Olympic-class ocean liner so, the "Olympic"-class ships were built to surpass rival Cunard's largest ships, "Lusitania" and "Mauretania", in size and luxury. "Olympic", along with "Titanic" and the soon to be built "Britannic", were intended to be the largest and most luxurious ships to operate on the North Atlantic, but not the fastest, as the White Star Line had already switched from high speed to size and luxury. The three vessels were designed by Thomas Andrews and Alexander Carlisle. Construction of "Olympic" started in December 1908 and "Titanic" in March 1909. The two ships were built side by side. The construction of "Britannic"
Way (vessel) under weigh with very little fuss" (R. H. Dana "Two Years before the Mast" xxiii. 236). Way (vessel) Way, (sometimes Weigh) in a nautical context of a ship or vessel, is a noun that refers to her speed or momentum. As an example the "Oxford English Dictionary", sense 14, has "She ran into the "Nio" before her way could be stopped." (Taken from an Admiralty report of a collision at sea). The "Practice of Navigation and Nautical Astronomy" has "On the other hand, we have seen several ships break their chains by having too much way upon them". From a