THROUGH THE PORTHOLE Learn more about Tall Ship cruising...
How Mikael Krafft’s dream became a reality
STAR CLIPPERS
STAR CLIPPERS
How Mikael Krafft’s dream became a reality The cruising industry in the 21st century offers a
it was at this point that Mikael was inspired by the
multitude of options, with huge vessels boasting
world of traditional sailing vessels.
the modern amenities and facilities. Sometimes, however, it is worth taking a step back in time to
His excitement reached new heights at the age of
appreciate how different things were. This was
ten when his father presented him with an 18-foot
Mikael Krafft’s philosophy and his dream was
wooden sailboat. It wasn’t long after that that Mikael
to bring traditional tall ship sailing into the 21st
embarked on a series of 20-mile journeys across
century. Star Clippers takes a closer look at the
the open sea, without a compass and unknown
life and inspiration of Mikael Krafft and how his
to his parents, simply to visit the masterpiece that
passion influenced him.
was Pommern. One day, not content with merely looking at the ship, a 12-year-old Mikael climbed up
In 1946, Mikael Krafft was born in Stockholm,
the rigging without permission and was caught by a
Sweden, and was fortunate enough to grow up just
guard.
around the corner from one of the finest yacht builders in the world. The Plyms Shipyard intrigued
The guard yelled: “Come on down!!! If you don’t,
Mikael and ultimately led to the start of his passion
you’ll fall down and kill yourself. But I’ll kill you
for sailing. At just six years old, he was able to secure
anyway when you come down.” Luckily, he survived
a job at the shipyard and, while carrying varnish
to tell this tale and dreamed of one day owning such
and mixing wood stain, he learnt about Pommern,
a vessel of his own.
a four-masted steel barquentine which was docked at the Swedish-Finnish island of Aland. At a time
Mikael Krafft later graduated from the University of
when steam-powered vessels dominated the seas,
Stockholm with a degree in Maritime Law, before
practicing law in France and Sweden. In the 1970’s, he was appointed as manager of L. Jeansson Co.,
The result was Star Flyer, which launched in
a small Swedish shipping company founded in
1991 and was followed, in 1992, by sister ship
1875. Under Krafft, the company expanded into oil
Star Clipper. Krafft embarked on an even bigger
storage, forestry, sawmills, finance/leasing, and real
challenge in the years the followed, with dreams of
estate – which he pursued further upon moving
building a five-masted fully rigged tall ship, similar
to Brussels with his family in 1986. He sold his
to that of the 1902 German vessel, Preussen. The
interests in Sweden and founded the White Star
almighty Royal Clipper launched in 2000 and
Group of Belgium, which focussed on real estate
currently holds the Guinness World Record for
developments in the Benelux countries.
being the largest square-rigged ship in service.
The dream seemed all but over. Yet, Krafft never did
Mikael Krafft’s ambitions have not stopped there.
let go of his passion for sailing. While sailing in the
In 2017, Star Clippers will launch a brand new
Caribbean on board his own sailing yacht, Gloria,
five-masted vessel, which was bear resemblance to
in 1987, he claims all the pieces came together.
France II – the second largest commercial merchant
The sailing trips he embarked on in his youth, his
sailing ship ever built. The Flying Clipper will
knowledge of traditional sailing vessels, and the
become the largest square rigger and the largest ship
ventures on board his personal yachts all inspired
of its kind afloat on the seas. It will offer traditional
him and kept the dream alive.
tall ship sailing, while also offering guests a range of modern amenities and facilities.
Along with the assistance of White Star Group, he established a new line known as Star Clippers. He
Today, Star Clippers offers an elegant nod to a
conducted intense clipper ship research for three
bygone era of traditional tall ship sailing. Passengers
years - meticulously studying preserved original
can experience this unique way of travelling while
plans for mid-19th-century ships. Krafft was also
experiencing a range of beautiful destinations in the
aware that these ships would have to comply with
Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Far East Asia.
modern regulations and, therefore, modifications had to be made. With the help of a trusted team of experienced architects and engineers, plans for the first new clipper ship in 90 years were successfully drawn up.
STAR CLIPPERS