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Sailing vessels serve an actual purpose, though. The Dutch didn't build better boats for bragging rights.

• dekhn 1y ago
  National pride has long been tightly coupled to seafaring capabilities. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasa_(ship) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasa_(ship) "Richly decorated as a symbol of the king's ambitions for Sweden and himself, upon completion she was one of the most powerfully armed vessels in the worl"
  • TomWhitwell 1y ago
    Underrated comment
  • fwip 1y ago
    Sorry, you're right - they didn't build them solely for bragging rights.