How Mikael Krafft’s dream became a reality

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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