The Destriero is a piece of boating in our country. Willed Prince Karim Aga Khan, it was the fastest ship to ply the Atlantic Ocean (
here the history of the record
) and served as a testing ground for many subsequent ships built by Fincantieri. However, an Italian record and symbol of powerboating that today seems poised to disappear forever just two years after its 30th anniversary.
Read the full story of the Destriero here:
For several years already, this hull has been lying abandoned in Germany. His position? The Lürssen shipyard, in Bremen, a major player in the superyacht field. Now, however, the situation seems poised for a turn, in the negative. The news, which comes from sources close to the site, is that the property has decided to complete its demolition at the same site where it is located.
The sad denouement of the Destriero
The record had brought fame to this aluminum hull and around the design, and on the wave of initial enthusiasm, the ship ended up in Bremen while a plan was being developed to make it into a yacht. In practice, however, it was only pulled dry, stripped of its turbines and left in the sun and rain. Abandonment on a boat such as the one designed by Donald Blount and Pininfarina is merciless, and over time large flaws have been created in the hull.
Attempts to bring him to Italy and “honor” his memory were not lacking. In addition to the record, in fact, from the Destriero and the development of deep-V hulls in steel and aluminum, Fincantieri developed a series of fast ferries that operated in the North Sea and the English Channel, plus four ships for the Tirrenia. From the Destriero, however, later came the Littoral Combat Ships, 115-meter, 40-knot ships for the U.S. Navy. A brief overview, this, but necessary to understand how, even economically, this hull has meant so much to Fincantieri’s coffers.
The crucial node, however, for its return has always been logistics. Too complicated and expensive. The voyage, in fact, involved going from the Bremen shipyard up the Weser River, to the North Sea, then the English Channel, and then down to the Mediterranean through the Strait of Gibraltar.
Ownership now appears to have decided to complete its demolition at the same site where it is located, Lürssen.
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1 thought on “The Destriero toward demolition. This is how a piece of Italian history disappears”
It‘s unbelievable! THE TRANSATLANTIK symbol of INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL Asset (Fincantieri for building, Donald Blount for design, mtu for F-18 Hornet fighterturbines derivates marinesation, KaMeWa/Rolls-Royce/Kongsberg jetstream propulsion, etc. ) and EUROPEAN&AMERICAS countries strong friendship is not foreseen for honorable retirement in museum after 2nd run for the legendary Blue Riband?