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The Royal Yacht as Trade Ambassador


The former hmy BRITANNIA was an excellent trade ambassador for UK´s industry and trade. The yacht was once designed by Prince Philip and has not only been the royal yacht and sea home since 1953 for the British Royal Family. The hmy BRITANNIA was an asset to the permanent world wide marketing campaign for the United Kindgom. And a new Royal Yacht definitely would be needed for the uncertain future.
by Earl of Cruise
hmy BRITANNIA entering Venice
The Royal Yacht Britannia, pictured, could be turned into a 'floating embassy' under new plans by Boris Johnson
hmy BRITANNIA entering Venice - Source: dpa
Commencing service in 1954, the original Royal Yacht Britannia sailed a million nautical miles and saw 968 state voyages during its 44 years of service. In June 1994 it was announced that the vessel would be taken out of service, and its final voyage took place in 1997. Now docked in Leith, every clock on board has been stopped at 3.01pm, marking the time the Queen disembarked the yacht following the decommissioning ceremony in December of that year.
The Queen and Prince Philip, pictured aboard Britannia, used the vessel as their private yacht between 1954 and 1997 - Source: dpa

A number of people had been lucky when BRITANNIA was retired, as they have seen only the costs for BRITANNIA, but did not consider its value as THE PR asset for Britain, as the royal family in total is. This is by the way for all monarchies we have in the western world.
Now BRITANNIA is serving as a successful museum, convention center and tourist magnet in Edinburough.
hmy Britannia, in Leith, City of Edinburgh, Royal Yacht Britannia Trust - Credit: Marc Millar

In September British foreign minister Boris Johnson, one of the Brexit supporters, threw in to be discussed the recommissioning of the former royal yacht BRITANNIA. It made a rucus in the British media and parliament. A debate was held in October 2016. Those waves of discussion crossed the chanel and rose some suspicions. I a social media dicussion, one quoted, more as a joke, the Britain better should its frigates as a trade ambassador, as the UK in history has done so often, to press its interests over other countries ... okay we all know how the British Empire was working, for the benefit only of the British Isles.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, pictured, is reportedly considering using the boat to conduct trade deals around the world post-Brexit - Source: Reuters

The yacht despite was a more peaceful vehicle transporting British interests, and it is quite an entrance or leave when the Queen sailed on BRITANNIA into or left a foreign port, accompanied by a group of British business men. what a difference to those countries, when the head of state climbes out of an ordinary plane, even if it is the AIR FORCE ONE ...


Rear Adm Neil Rankin, who chairs of the Royal Yacht Britannia Trust, told the Telegraph bringing the original vessel back into service was a "non-starter".
The yacht is now considered out of date and sailors would need to be retrained in order to man it, meaning a new yacht would probably need to be built.
Lord West said there was "no way we could revive" Britannia but there were other options, such as "a sailing ship on which we could train youngsters".
He said it would need a Royal Navy crew, and the "nation should be willing to pay for it", although, in his view, the money should not come from the defence budget.
There are conflicting reports over the appetite at the top for a replacement royal yacht.
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is said to be a fan of the idea (Jake Berry is one of his closest allies in Parliament), as is Shipping Minister John Hayes.
Meanwhile, the Huffington Post has suggested the prime minister is not on board - and, as Lord West points out, it would also need a seal of approval from the Queen.
But on 11 October the government will have to respond to a debate in Parliament on the topic, and nail its colours to the mast.
BBC.com/news/uk-politics
During its 43-year service hmy BRITANNIA

During its 43-year service hmy BRITANNIA travelled more than one million nautical miles around the globe
The ship is now cared for by charity the Royal Yacht Britannia Trust and attracts around 300,000 visitors each year.

The steam-propelled yacht spent 43 years in the service of the Royal Family and sailed more than one million nautical miles around the world.
It is understood the plans to recommission her would be funded by private donations and not the taxpayers. But that would destroy a well established busines ...
THE MAIL previously campaigned 2010/11 for the creation of a new royal yacht to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, with then prime minister David Cameron backing the £60million idea.
Royal Yacht Britannia cutaway and legend
hmy Royal Yacht BRITANNIA, cutaway and legend -
Since the decommissioning of BRITANNIA there have been rumors and plans for a new British royal yacht, and all with the purpose as a trade ambassador for the British industry. A recommissioning of BRITANNIA would not be a good move, as BRITANNIA is old, and depicting the old British emperial industry and interests. Today such a royal yacht and British ambassador should be a modern, forward looking design, with newest technology implemented showcasing the modern new United Kingdom, weather it is with Scotland or not, weather it is now no longer a member in the EU and is standing alone against economic powers as the USA, China, Russia and yes the European Union.
Teresa May, British Prime Minister, announced the hard Brexit - Source: tageschau.de
And with Teresa May´s announcement of a hard BREXIT, the isolated island has to rethink a lot. And it will not be an easy task. Britain lost to be the center of the world when WWI was over, it was the USA which became that center and established its leading position after WWII and in Cold War era.
But with the third industrial revolution, even USA lost its industrial power, another reason is the "personal greed" of the US money elite, which was the first on the globalisation train which created a caravaning treck for the cheapest locations for production. This was a much easier task than pushing and investing in reasonable industrial innovations. Those not high skilled and educated are left behind, creating a group that is an easy prey for populistic ego-trippers, such as the Farage person, or what the USA have now as "president".
It was in anticipation of the original Royal Yacht Britannia being fully withdrawn from service that Andrew Winch Designs, as the company was then known, was invited by the now defunct shipbuilders GEC Marine to come up with a design for a successor. The firm was selected as they were already in the process of designing a royal charter for another royal family; one that at 528ft was then the largest private yacht in the world.

A new £100million royal yacht, by retired naval officer Commander John Prichard, who helped draw up the original plans - Source: Daily Telegraph
A new Royal Yacht BRITANNIA by RN Concept Design, a copy from old - own collection
Both designs shown above, are from future oriented, but recalling something no longer needed ...
In November 2016 THE TELEGRAPH publish again this London based superyacht designers and architecture studio ANDREW WINCH design. The now ten year old design looks still quite contemporary and could age with grace as it will be still "modern looking" in the next decades. But for traditionalists it may be shocking modern ... And those are quite an amount in the UK.

ANDREW WINCH DESIGN -  How the new Royal Yacht Britannia could look
ANDREWWINCH DESIGN -  How the new Royal Yacht Britannia could look - Credit: ANDRE WINCH DESIGN


Though their proposed new Royal Yacht Britannia wasn’t backed for construction at the time, the company has now exclusively shared its plans with the Telegraph as a fully envisaged example of how a modern incarnation of the boat might look.

The exterior of the proposed Royal Yacht Britannia - Credit: Winch Designs
The exterior of the proposed Royal Yacht Britannia - Credit: Winch Designs



The interior would hold various grand entertainment and meeting rooms, all showcasing British design and craftsmanship - Credit: Winch Designs


Those traditionalists would be better served with a design made by BURGESS MARINE and their Project Nelson design. To my taste this vessel does look old, outdated to much back ward looking to be a reasonable shopping window for the British industry and abilities.


BURGESS MARINE vision Project Nelson

The Best of British – BURGESS MARINE has a vision, that vision is to raise the Best of British flag within the marine engineering industry and make its country proud Photo: visualisation of Project Nelson

To me this design is a reflection of the NERO, below, pressed into the old BRITANNIA design ...


superyacht NERO

BURGESS MARINE superyacht NERO, to me this design, very classic, is the reflection of the above shown Project Nelson - Source: BURGESS MARINE

Since Margret Thatcher, the iron lady, I would call this small chandlers daugther - iron clad, destroyed the British industry to get rid of the unions, she too destroyed the once big, but old fashioned British shipbuilding industry. When rebuilding the shipping industry after WWII it was neccessary to have ships, and there was not enough time for new design approaches and technological developements. Those came from the former enemy across the North Sea - Germany, and from the naval rival across the chanel - France. Except single revolutionary ships, design and technology, the shipping lines and shipbuilders relied on proven design and technology. And in consequence the British shipbuilding industry lost track and competitiveness. As long as the customers had been British based and lines still had been in need, everything went well so far. But when the dramatic changes with air transport and containers came the industry went down the drain.
Royal Yacht and sail training vessel for 220 cadets, developed by Rear Admiral David Bawtree

Royal Yacht and sail training vessel for 220 cadets, developed by Rear Admiral David Bawtree - Source: Dailymail

Today there is still some shipbuilding competence, but focussed on naval shipbuilding and yacht construction. With that, you cannot build a modern passenger vessel. CAMMELL LAIRD was the last which tried to get back into the raging cruise shipbuilding market, but when COSTA did not accept their midsection for COSTA CLASSICA, worth GBP 50 mio, the company went bancrupt.
the Commonwealth Flagship project, a design by retired sdvertising entrepreneur Ian Maiden

Another design approach for a new Royal Yacht, very modern, the Commonwealth Flagship project, a design by retired sdvertising entrepreneur Ian Maiden - Source: CLASSICBOAT

But why a new Royal Yacht?
First, a new Royal Yacht will reinitiate a new British passenger shipbuilding industry.
Second Britain is for the future in the desperaste need of a trade ambassador that will help to save its international industry and trading interests and impress.
... and the more, as the newly inaugurated thing in the former colony won´t give a dime for British trade interests, feelings or such only to have the best for himself and America First
Third, the new Royal Yacht is a USP for an all over marketing.
Forth the new Royal Yacht, even build by tax funding will create more revenue than critics will see.
Fith, the new Royal Yacht may create a new "WE feeling" on the massively parted ilands, called United Kingdom.
... but with that must be established new philosophy - the strong have to aid/help the weak, otherwise the socity will break into have and have not, and that will end up in a revolution.

Aside of HEBREDIEN PRINCESS, the Royal Family is chartering often the LEANDER G of Donald Gosling - own collection

With € 480,000 per week, ex fuel, tip, food&beverage, port charges, etc. one of the most expensive charter yachts

Six, an own Royal Yacht for the head of state, the Queen/King of United Kingdom and Common Wealth of Nations would be for more appropropriate than chartering a yacht from companies, not only residing in UK ...

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