History | |
---|---|
Name | Necker Nymph |
Owner | Virgin Limited Edition |
Operator | Virgin Oceanic |
Builder | Hawkes Ocean Technologies |
Cost | £415,000 |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | DeepFlight Merlin |
Displacement | 750 kg |
Length | 4.6 m |
Beam | 3.0 m |
Capacity | 3 |
Crew | 1 |
The Necker Nymph is a submersible vehicle operated by Virgin Aquatic [1] from the 32-metre yacht Necker Belle , [2] which is based at the Virgin Limited Edition resort Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands. [3]
The Necker Nymph is the initial example of the DeepFlight Merlin class of positively-buoyant open-cockpit wet subs manufactured by Hawkes Ocean Technologies. [4] It relies on hydrodynamic forces for anti-lift force. It is 4.5 metres long, capable of 360-degree "hydrobatic" manoeuvres, can dive up to 40 metres underwater, and seats one pilot and two passengers in an open cockpit (necessitating wearing scuba gear). [5] [6] Occupants have a "windscreen" to protect them from the water's slipstream.[ citation needed ]
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is a British business magnate, commercial astronaut and former convict. In the 1970s he co-founded the Virgin Group, which today controls more than 400 companies in various fields.
Virgin Atlantic, a trading name of Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited and Virgin Atlantic International Limited, is a British airline with its head office in Crawley, West Sussex, England. The airline was established in 1984 as British Atlantic Airways, and was originally planned by its co-founders Randolph Fields and Alan Hellary to fly between London and the Falkland Islands. Soon after changing the name to Virgin Atlantic Airways, Fields sold his shares in the company after disagreements with Richard Branson over the management of the company. The maiden flight from London–Gatwick to Newark took place on 22 June 1984.
Virgin Group Limited is a British multinational venture capital conglomerate founded by Richard Branson and Nik Powell in February 1970.
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Necker Island is a 30-hectare (74-acre) island in the British Virgin Islands just north of Virgin Gorda. The island is entirely owned by Sir Richard Branson, chairman of the Virgin Group, and is part of the Virgin Limited Edition portfolio of luxury properties. The whole island operates as a resort and can accommodate up to 40 guests, with additional room for six children.
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Eustatia Island is a 30-acre island of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) in the Caribbean. The word "Eustatia" is a Greek derived word meaning, "good place to stay." The entire island, and a small neighboring island, Saba Rock, are under the same long term lease. The island is regularly featured and photographed for several publications and was listed as one of the top 20 most beautiful islands in the world in the December 2004 issue of Islands magazine.
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