11th July, 2016 LONDON / Greater Fort Lauderdale in Florida, home to the largest collection of warm-water wrecks in the Western world, has confirmed a new addition to the collection in the form of Lady Luck which will be lowered to the seabed on Saturday 23rd July.

Complete with the world's first underwater art gallery, the 324-foot tanker ship will be one of the biggest contributions to Florida's artificial reef system, the most easily accessible major dive site in the nation. The length of a football field and taller than the Statue of Liberty, Lady Luck is scheduled to be sunk just one mile from the Pompano Beach fishing pier, in the Greater Fort Lauderdale area. It will be the centerpiece of what will become Shipwreck Park, surrounded by 16 other existing wrecks already inhabited by marine flora and fauna.

Taking inspiration from the ships name, distinguished artist Dennis MacDonald has created a casino themed installation allowing divers to navigate poker tables and slot machines as they explore the vessel. Divers of all levels will have access to the sunken ship. Interesting features for exploration include 16 staterooms, the captain's deck, galley, engine room, tanker holding bays and a collection of rotating underwater art exhibits.

For more information, visit shipwreckparkpompano.org and for destination recommendations visit www.sunny.org

#ENDS#

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About Lady Luck

Lady Luck was purchased from the City of New York by Shipwreck Park, Inc., a not-for-profit organisation initially funded by the City of Pompano Beach and the Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park in a public-private endeavor.  Like many New York retirees, Lady Luck's final home will be in South Florida.

The ship was towed from New York City to a facility on the Miami River where she is being cleaned and prepped for sinking.  Once prepped, Lady Luck will be docked at Port Everglades before being towed to her final destination and sunk off the coast of Pompano Beach.

The Shipwreck Park, Inc. is a State of Florida registered 501(c) (3) organization (No. CH47029).  The project is accepting contributions for ongoing expansion of the artificial reef system with additional sunken ships and rotating underwater art installations. There are numerous vessel artifacts and limited edition apparel available to donors. Learn more at project's generosity.com campaign at www.sinktheladyluck.com.

About Greater Fort Lauderdale

From the seagrass to the sawgrass, Greater Fort Lauderdale, located in Broward County, boasts more than 34,000 lodging accommodations at a variety of hotels, luxury spa resorts, and Superior Small Lodgings reflecting a “beach chic” vibe. Visitors enjoy 23 miles of Blue Wave certified beaches, discover 300+ miles of inland waterways that run from the Intracoastal Waterway to the Everglades, dine at thousands of restaurants and eateries, get immersed in a thriving arts and culture scene and indulge in top shopping.

Get social and engage with Greater Fort Lauderdale on social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Foursquare, and Pinterest: @visitlauderdale.

Press enquires

Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau UK

Charlotte Fox / Sophie Banna

Tel: 0207 7593 1718/1750

E-mail: charlottef@hillsbalfour.com  / sophieb@hillsbalfour.com