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Young Christina Onassis in picture
with a happy smile next to a lifeboat of the yacht baring her
name.
Picture of Ari and diva Maria Callas
aboard Christina chatting with the paparazzi.
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Picture below is the Onassis family
aboard the Christina in Monaco. Onassis first wife Tina with with
his only two children: Christina and Alexandros.
Picture of Jackie O former US first
lady Jackie Kennedy with her children upon disembarkation of
Christina on Onassis private island Scorpios.
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"Christina's" HISTORY
Originally built in 1943 as a
Canadian convoy escort, the yacht was purchased by shipping
magnate Aristotle Onassis in 1954.
Onassis spent over $4 million to convert the ship, into the most
elegant and advanced private yacht afloat. He named it "Christina"
after his daughter (young Christina Onassis in photo).
The "Christina" was Onassis' "floating home" from 1954 to 1975.
During that time, the vessel's guest list was the ultimate who's
who of dignitaries and Hollywood stars, including such luminaries
as Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, King Farouk of Egypt, opera diva
Maria Callas and numerous others.
John F. Kennedy first met Winston Churchill aboard the yacht and
two of the most celebrated wedding receptions of the century were
held on her decks - Prince Rainier of Monaco to Grace Kelly and
Onassis himself to Jacqueline Kennedy.
After Onassis' death in 1975, his daughter Christina donated the
yacht to the Greek government.
In 1998, the yacht was bought by John Paul Papanicolaou, an
Onassis family friend and shipping industry leader. He began
Christina's three-year restoration, involving meticulous research,
engineering and craftsmanship. "We're thrilled to reintroduce the
fabled "Christina O" in all her original splendor," he says.
"Having been a passenger aboard the yacht in my youth, I feel a
special pride in bringing her forth to sail into the new
millennium. The extent and attention to detail of her restoration
would make Onassis proud."
Now, after more than a quarter-century, the yacht returns to sail
into a new millennium in her original grandeur complemented by
today's latest technology.
As her legendary past blends into the dawning of a new era,
"Christina O" affords a first-time opportunity to experience the
extraordinary lifestyle of the Onassis years replete with the
modern touches of the 21st century.
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