“Il Monstro” arrived back in Newport yesterday evening, with Ken’s brother Brad having completed his first transatlantic race; on a boat we would all love to have sailed. Docked at Charlie Dana’s Newport Shipyard, next to “Leopard of London” and “Speedboat”. A sort of trinity of sailboat racing, formula ones of the water.
“Il Monstro” will set up training here in Newport in preparation for the next Volvo Ocean Race.
The bottom photo is a panorama of Shields racing last night on Narragansett Bay, comprised of 10 photos stitched together. Spring is coming to the Northeast.
Category: offshore sailing
WHAT IS BIG?
I had trouble fitting “Mirabella V” in the frame. That is” Leopard of London” which is 100 feet long on the outside of “Mirabella” The dark mast through the rigging of “Mirabella” is “Speedboat” also 100 feet long. Both of the 100 foot boat have power assisted winches and canting keels, which means that the engine must be running pretty much all the time in order to sail the boat. They sail with 18-25 people as they are all needed to make sail changes or any other big changes, like a jibe.
Both “Speedboat” and “Leopard” are in Newport waiting for a weather window to make an attempt on the monohull transatlantic record. Because they have power assisted winches they can never own the outright record held by “Maria Cha” set in 2003
“Speedboat” is also entered in the Bermuda Race starting June 18th, where I am certain they would like to set a course record as well.
“Mirabella V” is, I believe ,still the largest sloop in the world. Despite to fact that everything is done by a computer and power, I have trouble conceiving of managing anything aboard her. Just the sheer size of the gear and the loads generated are mind boggling. The photo of people standing next to the headstay turnbuckle should be proof enough. This photo is courtesy of Bill Coleman.
I am thrilled to see these boats and glad of their existence I am anxious to get back to the thread of the 12 meters and the America’s Cup.
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BAZZINI’S
The photo at the right is of the Bazzini’s. Regrettably it is out of focus. For those of us (the crew of Weald) a swan 48 in the 1975 trans-atlantic race, it is a fond memory. Bazzini’s is really a specialty store; the link will get you there. We had their peanut butter aboard for the race. The poster of the girls somehow got labeled.
VIRGIN MONEY aka SPEEDBOAT
Speedboat left today from New York in an attempt to break the monohull powered winch trans-atlantic record. Aboard is an all star crew headed by Mike Sanderson.
SPEEDBOAT
Speedboat aka Virgin Money is an exciting boat,an engineering marvel, elegant, extreme, powerful, fragile. Not particularly useful as its purpose can only really be to set or break distance records. Yet she requires a great deal of attention.
Swan 42 "Mustang"
September 2007 found me joining Gary Jobson on his new Swan 42 “Mustang” for the Stamford-Vineyard Race. The first time we had ever sailed together on the same boat; having competed against each other in college and on twelve meters for the America’s Cup.

2006 Stamford-Vineyard Race
This race, in stark contrast to the Bermuda race earlier in the year, has become a legend of sorts. 35 knots at the start; 53 boats entered, three boats finished in a race that saw the wind build to 60 plus knots. The wind direction was very steady out of the East, Making the course a windward-leeward race. We hit 26 knots with a storm jib and two reefs.
RIMA Ida Lewis Long Distance Race
I was invited to sail on John Brim’s 55 foot R/P “Rima” for the 177 mile Ida Lewis Yacht Club Long Distance Race over the weekend.As a helmsman,teaming up with my old shipmate Ed Cesare, who Navigated, his brother Ben, Jack Orr from North Sails and a score of other great sailors.