An old Bavaria 38 Match mocked everyone at the Brindisi-Corfu

The revenge of the boats of yesteryear. This, we thought as we scrolled through the standings of the 35th edition of the Brindisi-Corfu, the great 104-mile classic from the Apulian capital to the Marina of Gouvia on the Greek island, which saw 94 boats lined up at the start.

Fees in hand, the overall victory went to Saverio Ricco’s Bavaria 38 Match Excellent (LNI Brindisi). A boat almost 20 years old mocked many much newer, larger and “emblazoned” hulls. Giovanni Silos Labini’s Grand Soleil 46 B Luduan Reloaded (CV Bari) had to “settle” for second place, ahead of Paolo Romanelli’s M37 L’Ottavo Peccato (LNI Trani). Then, behind, XP44, 80-foot Maxi and Maxi One designs (such as Idrusa, to which line Honours went), Comet 50, and so on.

BAVARIA 38 MATCH, RACER-CRUISER ACCORDING TO PETERSON

All behind the Bavaria 38 Match Excellent: What is the secret of Saverio Ricco and his crew? Certainly a flawlessly raced race, some major optimizations (appendages are modified and in 2019 the boat was equipped with a dolphin boat to be able to race with gennaker), but also an “evergreen” craft.

The boat, in production from 2003 to 2005, was designed by the legendary Doug Peterson (1945-2017), a great designer who pulled Luna Rossa of 2000, the “silver bullet” that made us dream in the America’s Cup. It is 11.36 m long x a maximum beam of 3.71, for a displacement of 6,387 kg (ballast of 1,996 kg) and a sail area of 88.54 sq. m.

Peterson took care of the hull and sail plan, while the Slovenians from J&J took care of the deck and interior. The Bavaria Match 38 was, in fact, the German shipyard’s first boat that was also born to race (the legacy of this type of cruiser-racer has been picked up, today, by the Cossutti Yacht Design studio that created the C-Line, most recently the C-38 we told you about HERE).

THE STRENGTHS OF BAVARIA 38 MATCH

The boat goes strong upwind and downwind with gennaker, a gait that allows the hull to plane with ease. The construction is solid, despite the quest for maximum lightness. The deck is simple, favoring ease of maneuvering under sail. The cockpit is quite long, with side benches that become storage lockers. The stern is open. The interiors were planned with two or three cabins (Excellent is the two-cabin version). Very comfortable kitchen, spacious dinette, with a C-shaped sofa opposite a bench/seat. One or two toilets. Interior finishes are of a good standard, with abundant use of woods.

This is a boat that-as the ranking of the Brindisi Corfu shows-can still express itself at the highest level today and, after lowering the game of racing sails, comfortably take you on a cruise. The boat, on the used market, can be found with prices ranging from 60 to 75 thousand euros.

ALL THE RANKINGS OF THE BRINDISI CORFU

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