København was a Danish, British-built five-masted barque used as a naval training vessel until its disappearance after December 22, 1928. Built for the Danish East Asiatic Company in 1921, it was the world's largest sailing ship at the time, and primarily served for sail training of young cadets. The København was last heard from on December 21, 1928, while en route from Buenos Aires to Australia. When it became clear the ship was missing, a lengthy search ensued, but neither København nor anyone who had been aboard her on her final voyage was ever found. Despite both the extensive search and much speculation about the vessel's fate, København remains missing and what happened to her crew and cadets remains a mystery. Description The København was built by the firm of Ramage & Ferguson at Leith in Scotland (hull number 256). It was commissioned by the Danish East Asiatic Company as a sail training ship. Their original commission of January 1914 was well underway at the onset of the First World War when the British Admiralty commandeered the first commission as an oil fuel tender. The East Asiatic Company had to then recommission their training ship and this second commission began in 1918 and was completed in 1921. The second commission included for a four-cylinder diesel engine by Burmeister & Wain capable of propelling the ship at 6 knots. The propellers were fitted with reversible blades (controlled from within) to ease the reversing of the ship. She was classified by Lloyd's of London as Class 100 A1, the highest classification of the age. Known as the "Big Dane", it was the largest sailing ship in the world when completed. It was 430 feet (131 metres) long (tip to tail) with a 390 foot long deck and grossed 3,965 tons empty, with a capacity of 5200 tons. A central water ballast of up to 1245 tons provided excellent stability. Its five masts stood 197 feet (60m) over the keel, with sails spanning a total of 56,000 square feet (5,202 square metres). It had an auxiliary diesel motor as well as a wireless transmitter. The figurehead was a carving of a helmeted Bishop Absalon, the warrior-priest who founded the state of Denmark. The heavy standing rigging ran to 4.5 miles in length and weighed 27 tons, the lighter running rigging stretched to a further 23 miles and weighed a further 23 tons. Her