Description of the Royal Yacht.

Manawatu Herald, 16 October 1900, Page 2

Description of the Royal Yacht.

The. Victoria and Albert, the vessel in which the Duke and Duchess of York will journey to Australasia next year, is described as the largest and "finest yacht afloat. Her keel was laid at Pembroke Dockyard on ioth December, 1897, and she was launched in May of last year. The christening ceremony was performed by H.R.H. the Duchess of York.

The Victoria and Albert is a steej,.; twin screw, sheathed' and C©PP6X3B<!;\ vessel. Designed ■by Sir ' William White as a pleasure craft .pure and simple, and without any prefansions/to carry guns or armour, her length over all is 439 ft, beam 50ft, and mean draft of water 18ft. with a displacement of 4700 tons. The propelling machinery, by Messrs Humphreys and Tennant, consists of two sets of four cylinder triple expansion engines, designed to indicate 1 1,000 horse power, steam being supplied by 18 Belleville boilers. Her designed sea speed is 17 knots, with a maximum of 20 knots on an hours' measured mile trial.

The Victoria and Albert is the fifth vessel which has been used by Her Majesty the Queen during her long reign as a private yacht for the B*e of herself „ and Family. Speaking of -«fr%e% v yacht a few weeks prior to her launcjh an English contemporary . -.tgidgpf? "The new yacht will easily hold i*r own with any other yacht used "by European and other foreign potentates for she is to be fitted up in the most magnificent 6tyle. Cost will be only a secondary consideration, compared comfort and elegance ; for it is considered, and rightly, too, that? the ruler of such a mighty Empire as is ours should have a home afloat befitting her dignity and importance. Fifty thousand pounds was voted for labour only on the vessel, during the present financial year, and even this sum does not represent nearly all tire

money which will be spent upon her for wages for workmen before she is finish and ready for the Queen's use." For the purpose ot comparison it may be mentioned that the Victoria and Albert is 79ft. longer than H.M.S. Royal Arthur, the flagship on the Australian station. Her predecessor, also called the Victoria and Albert, was a wooden vessel with a length of 338 it and breadth of 40ft 3m. Her displacement was 2470 tons, on a mean draught ot 16ft 3m.— Post.