principally through the vision of the German shipowner Ferdinand Laeisz with his famous Flying "P" Line—Rigel Crockett: Fair Wind and Plenty of it: A Modern-day Tall Ship Adventure[1]
part of the latter's famous Flying P Line—Max Wood Sailing Tall: Around the World on the Square-Rigged Passat (1946-1948)[2]
Without doubt, the most successful fleet of sail-driven ships ever assembled under one flag were those operated by Ferdinand Laeisz of Germany. ... few sailing ships were built in Britain that could equal the size, power and strength of the Laeisz 'P' Liners, as they were called ... the nickname 'Flying P Line', which referred to the speed and power of the ships as much as to their names.—Robert Carter: Windjammers, Rosenberg Publishing Pty, Limited, 2004, ISBN1-877058-04-1[3]
the famous Line of the Flying P' nitrate ships out of Hamburg, from the House of Laeisz.—Alan VilliersPioneers of the seven seas[4]
this process of experimentation, which culminated in two monstrous sailing ships: the 4,029-ton, five-masted barque Potosi, launched in 1895, and the 5,081-ton, five-masted, full-rigged ship Preussen in 1920. Regardless of the sailing cruise liners of recent times, these two Laeisz ships remain the last word on square rig. Operational lessons learned by the company and its shipmasters through routine roundings of the Horn benefited the new vessels and led to increasingly efficient voyages. By the early 1900s, Laeisz had come to favor the four-masted barque of around Pamir's size. The P-Liners employed a number of innovations to make them stronger, safer, and more efficient than other ships of their type. Steel hulls and spars and wire standing rigging enabled the vessels to be driven hard. None of the four- or five-masted Laeisz ships ever foundered or was dismasted in a Cape Horn storm in the course of countless voyages. Safety nets helped prevent crew from falling overboard. A midships bridge deck provided an elevated working platform to break the force of boarding seas and diminish the volume of water on deck at any given time. Laborsaving devices such as the Jarvis brace winch made it possible to brace the yards with only one watch. Such improvements increased efficiency while reducing injury and crew size. The effectiveness of the Flying P-Line lay not only in the construction of the vessel but also in their management. – Daniel S. Parrott: Tall Ships Down: The Last Voyages of the Pamir, Albatross, Marques, Pride of Baltimore, and Maria Asumpta, McGraw-Hill Professional ISBN0-07-143545-X
1890: At the end of the 19th century sailing ships and steamships are in equal use with the number of large sailing vessels on the decline. Yet not for the F. Laeisz shipping line whose famed sailing ships will continue to race around Cape Horn for another four decades. Even today, the "Flying P-Line" sailing ships are world-renowned. 1895: The ultimate of the "Flying P Liner" sailing ships, the POTOSI, is a five-masted ship designed to withstand rough weather. It completes two round trips to Chile per year.—www.laeisz.deArchived 2007-11-07 at the Wayback Machine
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1890: At the end of the 19th century sailing ships and steamships are in equal use with the number of large sailing vessels on the decline. Yet not for the F. Laeisz shipping line whose famed sailing ships will continue to race around Cape Horn for another four decades. Even today, the "Flying P-Line" sailing ships are world-renowned. 1895: The ultimate of the "Flying P Liner" sailing ships, the POTOSI, is a five-masted ship designed to withstand rough weather. It completes two round trips to Chile per year.—www.laeisz.deArchived 2007-11-07 at the Wayback Machine
