COCH Y BONDHU is the Italian flagged boat to
take part in the next edition of the big offshore regatta Panerai Transat
Classique, an Atlantic crossing of three thousand miles reserved for vintage
and classic boats. This 15 meters ketch, built entirely in wood, was launched
in England in 1936. In thirteen days it has completed its transfer from the
North Adriatic Sea to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. From here it will depart
again on the 8th of January 2019 for the big Atlantic race whose destination is
the Caribbean island of Saint Kitts where it’s due to arrive after about 3
weeks of uninterrupted navigation. COCH Y BONDHU will defend the colours of the
Rimini Yacht Club.
The “Dragonfly” faces
the Atlantic Ocean
COCH Y BONDHU in Gaelic means red and black and
it’s also the name of a particular kind of dragonfly which was used for
fishing. And just a dragonfly is designed on its 110 sqm spinnaker, which was
made by a famous Ligurian sailmaker for the 80-year-old boat which flies the
Italian flag. The old dragonfly is new preparing to face one of the most
exciting challenges: the crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. Coch Y Bondhu left from Rimini last summer
heading to the Canary Islands. It stopped in Brindisi, Capo d’Orlando,
Villasimius, Cartagena, Marbella, Cadiz and Arrecife travelling a 2400 miles on
transferring to Lanzarote from where, on the 8th of January 2019, the prestigious
Panerai Transat Classique four-year regatta is going to start. In the stretch
of ocean from Cadiz to the Canaries, COCH Y BONDHU hooked the Portuguese trade
wind proving great reliability and marine qualities reaching under sail even
the 9 knots of speed. The Italian boat with a crew from Emilia-Romagna on
board, will hoist the guide of Rimini Yacht Club.
COCH Y BONDHU History
COCH Y BONDHU belongs to the Gauntlet Class
17-tons and it was launched in 1936 by the English shipyard Berton Boat of Lymington
on a Paul Rodney's project. Born with a Bermudian cutter sailing rig and a so
called "canoe stern", its was built in iroko wood on oak frames. In
its far past it sailed in the English Solent waters, the home of yachting, and in that period
among its former owners it also had Lord Astor, owner of the Times. In 1940, at
the beginning of the Second World War, the boat was honoured by participating
in the Dynamo Operation which allowed the repatriation of the English soldiers
blocked on the French beach of Dunkerque. In 1952 it arrived in Italy. In 1967,
on a project by the famous Yacht designer Laurent Giles, who wanted to
supervise the working in person, the stern of the boat became
"mirrored" and the sailing rig moved from cutter to ketch. Here
follows a list of some of the victories achieved by COCH Y BONDHU in the
vintage yachting category: Almirante Conde de Barcelona Trophy in 1992;
Barcolana Classic Trieste 2010 (first place in real time); Barcolana Classic Trieste
2012; Trophée Principauté de Monaco Venice 2015; XX Trofeo Città Di Trieste 2017; Trofeo
Arrigo Modugno 2017. Among the other podiums conquered there's in the end a
second class placement at Barcolana Classic 2009. On a couple of times it was
awarded the prize for the best restoration too (Barcolana Classic 2009 and Mare
Maggio Venice 2010).
A crew from
Emilia-Romagna
At the helm of the boat there will be the owner
himself, the fifty-year old entrepreneur in wood sector Paolo Zangheri who,
after having restored the boat in Rimini in 2008 by Cantiere Navale
dell’Adriatico shipyard, sailed ten
years between Croatia and Greece. Then, part of the crew is the fifty year old
Renato Tartarìni, who was born in Bologna, an expert in offshore racing; the 60
year old Claudio Magrini, who has 35 years of sailing experience; and the
68-year old Ivano Brolli , who is also an expert sail man from Rimini with more
then 40 years of sailing behind. Last spring
the two masted boat entered the Cantiere Navale dell’Adriatico shipyard
to have some preparatory intervention made to get ready for the Atlantic
racing, including the reinforcement of the skylights; the dubling of the
jackstays; the replacement of all seecocks and of the propeller shaft braket ,
the assembly of a satellite cable on the mizzen-mast and of a new stay.
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