VALIANT AND HELLAS 1
Valiant was one of the greatest yachts of the late 19th and the 20th century, a famous vessel the world all over that achieved doing transatlantic trips all by itself and with just her owner and his family... It is discussed and described in numerous books and articles and will remain in the history as a truly great yacht... Its Greek reincarnation was as Ira M of the Manuelides Line and then as Hellas of the Hellenic Coast Lines!
Hellas was built in 1893 (and completed in August 1893) at Laird Shipyards in Birkenhead, close to Liverpool. She was named Valiant and her owner was W. K. Vanderbilt. At the time she was built, she was one of the biggest yachts in the world with a tonnage of 1,823 tons. By comparison (although an unfair one) seh would be bigger than any Greek passenger liner 70 years later (1963) except for Philippos and Angelika! She had a length of 93.8 meters and a width of 11.9 meters. Her service speed was 17.3 knots! Here is a very early picture of hers from 1895.
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And here is a wonderful article in the New York Times of August 26, 1893, a few days after her completion, describing her glorious interior in detail. She had just arrived in the USA.
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