CRAFTSMANSHIP
Barbara
A Charles E Nicholson-designed yawl which was built at his
Gosport yard in 1923. She has recently been re-launched after
an extensive restoration and she will be re-commissioned next
spring. Enrico’s brother Vincenzo is her captain.Extended yard visit
The day after my personal tour, all competitors in the Vele
Storiche Viareggio classic yacht regatta were invited to visit
the yard. Around 200 did so (including more than 50 students
of the naval engineering and marine architecture faculty of
Genova-La Spezia) and they had the opportunity to listen to
Enrico talking about the work and to enjoy prosciutto and
bruschetta snacks.Zephyr and Marimax
Zephyr is a 1928 JM Soper design built by Philip and Son in
Dartmouth. She had an ongoing serious leak problem around the
garboards which her local yard on Italy’s southeast coast was
unable to fix, so she was brought to Viareggio by road for del
Carlo to do the work. Marimax is a 55ft motor yacht which has
had the same lady owner for 40 years, and for most of that time
del Carlo has carried out the maintenance and repair work.regatta sponsor Panerai. Francesco was never one to mince words and
after seeing the boat apparently told Panerai’s boss: “We like rotten
boats and wealthy owners!” Guido assured me that he is more
diplomatic. Other well-known classic boats restored by the yard include
the Mylne-designed and Fife-built 1938 yawl Mariella; the 1946
Bermudan sloop Ilda, designed by William Atkin; and Magda XIII,
designed and built by Johan Anker in 1937.
Enrico’s long association with the yard began in the late 1960s when
his father took his Claud Worth-designed ketch Gracie III there for work
to be done. Over the past 15 years or so he has been involved, mainly as
the owner’s project manager, in a number of restorations carried out
there, including Eilean, Barbara and Tirrenia II.
Enrico Zaccagni, yachting historian and experienced
restoration project manager, and Guido del Carlo, yard owner