Yacht

A yacht is a sail or motor-propelled watercraft made for pleasure, cruising, or racing. The term yacht means "hunt" in Dutch, as the Dutch Republic built light and fast sailing vessels to pursue pirates around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries. The Ancient Egyptians originated the tradition of rowed pleasure boats, and the history of sailing yachts in Europe began with the building of a pleasure vessel for Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales in the early 1600s. King Charles II of England brought the name yacht to England, and he commissioned a series of royal yachts. The first recorded yacht race occurred in 1661. Yachting shifted to Ireland after 1720 as European waters were threatened by a series of wars. During the late 18th century, yachts came to be powered by screw propellers, and compound engines came into widespread use during the late 19th century. By 2020, there were still more than 15,000 yachts that required a professional crew.