VESPUCCI
Type: Vintage
Designer: Francesco Rotundi
Builder: Cantieri di Castellamare di Stabia
Year: 1931
Yacht Type: Nave/Ship
Length over spars: 100.50
Hull length: 82.38
Waterline length: 70.00
Beam: 15.50
Draft: 7.30
Sail area: —
Displacement: 4146.00
Our work for Amerigo Vespucci
The twenty-four sails we made for Amerigo Vespucci, including square sails, stay sails and jibs, for a total sail area of about 2,650 square metres, were all made of linen sailcloth. To make these sails we used 6.624 metres of linen sailcloth, specifically commissioned in different weights, 516 metres of steel boltrope 16 mm in diameter, 1,504 metres of hemp boltrope 36 mm in diameter, 236 kgs of kip leather to trim all the boltropes, and 79,200 metres of waxed thread for hand sewing.
The sails were sewn with 15,880 metres of stitches, all done only by hand, and weigh 5,036 kgs in total.
Amerigo Vespucci’s 24 sails
1
Fore topmast staysail 66 sqm
2
Inner jib 108 sqm
3
Jib 99 sqm
4
Flying jib 105 sqm
5
Main topmast staysail 102 sqm
6
Mizzen staysail 47 sqm
7
Mizzen topgallant staysail 45 sqm
8
Main topgallant staysail 104 sqm
9
Moonsail 99 sqm
10
Mizzen mainsail 145 sqm
11
Fore course 230 sqm
12
Fore lower topsail 166 sqm
13
Main course 345 sqm
14
Main lower topsail 187 sqm
15
Main upper topsail 139 sqm
16
Main topgallant sail 115 sqm
17
Main royal sail 49 sqm
18
Mizzen staysail 47 sqm
19
Mizzen topgallant staysail 45 sqm
20
Mizzen lower topsail 81 sqm
21
Mizzen upper topsail 58 sqm
22
Mizzen topgallant sail 58 sqm
23
Mizzen royal sail 32 sqm
24
Mizzen mainsail 145 sqm
Story
Designed by engineer Francesco Rotundi, Lieutenant Colonel of the Naval Engineers, the ship was laid down in 1930 in the shipyard at Castellammare di Stabia and launched on 22nd February 1931. Despite been made of steel, she was built to resemble a freighter from the first half of the 19th century.
Designed and used consistently as a training ship, from 1946 (when Cristoforo Colombo was surrendered as war damages compensation) to 1952 (when the 1921 brigantine schooner Ebe was acquired) she was the only one of her kind in commission in the Italian Navy.
Besides carrying out training campaigns (including a voyage around the world and several cruises in the Americas and in Australia), she has often undertaken “showing-the-flag” cruises, such as in 2002 on occasion of the America’s Cup races in Aukland, in 2004 at the Olympic Games in Athens or during the 2005 commemoration of the Trafalgar battle.
In 2006, after 75 years of service, she underwent extensive special maintenance at Arsenale Militare Marittimo della Spezia, and the whole foremast, large portions of the planking and any pieces of auxiliary equipment were replaced.
