Titanic replica to be built in China

A TYCOON has unveiled blueprints for a replica of the doomed Titanic.

Clive Palmer, an Australian mining entrepreneur, said Titanic II would largely recreate the design and decor of the original, which sank on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in 1912 with the loss of some 1500 lives.

He said modifications would keep it in line with current safety rules and shipbuilding practices.

The three passenger classes will be prevented from mingling, as in 1912, Palmer said.

“I’m not too superstitious,” Palmer said when asked in New York whether recreating a ship best known for sinking was tempting fate.

Palmer, who created the company Blue Star Line last year, said: “Anything will sink if you put a hole in it.

“I think it would be very cavalier to say it is unsinkable.”

Unlike the original, Titanic II will have more than enough lifeboat spaces for every person on board and will have additional escape staircases.

Markku Kanerva, sales director at Deltamarin, which designed it, said she would be the “safest cruise ship in the world”.

Palmer declined to answer questions about the project’s cost. Although at the time the Titanic was the world’s largest ship, she was smaller than many modern cruise ships.

He said: “It’s not about the money. I’ve got enough money for it, I think that’s all that matters.”

Forbes estimated Palmer’s net worth to be $795 million (£525m) in 2012.

Titanic II will be built in China, with Palmer hoping construction will begin later this year, and a maiden voyage in 2016,

“But if it takes longer, it takes longer,” he said.

Passengers will find 1912style clothing in their rooms should they wish to dress for an earlier era.