25/05/2013 00:00
TW
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Palma.—Three of the largest and most impressive sailing yachts afloat are currently up on the hard in the Astilleros boat yard in Palma.
It is the first time all three have been in the capital and their masts stretching high into the skyline makes an impressive sight.
The Creole, the largest wood sailing yacht in the world, is currently owned by the Gucci family and has a long and interesting history full of racing, luxury, public service, and intrigue.

She was launched in Gosport in 1927 under the name Vira for Alexander Smith Cochran, who inherited an estimated $40 million from earnings of the Alexander Smith Carpet Company, the largest carpet manufacturer in the world in the early 1900s.

Cochran was impressed by the Vira, which was the largest yacht ever built at the Camper & Nicholsons shipyard at the time.
Renamed
Cochran died in 1929 and his estate sold the yacht to Maurice Pope renamed her Creole.
Since then, she had a number of high profile owners until she was bought by the late Maurizio Gucci in 1983pledged to return the214 foot Creole to the luxury for which she was designed. Also in Astilleros is Adix, a three masted schooner which was built in the Palma shipyard in 1984 and originally named Jessica.

She was owned by an Argentine, and rigged with square sails on her foremast and with a significantly shorter length overall in comparison to her 212 feet now.

In the mid-late 1980's she was bought by Alan Bond who used her as a promotional tool and consequently named the yacht after his beer, XXXX. Around 1989 XXXX was bought by a Spanish family, who employed Paul Goss as the Captain who undertook a massive project in refining her looks, working with the expertise of the naval architect Gerard Dijkstra.

Since then Adix has been around the world a number of times turning heads wherever she sails. She attended the Fife Regatta on the Clyde in 2003 and 2008 with her tender , The Lady Anne.

And finally, we have Shenandoah a 181 foot large steel ship which was made at Townsend & Downey Shipbuilding and her design plans were devised by Theodore E Ferris.

A important triple masted schooner Shenandoah is a particularily well designed United States made yacht which was launched to celebration in 1902.
Sleeping 10 passengers and 14 crew, sailing yacht Shenandoah used to be Shenandoah; Lasca Ii; Shenandoah; Atlantide; Shenandoah Of Sark. The yacht is a classic triple masted schooner.

This balanced boat has been envisaged with a naval architect called Theodore E. Ferris. Terence Disdale Design undertook her interior design brief.
Shenandoah was fully restored in New Zealand at Mc Mullen & Wing Shipyard in 1995/6.