Racing

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Since the invention of maritime sports, boat racing remains one of the most popular. Both an olympic and independant sport, boat racing consists of either two or more boats racing against each other in a body of water. There are types of boat races that take place in both still water and out on the open ocean, although both necessitate the use of different vessels.

Boat races can broadly be split into two seperate categories: human-powered and engined. Human-powered boat races are typically rowing events, numerous of which take place over the world all-year round. One of the most notable rowing events is the Oxford University vs Cambridge University boat race, a race that stretches back for decades and is viewed by large audiences.

Olympic boat races feature both rowing and motor engine boats, although engine powered boat racing events take place on the ocean. The ocean events are not always straight-line races like rowing events, and may involve having to complete a set course within a specific period of time, with contestants starting the course one after another in order to compete to get the best time within the limitations of the course.

P&O Cruises

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The company P&O Cruises offers a number of cruise lines and is known around the world. The company is often regarded the the oldest cruise company in the world, so long as you take into account that the company has changed it’s offical status and name a number of times through history. The modern-day company was originally a constituent of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation company, which was the first company to offer any form of passenger cruises commercially.

P&O Cruises, as well as its predecessors, have designed a number of cruise lines throughout history and have spawned a number of competing companies each attempting to offer better services and entertainment than each other. P&O are known for developing their own cruise ships that are purpose-built to attempt to accomodate the wishes of any passenger who may choose to go on a cruise. The facilities on board modern cruise ships would likely once have been thought impossible, but thanks to modern construction techniques and materials, certain technological challenges have been able to be overcome, such as having swimming pools on-board ships.

The development and expansion of cruise ships has also spawned an entire industry and helped a number of individuals find reliable employment, with a number of entertainers preferring to work solely on-board cruise ships in a similar fashion to the way a band might choose to go on a tour, with one of the major advantages being job security as well as a known end-date for their work. Although many who do work on cruise ships do choose to extend their contracts and may even sign-up for working on multiple cruises throughout the year.

American Cruise Lines

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US company American Cruise Lines was founded in 1991 and is a smaller cruise company that operates six ships along both the Eastern Seaboard and Western Seaboard, stretching all the way up to Alaska. The company also operates slong the Mississippi-Ohio and Columbia-Snake river systems in the United States.

The company’s first ship was a 49-passenger craft that was called the American Eagle. The ship was first launched in 2000 and due to the ship’s success the company followed-up by ordering another ship of the same size in 2002 called American Glory.

The popularity and commerial success of the company’s first two ships allowed them to expand their operations and invest more money in an even larger ship, the American Spirit, which was able to hold two as many passengers as the first ships could. The company have cinued to expand their operations, even going so far as to purchase and renovate a Paddlewheeler which entered service in 2016. The company have been able to contribute to the local economies of the ports that they visit and almost every cruise that the company operates has been given great reviews by passengers.

HMS Victory

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The HMS Victory was a Royal Navy ship that was ordered in 1758 and finally launched in 1765. The ship was a first-rate warship, having 104 guns and designed as a flagship for the admiralty of the day. The ship is perhaps best known for being the flagship of Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar on the 21st of October 1805. After the battle the ship went on to serve as Keppel’s flagship at Ushand, Jervis’ flagship at Cape St Vincent, and Howe’s flagship at Cape Spartel. By this time the ship had served her time and was relagated to the role of harbour ship.

Not completely finished and having played an important role in British naval history, the ship was moved to a dry dock at Pourtsmouth, England, in 1922 where it was preserved as a museum ship. The ship is still technically in service and has been the flagship of the First Sea Lord since October 2012, making it the oldest naval ship in the world to still be in commission, having been in service for 241 years as of 2019.

HMS Victory was one of 12 ships that were ordered by Pitt the Elder as part of his hole as head of the British government. Victory was one of ten first-rate ships that had been comissioned. The architect that was chosen to design the ship was Sir Thomas Slade who was serving as the Surveyor of the Navy at that time. In total, the ship required around 6,000 trees for construction, alongside 150 workmen who were assigned to construct the frame, 90% of which was made from oak, with elm, pine, and fir used when required.