Malta on clipper's itinerary

The largest fully rigged sailing ship in the world, the Royal Clipper, will be including Malta on her itinerary this summer, starting with her first official call yesterday.

The ship, one of the Star Clippers' f leet of vessels, offers luxury cruises in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, with prices ranging from $1,445 for seven nights to $4,795, per person, excluding airfares.

For the fare, the 227 guests get to sail in a ship built in 2000, modelled on a 1902 sailing ship, the Preussen, but offering all the facilities of a modern cruise ship, from three swimming pools to a marina deck from which the guests can enjoy watersports.

The boat also boasts a three-deck atrium that funnels sunlight into the dining-room. Guests may even climb the mast - with a special safety harness - to special passengers' platforms furnished with a settee.

The Captain Nemo Lounge, the site of the spa and health club, even features underwater glass portholes.

The 133-metre vessel has 42 sails on her distinctive five masts, a total sail area of 5,000 square metres.

The Royal Clipper will call at Gozo on alternate Tuesday mornings, moving on to Valletta for the afternoons and evenings.

She entered Grand Harbour with sails majestically unfurled, even though there was hardly any wind, at around 2.30 p.m.