There will be around sixty vintage, classic and historic boats that from 12 to 15 October 2023 will participate in the eighteenth edition of the Viareggio Historic Sails Rally (www.velestoricheviareggio.org) organized by the association of the same name, chaired by the Florentine Gianni Fernandes, together with the Club Nautical Versilia. The fleet will be divided into “homogeneity groups” and in addition to competing in real time it will also be possible to compete with the International Mediterranean Committee tonnage certificate.
Precisely from this year the event becomes the last stage of the CIM Mediterranean Championship, which includes 10 stages divided between France, Spain, Italy and the Principality of Monaco. The XVIII Gathering of Historical Sails Viareggio is an event organized by the Italian Sailing Federation, which delegates its organization to the Affiliates of the Viareggio Historical Sails Association and the Versilia Nautical Club, with the support of the Italian Vintage Sails Association and the International Mediterranean Committee.
In every edition of the Viareggio Historic Sails Rally there is never a shortage of boats that have reached and exceeded one hundred years of age. These include the gaff ketch Tirrenia II, launched in England in 1914, the “new entry” Huntress II, a yawl launched in 1922 at the German shipyard Naupert and the Bermudan yawl Barbara of 1923, which this year celebrated its first century of life by participating in all the vintage sail rallies in the Mediterranean. Also racing in Viareggio are the classic Swans of the Sparkman & Stephens Swan Association, an association founded in 2001.
The now proven rally formula returns on this occasion too. In fact, thanks to the multi-departure, boats arriving from other ports in the Tyrrhenian Sea will start the Boating Navionics app at 12pm on Thursday 13 October and stop after 2 hours of navigation. The trace with the data will be shared with the organization which will draw up the ranking based on the best performance. In case of no wind at the established time, the participant will decide the start for the two hours of sailing. The awards ceremony will take place the same evening during the welcome cocktail at the Club Nautico Versilia headquarters. The Rally will however represent an opportunity to create direct challenges between the participants.
It will be possible to apply to follow the regattas from the sea on board the Artiglio motorsailer which can accommodate up to 15 people. The headquarters of the Club Nautico Versilia will instead host an exhibition of watercolors of historic boats by the Genoese painter Emanuela Tenti, who has always been the author of the official poster dedicated this year to Crivizza in 1966, images of vintage sails by the photographer Marco Trainotti and a exhibition of paintings by Romano Tomassini, owner of Huntress II.
The sponsors: Cantiere Navale Del Carlo, 4F Group, Veleria Millenium, Picchiani & Barlacchi, Navigo Toscana, Frisbi Energia, Marine Pool, Cordificio Ferretti, Europromo, Versilia Marine Service, Formulamare, Bazar Pucci, Cecchi, Excibus. Technical sponsors: Rose Barni, Consorzio Del Prosciutto Toscano, Acqua San Carlo, ASF Yacht Engineering Service, Ubi Maior Italia, Punto Nave Viareggio, Masseria Canestrello artisan pasta, Bertacca Sail Equipment Viareggio, Robermap flags, Arpeca Haulage & Refitting, Yacht Broker, Pastificio Morelli 1860, Port of Pisa, Approdo Calafati Lenci Sub, Marine Store, Richmond’s, Underwater Service Divers. Partners: FIBaS, Consorzio Lamma, Navionics, iCare, Viareggio Porto 2020, Vintage and Classic Boats, Nautica Report, Club Underwater Artiglio Viareggio, Traditional Sailing School of Maritime.
Source-www.adnkronos.com