Golden Horizon Heads to Malta for Refit After Reported Sale

Golden Horizon is heading to Malta for an expected refurbishment after leaving a multiyear lay-up at Brodosplit’s shipyard in Split, Croatia. AIS information shows the sailing cruise ship departed earlier this week and is scheduled to reach Valletta on September 25, 2026.

The departure follows a reported sale earlier this month. Croatian outlet Jutarni.hr described the buyer as a Swiss shipowner operating about 100 vessels and valued the transaction at €110 million. The buyer’s identity has not been confirmed.

“Most likely to be cleaned of fouling due to the standstill,” Brodosplit spokesperson Josip Jurisic told dnevnik.hr, which reported that refurbishment was expected after arrival. Jurisic also said the vessel was not subject to sanctions, adding that it would otherwise have been unable to leave the shipyard.

Completed at Brodosplit in summer 2019, the roughly 8,800-gross-ton ship measures 162.2 metres and can accommodate up to 324 guests in 140 suites and staterooms. It combines diesel-electric propulsion with a five-masted rig carrying 36 sails, with a total sail area of approximately 6,345 square metres.

Star Clippers originally ordered the vessel in 2014 under the name Flying Clipper, but a legal dispute with Brodosplit prevented delivery. The shipyard cancelled the sale in August 2019, alleging that Star Clippers had failed to meet contractual obligations.

Brodosplit’s allegations included delays in securing essential vessel components and associated technical documentation. The yard also disputed the activation of bank funding that included a €12 million state guarantee, attributing an almost two-year delivery delay to the buyer’s actions.

The vessel subsequently became Golden Horizon and was chartered to UK-based startup Tradewind Voyages in 2020. That operator ceased operations in 2022, leaving the ship laid up in Split.