ANNOUNCED THE RETURN TO SEA OF “BARBARA”, VINTAGE YACHT OF 1923
The ceremony of Barbara’s return to the sea will take place on Saturday, May 19th, 2018 in Viareggio. The philological refitting started at Astilleros Mediterraneo and was completed at the Cantiere Navale Francesco Del Carlo. Barbara is a beautiful sailing boat, launched in 1923 by the historical English shipyard Camper & Nicholsons of Gosport. The boat, almost 60 feet long, will participate in the most important races of historical boats in the Mediterranean Sea.
THE LAUNCH IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
On Saturday, May 19th 2018, Viareggio will be the setting of a big celebration of sailing and yachting. The ceremony of the return to the sea of Barbara will be open to the public, it will be held at the Darsena Italia of the shipyard Cantiere Navale Francesco Del Carlo. Barbara is a wooden Bermudian yawl, built in 1923 by the famous English shipyard Camper & Nicholsons and designed by Charles Ernest Nicholson, one of the greatest naval architects in history. The philological refitting mainly regarded the hull, the deck, the interior and the rig sailing. Now the boat will be presented officially to the public. Barbara will gain a place among the most beautiful historical sailing boats of the Mediterranean and over the next years participate in the most important rallies and regattas dedicated to historical boats. The yawl, almost 60 feet long including the bowsprit, will fly the pennant of the Associazione Vele Storiche Viareggio. It will be like celebrating three birthdays together that day, 155 years of the shipyard of Camper & Nicholsons, which was officially founded in 1863, 95 years of Barbara and 55 years of the Del Carlo shipyard, who over half a century of activities has been appreciated and is recognized in Europe for its accurate refitting of dozens of historical wooden boats, both sailing and motor boats.
THE HISTORY OF “BARBARA”
Barbara relates to project number 318 constructed at the shipyard Camper & Nicholsons in Gosport, in England in 1923. It was built in teak and pitch pine on a backbone of oak. The list of owners includes Harold Francis Edwards, a famous English yachtsman and successful racer, Baron Amaury de la Grange, who brought her to Cannes in 1928 and Count Robert-Jean de Vogue, General Manager of Moët & Chandon and creator of the brand Dom Pérignon, who was the owner until the Sixties. In 1982 Barbara was the tender for the Atlantic crossing in windsurf that took 24 days. In 1998 Astilleros Mediterraneo started the philological restoration in Spain and subsequently the boat was transferred to Viareggio where shipyard Francesco Del Carlo continued the restauration.
The history of the boat and of the restoration of Barbara will be presented on Saturday, January 27th 2018, at the Palace Grand Hotel of Varese during the “5° Convegno Nazionale sulle Imbarcazioni d’Epoca” (more info on www.veledepocaverbano.com)
