With her classic lines, clipper bow, counter stern and two impressive funnels, the super yacht Talitha is in a class of her own bringing a touch of elegance to the port.

The 80-metre yacht entered the Pendennis Shipyard for repairs on Monday after spending several days anchored on the Falmouth Bank.

Pendennis Shipyard is recognised in the industry as a world class super yacht facility, employing over 350 personnel, one of the largest employers in Cornwall.

At the World Super Yacht Awards in Florence next month Pendennis will be hoping to pick up another award following its success in 2016 for the refit of classic motor yacht Malahne recognised as the Best Rebuild. This year the company entered MY Constance and MY Aquila into the refit category of the awards.

Billionaire recluse John Paul Getty bought Talitha after she had been laid up in the River Fal and had her restored at Devonport under Australian designer Jon Bannenberg’s guidance in 1993.

Launched in 1930 at the Krupp’s shipyard, Kiel as the Reveller for a Mr. Algar of the Packard Car Co she sailed to Southampton for furnishing at Camper & Nicholson’s after Mr. Algar died prematurely.

Charles Mc Cann of the FW Woolworth clan purchased her for $375,000 and changed the name to Chalena. In the late 1900s she changed owners again and was renamed Carola to carry on her cruising role in the Atlantic.

With the outbreak of the Second World War the Carola was requisitioned by the United States Navy for her new role as a gunboat, complete with two three-inch guns, six anti-aircraft guns and depth charges.

Commissioned as the USS Beaumont PG60 she operated as an ocean weather ship between Midway Island and Pearl Harbour. After war service the Beaumont was reconverted into a yacht once more minus the famous clipper bow and called Elpetal.

Used as a private yacht and a Mediterranean charter yacht by the Greek ship-owner Marais Embiricios she was eventually laid up on the Greek island of Petali in the late 70fs until bought by the film producer Robert Stigwood in 1983.

Stigwood spent £12 million on renovating the yacht at Malta installing new engine room equipment, satnav and satcom communications systems and tastefully refurbishing the interior to bring back the magic and charisma of the 30s cruising era.

The impressario even employed Italian, Chinese and French chefs in the crew. Following another name change, this time to Jezebel, she embarked on more cruising before coming to rest in Lisbon in the late 1980s with main engine crankshaft failure on both engines. Jezebel arrived in the River Fal to lay up on May 16, 1988, and sailed on January 25, 1991. The Talitha is apparently still owned by the Getty family who use the vessel for family holidays.