A replica Mauretania or Caronia?

Dear Mr Payne,
This was originally posted on our blog by Kyle Bryson:

"As a designer, you successfully fused the modern prowess and historic elegance to create the QM2. I was wondering what you think about the proposed Titanic II project of the Blue Star Line, and whether or not you would be confident to submit a ‘functioning replica’ if you had been tasked to create one, say a recreation of Mauretania or Caronia?"

[quote name='Adam Coulter']Dear Mr Payne,
This was originally posted on our blog by Kyle Bryson:

"As a designer, you successfully fused the modern prowess and historic elegance to create the QM2. I was wondering what you think about the proposed Titanic II project of the Blue Star Line, and whether or not you would be confident to submit a ‘functioning replica’ if you had been tasked to create one, say a recreation of Mauretania or Caronia?"[/QUOTE]


The big problem here is that its simply not possible to recreate the past. The rules and regulations under which we now have to design ships have moved on by leaps and bounds since Edwardian times and even since Caronia was built. A myriad of complex requirements completely negates building even a functional replica of such ships without enormous compromises and obvious changes. Blue Star's Titanic II is an interesting project -it will be fascinating to see how closely her modern day designers are able to replicate the past!

Stephen