Everything is ready at the Graces of Porto Venere, a historic fishing village in the Gulf of La Spezia, where the third edition of “Le Vele d’Epoca nel Golfo” will take place from 4 to 6 June 2021, an event dedicated to vintage and classic sailing boats. organized by AIVE, the Italian Vintage Sails Association. Free mooring for participating boats for one week. A fleet of wooden and metal hulls launched over the last century, which will compete on the occasion of two days of racing, is expected.
In front of the dock of the meeting, Il Cantiere della Memoria will present the exhibition and video-trip “Le Grazie di Orion”, dedicated to the 1910 schooner that after many years will leave Italy in the wake of the new French owner. On Saturday evening, the crews dinner outdoors will be held in the pine forest adjacent to the moorings.
From 4 to 6 June 2021, the graces become the port of vintage sails
While respecting the anti-Covid regulations in force, the events dedicated to vintage boats restart from La Spezia. From 4 to 6 June 2021 the third edition of “Le Vele d’Epoca nel Golfo”, the first important event of the season reserved for classic yachting, returns to the Graces of Porto Venere (in 2020 the event was canceled due to the pandemic). The event is part of the FIV (Italian Sailing Federation) calendar of regattas and is organized by the affiliate AIVE (Italian Vintage Sails Association – www.aive-yachts.org) and by the La Spezia Sailing Club, with the help of the Association Vele Storiche Viareggio, of the Valdettaro shipyard and the patronage of the Municipality of Porto Venere. For a whole week, from Monday 31 May to Tuesday 8 June, boats will be able to moor for free in the port of Le Grazie.
Participating boats
Among the boats already registered Ojalà II of 1973, the Sangermani Dragonera which will turn 60 years after launch, Patience who will turn 90, the Cadamà sailboat without barriers from 1971 which will make 50 and then Ilda, Gazell, Ardi, Margaret, Alcyone and many others. An all-female international crew will embark on board the yawl Barbara, a 1923 Camper & Nicholson, with sailors from Belgium, Spain, the United States, Hungary and Italy. The arrival of some boats belonging to the historic naviglio of the Navy is expected. These include the newly restored Penelope, a Bermudian sloop built in 1966 at the Arsenale of the Navy in La Spezia to a design by Sparkman & Stephens, the 1956 Artica II yawl and the cutter Chaplin built by Sangermani in 1974. Saturday evening, in compliance with any regulations in force, a convivial dinner for owners and crews will be held in the pine forest adjacent to the moorings, set up outdoors. As a reminder of participation, each yacht registered will receive a belt made specifically for the AIVE.
3rd “Vintage sails in the gulf”, the program
From Monday 31 May to Thursday 3 June 2021
• Free access to the mooring at the quay of Grace
Friday 4 June 2021
• 16:00 – 18:00: Welcome to the Graces , completion of registrations.
Saturday 5th June 2021
• 1.00 pm: Start of the first regatta.
• 6.30 pm: Visit to the vintage yachts on the quay and to the “Le Grazie di Orion” exhibition.
• 8.30 pm: Convivial dinner of the crews in the pine forest adjacent to the moorings
• 9.30 pm: Cantiere della Memoria: projection of the photos of the day by Forevel Spezia
Sunday 6 June 2021
• 12:00: Departure of the second regatta
• 18:00: Award ceremony
Tuesday 8 June 2021
Departure of the boats by 12:00
The exhibition “the graces of orion”
“The Graces of Orion – Half a century as a postcard”. This is the title of the exhibition and video-trip set up by the Cantiere della Memoria in front of the meeting quay, created with the collaboration of “FoReVel Spezia” and “La Nave di Carta”. A real journey through time where, with the help of the drawings by Studio Faggioni Yacht Design and the photos of the Graziotti sailors who were embarked, the story of one of the most beautiful gulets in the world is retraced. Orion, 50 meters long, was launched in 1910 to a design by the Camper & Nicholsons shipyard in Gosport, England. In 1951 she was used to shoot the film “Pandora and the Flying Dutchman”, starring the American actress Ava Gardner. The schooner, built in teak planking with a thickness of 80 millimeters on a steel frame, in the last 17 years it was commanded by Fausto Bugliani from Carrara and for about half a century it was based on the Grazie, becoming almost a symbol as well as a lifeblood for many local families, from that of the commander Ignazio Torrente to those of the other sailors of the town who looked after it and whose history is recalled in the exhibition. A few weeks ago it was sold to a new French owner. from that of the commander Ignazio Torrente to those of the other sailors of the town who looked after it and whose history is recalled in the exhibition. A few weeks ago it was sold to a new French owner. from that of the commander Ignazio Torrente to those of the other sailors of the town who looked after it and whose history is recalled in the exhibition. A few weeks ago it was sold to a new French owner.
Aive, a history of almost 40 years
The Italian Vintage Sails Association was established in 1982 with the aim of preserving the historical, artistic and technical heritage made up of vintage yachts, launched before 1950, and classic yachts, launched until 1975. The association, which has based in Genoa at the Italian Yacht Club, it is a class association recognized by the FIV (Italian Sailing Federation) for vintage and classic sailing yachts. In almost 40 years of activity, AIVE has organized and sponsored dozens of sailing regattas, created publications on yachting and promoted meetings aimed at spreading the culture of vintage boats. A library consisting of more than 500 volumes now collects the history of sailing and the construction plans of over 1500 listed yachts. AIVE is part of the CIM, the International Mediterranean Committee for Classic Yachting founded in 1926, a body that issues the legislation relating to regattas of vintage boats. The current president of AIVE is Professor Pier Maria Giusteschi Conti, elected in 2017.
