THEY came to witness a once in a lifetime event and they were not disappointed.Dozens of sailing enthusiasts gathered at Haven Marina in Ipswich yesterday to watch as the Gaia Kingstown was launched for the first time.

THEY came to witness a once in a lifetime event and they were not disappointed.

Dozens of sailing enthusiasts gathered at Haven Marina in Ipswich yesterday to watch as the Gaia Kingstown was launched for the first time.

The 100ft long vessel, built by Ipswich-based classic yacht designing company Spirit Yachts Ltd, is the largest single-masted wooden yacht to be built in Britain since the Second World War.

Workers spent 18 months painstakingly designing and building the huge structure, which weighs 42 tonnes and is worth £4million, before its momentous launch yesterday. It was commissioned by a British businessman living abroad.

Sean McMillan, managing director of Spirit Yachts, said: “It's a very beautiful and very significant boat.

“For anyone interested in sailing, it's such a rare event. It's a once in a lifetime experience.”

Mr McMillan's business partner, Mick Newman, who was co-founder and co-director of the company, tragically died earlier this year when his light aircraft crashed in a mountainous area in northern Turkey.

And Mr McMillan said yesterday he would have been extremely proud to have watched its launch.