Historic Italian sailing vessel completes voyage from Valletta to France
The 'Florette' has arrived at the port of Sète to take part in the Mediterranean's largest maritime festival
A historic Italian ship registered in Malta has sailed from Valletta to the French port of Sète to take part in the Mediterranean’s largest maritime festival, Transport Malta has said.
Writing on Facebook, the authority said the Florette had arrived at the French city to take part in the Escale à Sète festival.
“For the first time, a ship flying the Maltese flag is among more than 120 historic vessels at this international event”, the authority said, calling the occasion “a proud moment for our islands and our maritime heritage”.
The Florette was built more than a century ago, in 1921, at the Picchiotti shipyard in the seaside Tuscan city of Viareggio.
The vessel was originally constructed to carry marble from Marina di Carrara to ports around the world and was built entirely by hand, according to the vessel's website.
“Her wooden hull and brigantine rig gave her the speed of a schooner and the strength of a square rigger, the kind of ship that worked hard and looked good doing it. A hundred years later, Florette is still sailing while the rest of her kind lives in museums”, the website says.
The Florette is operated by the Haynes family, with Ron Haynes having grown up on the ship, “learning every sound and line from his father before taking the helm himself. Three generations later, she’s still in the family and still under sail.”
His wife, Nicole, meanwhile, served in the Navy as an Officer of the Watch and a rescue diver.
The vessel is registered to an address in Gżira.