Eight synchronised swimmers, two well-known actors, an aerial hoop dancer and an internationally acclaimed orchestra conductor (all from the world of Italian entertainment); the former CEO of Panerai, a previous owner and the granddaughter of another previous owner, and five Riva powerboats – such a star-studded guest list at a lavish launching ceremony and subsequent gala dinner might well have taken some of the attention away from the real star of the show, but that was by d no means the case. As the gleaming 105-year-old Tirrenia II slid gently down the slipway to return to her natural habitat for the first time in 10 years, all eyes were firmly on her.
Tirrenia II’s original name was Sappho II. She was built – with teak planking on oak frames and with an elm keel – to a Fred Shepherd design by HR Stevens in Southampton. Her construction began in August 1912 (or at least that is when the first Lloyd’s survey took place), but it was not until January 1914 that she was launched. On the Lloyd’s Register builder’s certificate, the surveyor wrote in the ‘general quality of workmanship’ section just one word: “Good”.
FIRST TWO OWNERS
Sappho’s first two owners were Greek, and they both kept her in Piraeus – Jean A Valaoritis, who had her for just two years, and then Alex C Carapanos, who renamed her Dodoni. Her first Italian owner was Guido Fiorentino, who bought her in 1925 and took her to Naples. As he already owned a 31ft yawl called Tirrenia, she was renamed Tirrenia II. Fiorentino was the president of the Naples branch of the Royal Yacht Club Italiano and, in that capacity, he decided to inaugurate the Tirrenia Trophy, to be presented annually to the yacht that completed the longest Mediterranean cruise. Tirrenia II herself won it in two consecutive years.
Esta historia es de la edición June 2020 de Classic Boat.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición June 2020 de Classic Boat.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
The Need For Speed
Saving lives at sea has always been bound to the speed of rescue, from the first rowing boats to the 60-knot, all-weather motorboats of today
ROW YOUR BOAT
There has been a steady rise in recreational rowing over the past few years, and the choice can be bewildering. What’s the right boat for you?
Traditional Tool
JOINER’S NAME STAMP
Classic misuse of a word
Real classic ownership involves rot, rust and reward
SCUD MISSILE
Herreshoff’s newly-restored Bar Harbor 31 Scud lit up the classic racing scene in the Med in 2020 with a double win at Cannes and Saint-Tropez
BOSUN'S BAG
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR THE TRADITIONAL BOATER
DOUG LEEN - Tugboat man
Vietnam vet, park ranger, dentist, small-craft conservator and tugboat skipper.... meet Ranger Doug!
CHANCE TO SAVE AN Albert Strange yawl
Chances at Albert Strange ownership don’t come up often, and Sheila II is the quintessential Strange – and one with a great history, too
AFFORDABLE CLASSIC Salcombe Yawls
A friend and I once decided that walking might make a change from sailing. So we set forth to walk from Branscombe to Bigbury, a 100-mile stretch of the south-west coastal path marked by knackering climbs and knee-wrenching descents.
Cardiff, Wales - Save The Elena Maria Barbara!
A rare, 18th-century schooner replica, restored to the tune of around £1 million, could be abandoned if a buyer is not found soon.