The world’s most beautiful sailing boats are coming, designed by the early America’s Cup architects like Nathanael G. Herreshoff to whom we owe several legends from the American classic scene like Atlantic (56.43m) and Elena of London (41.60m). Alongside will be the superb Charles Nicholson masterpiece, the three-mast schooner Creole (58.22m), showing off her elegant lines.
There’s a story behind each and every yacht, like the one which built the reputation of O’Remington (23.20m). Launched 1946 under the name Maria del Mar, the schooner was owned by Lord Remington, a wealthy American heir. Illustrious names like Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti and Marcello Mastroianni went on board and four Palmes d’or winners of the Cannes Film Festival stayed on her who would see the boat as a lucky charm for Italian cinema. At Maria Callas’s request, Lord Remington then headed for Athens where he met the famous Greek shipowner, Aristotle Onassis. During her time in Italy, the Diva rehearsed on board, an event engraved in the collective Italian memory reflected in the boat’s nickname “La Divina”.
If the destiny for some is a fairy tale for others it took a less glamorous turn as for Naema (40.59m). This faithful replica of Alfred Mylne’s Panda left the Camper & Nicholson yard in 1938. Offered as a gift to King Bao Da of Anam (Vietnam) by the French government the boat found refuge in Toulon after the French withdrew from Indochina in 1954. Sold to the American Bill Bodle in 1979, Panda then left for the West Indies. In 1983, a fire on board almost destroyed her. She was rebuilt to the original plans in Turkey and is now called Naema.
