A special event for the Viareggio Historic Sails.
After three days at sea, with offshore sailing and two coastal competitions, the fourth edition of the Capraia Sail Rally, the regatta-gathering organized by the Viareggio Historic Sails Association, ended on June 8, 2024. About twenty participants created a real Floating Museum of historic boats on the Tuscan island. Crivizza from 1966 won the two Challenge Trophies of the Noble Maritime Order of the Knights of Capraia and the Isola di Capraia Classic. Mariska from 1908 was also victorious, one of the four 15-meter International Tonnage boats still sailing in the world. For the first time, in partnership with the Scuderia Automobilistica Clemente Biondetti Asd of Florence, the “Isola di Capraia” Elegance Competition was held in combination with classic cars and boats. Mariska and a 1958 vintage Triumph won the Best of Show award among the participants.
Golden moment for the Viareggio Historic Sails Association, which after an exciting sixth edition of the Coppa Ponte Vecchio in Florence, reserved for the historic dinghies of the 12′ Dinghy class, successfully concluded the fourth edition of the Capraia Sail Rally, held at the the Tuscan island from 6 to 8 June 2024.
About twenty vintage, classic and historic boats participated, which gave life to a real Floating Museum moored along the docks of the port, with signage describing their history.The Capraia Sail Rally, again this year characterized by great conviviality and friendship between the crews, was organized with the patronage of the Tuscany Region, the Province of Livorno, the Municipality of Capraia Isola, the FIV Italian Sailing Federation, the Coast Guard, the AIVE Italian Sailing Association d’Epoca and the Noble Maritime Order of the Knights of Capraia.
The fleet was awaited by a convivial welcome cocktail held at the House of the Noble Maritime Order of the Knights of Capraia. The first coastal regatta took place on Friday 7 June between two buoys located respectively in front of the sixteenth-century Forte San Giorgio and in front of Le Formiche, rocks emerging near Punta della Teglia, off the northern coast of Capraia. Despite the light breezes, up to 5 knots of intensity, it was possible to conclude the race, with Mariska 1908 still leading the competition. In the afternoon, the historic cars participating in the “Isola di Capraia” Elegance Competition disembarked from the ferry in a combination of vintage cars and boats.
The event, organized by Viareggio Historic Sails member Roberto Giacinti in partnership with the Scuderia Automobilistica Clemente Biondetti of Florence, saw model boats from Alfa Romeo, Triumph, Mercedes, Austin, Porsche, Fiat and Morgan parading and stopping in front of them. In the evening, the day’s awards ceremony and crew dinner took place in the Sala Ipogea. Crivizza from 1966, after having won the Cavalieri di Capraia Challenge Trophy the previous day, also won the new Isola di Capraia Classic Challenge Trophy. Second and third place of the day were Ojalà II third place of the day were Ojalà II from 1973 and the splendid Fife Mariella from 1938.
“Harmonious appreciation of the emotion produced by the combination of the car with the vintage boat”. This is the motivation with which Roberto Giacinti announced the victory of the Best of Show to Mariska from 1908 and to a 1958 Triumph TR3 of Mauro Bini from Prato teamed with Vittorio Mascaleros. If the first is the twin of the 15 Meter International Tonnage Tuiga (1909) of Prince Albert II of Monaco, an identical model of this Triumph belonged to the film star Marcello Mastroianni.
Mariska raced representing the Real Club Nautico of Barcelona and triumphed in both the 1st VSV Grouping and among the CIM Vintage Yachts. In the special car-boat classification, the second place went to the pairing Crivizza from 1966 with a 1959 Austin Healey 100/6 Bn4, followed by Vistona from 1937 with another 1960 Austin Healey Frog Eye. Present at the event with his 1990 Mercedes 500 SL was also Stefano Biondetti, great-grandson and vice president of the Florentine Scuderia Automobilistica of the same name founded in 1957 and named after Clemente Biondetti, a famous road racer who passed away in 1957 at the age of 55, winner of 2 Targa Florio and 4 Mille Miglia races. Highlighting the connection between cars and sailing, Biondetti is also the owner of the Class ‘A’ Regina, a splendid vintage sailboat based in Versilia.
Photo Paolo Maccione
