A grand lady of the sea has made a graceful departure from Newcastle Harbour after an 18-month makeover.
The 32-metre catamaran, Necker Belle, slipped swiftly out of port this afternoon, ghosting by on a run-out tide.
The Necker Belle is the private yacht of British billionaire, Sir Richard Branson.
Crewed mostly by young Aussies, it’s begun the first leg of a long trip across the Pacific, heading for Branson’s home in the Carribean via new Zealand and the Galapagos Islands, where Sir Richard will join the crew.
The yacht will be fitted with its own small submersible for undwater exploration once back in the Carribean and can be chartered for a cool $100,000 a week.
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I’ve been following the activities of Sir Richard for several years, especially since becoming aware of the idyllic Necker Island — and now this! I’m in awe and am eager to create a way to enjoy it all first hand.
Good luck with every phase of this venture…it will bring joy to many. You folks are a great inspiration!
Thanks for the blog — keep me on all of your mailings, please.