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Savvy Navvy 2024

13th Viareggio Gathering of Historic Sailboats to be held on October

by Sandro Bagno 9 Sep 2017 11:37 UTC 12-15 August 2017
Orion set for the 13th Viareggio Gathering of Historic Sailboats © Maccione

On October 12‐15, for the 13th year in a row, the Tuscan city of Viareggio will be the official host for the closing ceremonies of the 2017 season devoted to historic and classic sailboats.

The gathering is being held in collaboration with the Versilia Nautical Club and under the patronage of AIVE (Associazione Italiana Vele d'Epoca/Italian Vintage Sailboat Association). It is the last regatta chance for these Ladies of Sea before the end of 2017 season. Three regattas, one a day from Friday October 13 to Sunday October 15, will be held off the shores of Viareggio in the Tuscan area of Versilia with a background of the Apuane Alps. The regattas are in real time and are open to Vintage, Classic, Metric Classifications, Spirit of Tradition, IOR –International Offshore Rule historic sailboats in groups based on each vessel's potential speed and prevailing weather conditions. Main sponsors are Bisonte, the historic Florentine leather goods company, Leopolda Manifatture Artigiane, renowned for its cashmere and fine yarn apparel, and Mediterranean Yacht Maintenance, which participated in rigging the Barbara, a historic Marconi yawl launched in 1923 by the British Camper & Nicholson shipyard. The Del Carlo Shipyard is currently completing the restoration of the Barbara. 95 years after its launching in the British waters of the Solent Strait, the Barbara's official re‐launching from the docks of Viareggio is planned for May 2018. The Gathering's annual watercolor by Genoese painter Emanuela Tenti is dedicated to the Barbara.

Registered Vessels

Among the many registered vessels is the Kipawa, a 16.40 meter Marconi sloop, 10 meter International Tonnage Cruiser Racer launched in Norway in 1938 and designed by Christian Jensen. One of only 6 ever made, the Kipawa was recently purchased by a new ship owner and is safely returning to sailing thanks to a recent complete restoration by the Tecnomar Shipyard of Fiumicino. Also participating are the schooners Orion (1910) and Hollywood film star Errol Flynn's Zaca (1929), hosted at the mooring of Perini Navi, the Patience (1931), a Marconi cutter built by Camper & Nicholson and winner of the 1931 Fastnet; the Bufeo Blanco (1963); the Margarethe (1938); the Ilda (1946) owned by Gianni Fernandes, president of Viareggio Historic Sailboats; the Ardi (1968) a training boat belonging to the Nautical Club of Versilia; Commodore VSV Enrico Zaccagni's Oenone (1935) and the Endeavour sloop (1937) being sailed by a Swiss family that has participated in gatherings of historic sailboats in the Mediterranean since 2014. Vessels launched by the Ligurian Sangermani Shipyard will compete for the prestigious Sangermani Trophy. The Admiral Cerri Challenge Trophy, dedicated to Admiral Florindo Cerri, will be awarded to the first boat to sail around the first regatta buoy. There are also regatta competitions for handicap racing for IOR vessels and CIM –Comitato Internazionale del Mediterraneo (International Mediterranean Committee) tonnage registered boats with classification verified by the AIVE. Boats that do not have tonnage measurement certificates can request certification by contacting Pier Maria Giuteschi Conti, tel. +393483148532.

On Sunday afternoon, during the prize giving ceremony, the high quality timepiece brand made in Tuscany Locman will give the winners some of its prestigious watches. On days preceding the Gathering, Vessels arriving from the south can anchor at the Port of Pisa for the symbolic cost of only 10 Euro a day (for details go to www.portodipisa.it).

Historic Automobiles and the Crews' Dinner at the Del Carlo Shipyard

Participating in celebrations of the 13th edition of the gathering are a number of prestigious vintage cars thanks to CAMET (Club Auto d'Epoca Toscano / Vintage Automobile Club of Tuscany), one of the most renowned in the sector. The cars will be parked on the docks in front of the vintage boats and will be matched on the basis of their age. Bisonte, a main sponsor, will award the Prize for Elegance to the winning couple to be chosen by a specially selected jury. On Friday afternoon the Del Carlo Shipyard will host ship‐owners and their crews on guided tours of boats being restored and the Rotary Club of Viareggio will provide prosciutto and bruschetta snacks. On the evening of Saturday October 14, Del Carlo will once again hold its buffet dinner feast in front of docked boats.

Exhibits, activities and sea book presentations

The 13th edition of the Viareggio Gathering of Historic Sailboats will host an exhibit of the work of watercolorist Emanuela Tenti and of photographer Marco Trainotti. Andrea Maggiori, the Ligurian known as "The Knot Man" will offer demonstrations of maritime craftsmanship. Maggiori, who is member of the International Guild of Knot Tyers (IGKT), will also be presenting his new book "Nodi – Intrichi comprensibili [Knots–understandable tangles]" written in collaboration with Monica Martella and published by Marco Valerio Editore of Turin. Given the participation of several 5.5 meter international rule boats (a class created in 1949), the yacht designer Andrea Rossi of Milan will present his book "I 5.5 Metri di Stazza Internationale [5.5 Meter International Tonnage Boats]", published by Guido Tommasi Editore, Milan.

Watch the Regatta from on board the Artiglio

Just as it did in 2016, the Club Subacqueo Artiglio, the well‐known association dedicated to the mythical divers of Viareggio and their legendary underwater endeavors, is making available the Artiglio, a 16.5‐meter motorsailer, to accommodate – for free ‐ up to 15 persons wishing to watch the regattas. All one has to do is show up at the pier a little before the competing sailboats set off and ask to board.

The Sponsors

The 13th Viareggio Gathering of Historic Sailboats is being made possible thanks to numerous new and long‐time general and technical sponsors. Sponsors: Il Bisonte, Cioni, Leopolda Manifatture Artigiane, Mediterranean Yacht Maintenance, Veleria Be1, Azimut, Tera Energy, Locman. Technical sponsors: Ubi Maior, Giornale della Vela, Acqua dell'Elba, Caffè New York, Cantine di Soffiano, Port of Pisa.

www.velestoricheviareggio.org

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