30 years of Star Clippers - A look at CEO & President Mikael Krafft’s vision and passion!

30 years of Star Clippers A look at CEO & President Mikael Krafft’s vision and passion.

STAR CLIPPERS

STAR CLIPPERS

How one man’s vision and passion became a reality The cruising industry in the 21st century

Finnish island of Aland. At a time when steam-

offers a multitude of options, with huge vessels

powered vessels dominated the seas, it was at

boasting the modern amenities and facilities.

this point that Mikael was inspired by the world

Sometimes, however, it is worth taking a step

of traditional sailing vessels.

back in time to appreciate how different things were. This was Mikael Krafft’s philosophy and

His excitement reached new heights at the age

his dream was to bring traditional tall ship

of ten when his father presented him with an

sailing into the 21st century. Star Clippers takes

18-foot wooden sailboat. It wasn’t long after

a closer look at the life and inspiration of Mikael

that that Mikael embarked on a series of 20-

Krafft and how his passion influenced him.

mile journeys across the open sea, without a compass and unknown to his parents, simply

In 1946, Mikael Krafft was born in Stockholm,

to visit the masterpiece that was Pommern. One

Sweden, and was fortunate enough to grow up

day, not content with merely looking at the ship,

just around the corner from one of the finest

a 12-year-old Mikael climbed up the rigging

yacht builders in the world. The Plyms Shipyard

without permission and was caught by a guard.

intrigued Mikael and ultimately led to the start of his passion for sailing. At just six years old,

The guard yelled: “Come on down!!! If you

he was able to secure a job at the shipyard and,

don’t, you’ll fall down and kill yourself. But I’ll

while carrying varnish and mixing wood stain,

kill you anyway when you come down.” Luckily,

he learnt about Pommern, a four-masted steel

he survived to tell this tale and dreamed of one

barquentine which was docked at the Swedish-

day owning such a vessel of his own.

Mikael Krafft later graduated from the

Clipper in 1992. Krafft embarked on an even

University of Stockholm with a degree in

bigger challenge in the years that followed, with

Maritime Law, before practicing law in France

dreams of building a five-masted full-rigged tall

and Sweden. In the 1970’s, he was appointed

ship, similar to that of the 1902 German vessel,

as manager of L. Jeansson Co., a small Swedish

Preussen. The almighty Royal Clipper launched

shipping company founded in 1875. Under

in 2000, having entered service 98 years after

Krafft, the company expanded into oil storage,

Preussen.

forestry, sawmills, finance/leasing, and real estate – which he pursued further upon moving

The linkage to Preussen is not surprising when it

to Brussels with his family in 1986. He sold his

is realised that Star Clippers was created in 1989

interests in Sweden and founded the White Star

expressly to preserve the traditions of the sea

Group of Belgium, which focussed on real estate

and to enable passengers today to experience, in

developments in the Benelux countries.

air-conditioned mega-yacht luxury with all the amenities, what it was like to have sailed aboard

The dream seemed all but over. Yet, Krafft never

a great clipper ship of a century ago.

did let go of his passion for sailing. While sailing in the Caribbean on board his own sailing yacht,

There are no computerised sails on Star

Gloria, in 1987, he claims all the pieces came

Clippers, and there never will be! The Captains

together. The sailing trips he embarked on in

and the crew are very experienced square-

his youth, his knowledge of traditional sailing

rigger sailors who rely heavily on modern

vessels, and the ventures on board his personal

technology so long as it is reliably based on the

yachts all inspired him and kept the dream alive.

old-fashioned, traditional methods proven over the generations. Some winches are electric-

Along with the assistance of White Star Group,

powered, as few as feasible. Muscle-powered

he established a new line known as Star

winches are widely used.

Clippers. He conducted intense clipper ship research for three years - meticulously studying

Today, Star Clippers offers an elegant nod to

preserved original plans for mid-19th-century

a bygone era of traditional tall ship sailing.

ships. Krafft was also aware that these ships

Passengers can experience this unique way

would have to comply with modern regulations

of travelling while experiencing a range of

and, therefore, modifications had to be made.

beautiful destinations in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Far East Asia.

With the help of a trusted team of experienced architects and engineers, plans for the first new

Twice yearly Royal Clipper and Star Flyer

clipper ship in 90 years were successfully drawn

embark on a transatlantic voyage having

up. The result was Star Flyer, which launched

spent the summers in the Mediterranean and

in 1991 and began 7 and 14-day cruises in

winters in the Caribbean, with Barbados and St.

the Caribbean. Followed by sister ship Star

Maarten being the home ports of call between

November and March. Star Clipper currently

“Royal Clipper”, christened in the Principality of

resides in the Far East year-round with a

Monaco by Her Majesty, Queen Silvia of Sweden

number of sailings taking in the Anadaman Sea

in 2000, acknowledged by the Guinness Book of

from Phuket and discovering Indonesia and

Records as the world’s biggest five-masted full-

Borneo during the summer.

rigged ship, his dedication is confirmed.

Mikael Krafft’s objective is to give anyone the

His successes in business ashore have enabled

opportunity to experience a reasonably-priced

him to fulfill his lifelong dreams at sea.

holiday as fabulous as if one had been invited as a guest on one of the utmost mega-yachts of the world. His first two tall ships have now been in successful service for nearly thirty years and with the introduction of his flagship

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