Royal hand over to be held in Palma

King Juan Carlos of Spain will officially take posession of the new royal yacht in Palma before Easter, it was announced this week. The new Fortuna which has yet to be named, but is expected to take her name from her predecessor, is about to start sea trials before leaving the Cadiz shipyard where she has been built. Although the royal yacht, which is to be based in Palma, has been constructed under tight security, techical information about the vessel has been made available. The royal family will be able to spend their Easter holidays in Majorca, cruising Balearic waters on board a state of the art vessel which has been built and fitted with the very latest nautical technology. The shell is made of aluminium and the vessel will be powered by two diesel motors and the engine room has also been fitted with gas turbines and a propulsor to improve her manoeuvrability and low speeds. On board there will be accommodation for the royal family or eight guests in the four bedrooms, and three for the crew.