Talitha G sparks media frenzy in Portals

All eyes were trained on the super yacht Talitha G yesterday after her arrival in Portals on Monday evening. The private yacht belongs to John Paul Getty II and is one of the most luxurious in the world. Two years ago Camilla Parker Bowles enjoyed a Minorcan cruise on board the yacht and Talitha G is also a firm favourite with the likes of Tom Cruise, who once chartered the yacht for a Balearic cruise with his ex-wife Nicole Kidman. So, the appearance of Talitha G in Balearic waters always causes a stir and arouses media interest. But Talitha G has a long and distinguished history. She was built in 1930 for the American Algar family whose fortune came from the Packard car company. Sadly, Mr Algar died soon after construction of the yacht was completed and she was sold to the Woolworths tycoon, Charles McCann. When the Second World War broke out she was requisitioned and, after her clipper bow was removed and her interior stripped, she was renamed USS Beaumont and put into service along the East Coast of the United States. After the war she was purchased by a wealthy Greek shipping company and underwent a complete refit in the States before being moved to Greece. Strangely, by the late 1970*s her Greek owners grew tired of her and she was sold to Robert Stigwood, the man behind the film Saturday Night Fever. She was refitted and used for society functions all over the world until the mid 1980*s when Talitha G developed mechanical problems and Stigwood subsequently lost interest in the yacht, selling her to John Paul Getty II. However, no sooner had she been bought, the yacht was mothballed in the UK for a few years while her fate was decided. In 1990 she was taken to the DML ship yard in Plymouth for a two-year $20 million refit under the supervision of Jon Bannenberg. Apart from a complete mechanical and interior over haul, the main aim of the refit was to combine classic looks with modern amenities and the Talitha G returned to sea as one of the most elegant and romantic super yachts afloat. Every year she pops up in Majorcan waters and every year she sparks a media frenzy over who is on board.