Aga Khan IV, is the 49th and current Imam of Nizari Ismailis, a denomination within Shia Islam. He ha ...

and others specifically to cross the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

in record time of 3 days and secure the Blue Riband. In 1992 ''Destriero'' crossed the Atlantic, without refuelling, twice, firstly westbound from Tarifa Point, Spain to

Ambrose Light Ambrose Light, often called Ambrose Tower, was the light station at the convergence of several major shipping lanes in Lower New York Bay, including Ambrose Channel, the primary passage for ships entering and departing the Port of New York and ...

, New York. Her eastbound voyage was from the Ambrose Light to

Bishop Rock, Isles of Scilly The Bishop Rock ( kw, Men Epskop) is a skerry off the Great Britain, British coast in the northern Atlantic Ocean known for its lighthouse. It is in the westernmost part of the Isles of Scilly, an archipelago off the southwestern tip of the Co ...

, a distance of , at an average speed of . Despite the record time of 58 hours, 34 minutes and 5 seconds, ''Destriero'' was denied the

Hales Trophy The Hales Trophy (officially the North Atlantic Blue Riband Challenge Trophy) is an award for the fastest Atlantic crossing by a commercial passenger vessel. The award was created in 1935 when Harold K. Hales, a British politician and owner of Ha ...

, because she was classed as a " private

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

" and not a "commercial

passenger vessel A passenger ship is a merchant ship whose primary function is to carry passengers on the sea. The category does not include cargo vessels which have accommodations for limited numbers of passengers, such as the ubiquitous twelve-passenger freig ...

". ''Destriero'' did, however receive the

Virgin Atlantic Challenge Trophy The Virgin Atlantic Challenge Trophy is an award for the fastest trans-Atlantic crossing by a surface vessel, one of several such awards that have grown out of the contest for the prestigious Blue Riband, Blue Riband of the Atlantic. The trophy was ...

, awarded by former record-holder Richard Branson for the fastest crossing by any vessel, and the Columbus Atlantic Trophy sponsored by the

Costa Smeralda The Costa Smeralda (, ; sdn, Monti di Mola; sc, Montes de Mola) is a coastal area and tourist destination in northern Sardinia, Italy, with a length of some 20 km, although the term originally designated only a small stretch in the comm ...

and

New York Yacht Club The New York Yacht Club (NYYC) is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. ...

s for the fastest trans-Atlantic round-trip. The ship was laid up in HMNB Devonport

dockyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance ...

, Plymouth,

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

for ten years, but was removed in February 2009, reportedly for Lürssen ship yard.

References

External links

Ships Registry Information

Motor yachts Ships built by Fincantieri {{ship-stub