VIDEO: Super yachts cruise into Cork

The maritime heritage of Cork was celebrated yesterday when two majestic yachts sailed into view, one a sleek silhouette of modern motor cruising, the other an ode to a bygone era when ships had masts and rigging and relied on wind for speed.

Combining Italian shipbuilding know-how with French flair, the motor yacht L’Austral seemed almost to touch the ramparts of Blackrock Castle as she made her elegant way to the city’s north Custom House Quay.

Exhibiting the height of 21st-century sophistication and comfort, L’Austral is a cruise ship operated by the Marseille-based cruise line company Compagnie du Ponant and is named after an island group off the west coast of France.