Still The Most Beautiful Ship In The World
The Amerigo Vespucci is 90 years old and doesn’t look it
On September 1, 2022, the colossal USS George H.W. Bush met the tiny school ship Amerigo Vespucci in the sunny Mediterranean sea.
The contrast between the Nimitz-class supercarrier — 1,092 (333 m) feet long and over 100,000 tons — and the 330 ft (101 m) long, slightly over 4,000 tons Italian three-mast sailing ship was, of course, astounding.
But the conversation that went on between the two vessels was even more remarkable: it represented the follow-up to an exchange that went on between the Amerigo Vespucci and another American aircraft carrier, exactly 60 years ago.
On July 12, 1962, the USS Independence sailed past the full-rigged ship, and flashed the Amerigo Vespucci with the light signal demanding identification. Who are you?, it asked.
“Training ship Amerigo Vespucci, Italian Navy,” was the response.
After a moment, the American carrier signaled back with the comment,
“You are the most beautiful ship in the world.”
