Meteor - The German Royal Yachts

Note: This article handles not the 52m schooner yacht by Royal Huisman from 2007.

Wilhelm II (in English: William II) governed the German Empire from 1888 to 1918 and was also the King of Prussia and belonged to the House of Hohenzollern. His grandmother was Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

Not much known: Wilhelm II was an enthusiastic yachtsman. He owned several sailing yachts and enjoyed yacht races in Germany and United Kingdom. He owned not only sailing yachts. Two of his yachts were the H.M.S. Hohenzollern I (88 meters) and H.M.S. Hohenzollern II (120 meters).

The original name of the first Meteor was Thistle. This yacht was designed by George Lennox Watson launched in 1887 at D. and W. Henderson & Company at the Clyde river in Scotland and had a length of 33.05 meters. The order was given by some members of the Royal Clyde Yacht Club. Her Mission: Challenging the American defender yacht Volunteer at the 7. America’s Cup. Unfortunately, she lost 0-2 against Volunteer from the New York Yacht Club. However, she was very successful when she was back in her home waters. That’s why Wilhelm II bought the yacht because he was looking for a promising regatta yacht.

Wilhelm II wanted a faster racing yacht. He charged the yacht designer George Lennox Watson to construct the new one. The yacht was also built by D. and W. Henderson, like her predecessor. She served until 1902. This yacht was similar to H.M.Y. Brittania

1902 – new yacht, new designer and new shipyard. Not British, not German – Wilhelm II decided to the American designer Cary Smith and the American shipyard Townsend & Downey Shipbuilding Co.

Alice Roosevelt – the daughter of the U.S. president Theodore Roosevelt – christened the yacht. That was the beginning of the German-American sailing friendship.

In 1909 Dr. Carl Dietrich Harries (the husband of Werner von Siemens‘ daughter – Hertha) bought the yacht and renamed her in Nordstern (North Star) and converted to cruise with her in German and Mediterranean seas.

She was the last and biggest sailing yacht belongs to Wilhelm II. Like Meteor IV also designed by Max Oertz and built in 1914 by Germaniawerft in Kiel.