| Croatia. Auction of former Yuglosav President Tito megayacht postponed |
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| Tuesday, 09 May 2006 | |
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Marian Martin: The auction of the 120 metre superyacht Galeb, which was used by President Tito, has been postponed. The yacht, which had recently been offered for sale, by US broker 4Yacht Inc, for $6 million, had been due to go under the hammer today, with an opening bid of $150,000 and a valuation of $275,000. Vojko Obersnel, the mayor of Rijeka, where the Galeb lies, is hoping to buy the vessel and turn it into a museum and it is believed that the postponement is to allow time for the town to raise funds for the purchase and restoration. BYM News spoke today with someone on board the Galeb, who declined to give his name, but said that the yacht was in very sound condition, far better than its neglected paintwork would suggest. The Galeb has played host to many international leaders, including Winston Churchill, Khrushchev, Gadaffi and Gandhi, but it is said that the guests Tito most enjoyed entertaining were Richard Burton, who portrayed him in the war epic Sutjeska, and Elizabeth Taylor. Sophia Loren was another famous star who was Tito's guest on board the yacht. Tito’s yacht first became noticed internationally when, in 1953, it carried him up the Thames, to be greeted on board by the Duke of Edinburgh, when he made the first ever visit to Britain by a communist head of state. |
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 09 May 2006 ) |
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