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etc the Shelmalier
is waiting for the beginning of the regatta
season to show all her graceful power.It is
clear that with this tradition, VARUNA and the
Imperia shipyard had, sooner or later, |
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12 metre S.I. for contact +39 0142.456566 / +39 335 7242088 - Email : luigi@italnet.it |
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In
1982 on the right bank of the Impero stream, just at its mouth, rises
Imperia shipyard for the maintenance of wooden and polyester hulls, even
if some kinds of traditional construction remain. In 1990 the shipyard
management was taken over by Mario Quaranta, a young naval designer from
Turin, whose family had a long tradition in nautical construction; his
father was infact building sailing boats in wood already in the late 50’s.
His appreciation of fine traditional lines led him to own some, and also
to race and cruise them. The shipyard could not but gain from this
experience, and so, under the shade of the old iron foundry one could
see less and. less plastic and more and more precious wood... Many
familiar names appeared at the yard, well known in the vintage circuit:
Athena, Rondine II a great Sangermani, owned by Varuna's current owner,
the Croix des Gardes, 
Bonita,
Mai Più Bella Seconda, Dida lV and again, the Nita, built for the
Admiral Cup by the Carlini shipyard. Also Mr. Quaranta’s personal
sailing boat, as well as the FolkBoat and the Alnair IV sailed by a well
known Italian journalist, Piero Ottone. Even Tirrenia II, the ninety
year-old dark blue ketch of Dr. Loffredo, AIVE President, remained here
for a winter renovation, while longer and more difficult had been the
restoration of Shelmalier. This Laurent Giles’ creation presented some
serious deterioration. In the 60’s new techniques were experimented
with on theAdmiral Cup yachts, not always benefiting from years of
testing; so with the complicated structure totally renewed as well
as the interior: wet lockers, deck completely reconstructed,
to
arrive at a historically important restoration. It is not known which
one of the two chose the other ; the fact remains that in May 2000,
VARUNA and the shipyard met to give way to what Mario Quaranta, living
antithesis of self-congratulation, called: “the restoration of the
restowith the complicated structure totally renewed as well as the
interior: wet lockers, deck completely reconstructedonneur” of the “medaglie
d’oro” pier in the old maritime town.