In 1989, Swedish entrepreneur Mikael Krafft turned his boyhood dream into a reality when he founded Star Clippers, the only modern-day cruise line dedicated to re-creating the golden age of the tall sailing ships while providing passengers with a mega-yacht experience. Meticulously researched down to the last detail, Star Flyer and Star Clipper entered service in the early 1990s as the tallest clipper ships ever built, with main masts rising 226 feet and a maximum sailing speed of 17 knots. In July 2000, the twin sister-ships were joined by Royal Clipper, the line’s flagship and the first fully rigged square-rigger with five masts built since Preussen in l902. Star Clippers announced plans to build a new five-masted vessel.