Classic IOR cult: help us celebrate the great sailing classics
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Indeed, with the IOR ( whose history you can find HERE), never before was a huge and increasingly competitive movement born; a crescendo on all fronts, from the seriousness of the participants to the budgets, from the experiments to the number of regattas and participations.
An immense stimulus to the growth of the sport and the investments allocated to it, a key pillar for the constant evolution of hulls and technologies, thus being able to give birth to some of the greatest Classic Boats ever designed.
Now, often forgotten, ill-treated and mistreated, these boats tend to fall into oblivion, thus sacrificing, true icons and milestones of sailing history.
To try to avoid this, the Sailing Newspaper now wants to take a census of these surviving, unique and valuable boats, and for this it launches an appeal to all enthusiasts: report to us the IOR Classics, where they are and what state they are in. We will be grateful.
Classic IOR: regattas and legends
The goal is to include these boats in our “registry” of Classic Boats by Journal of Sailing. BEWARE, however, putting them on the registry does not only mean census them, it also means valuing all those boats that have a history and a pedigree that allows us to highlight their real historical value-exactly as happens in the world of cars and real estate-to give them back the status they really deserve, and thus their true value. We will take the opportunity not only to create a large archive of them accessible to all, but also to tell and share them as best we can, so that the IOR, in its own way, can partly survive, regaining the status it deserves and allowing us, and you, to see these boats at sea again, and why not, maybe even in regattas…
- ENTERING A CLASSIC IOR INTO THE CLASSIC BOAT ARCHIVE IS SUPER EASY: CLICK HERE AND ENTER THE BOAT . ALWAYS HERE, ALSO FIND ALL YOUR CLASSIC BOATS ALREADY SURVEYED
Classic IOR: the great regattas
As with every period, the IOR was populated by great regattas, regattas that ascended to legend during that very first period, then remained iconic from there to come.
From classic inshore regattas to grand round-the-world races, the years between the late 1960s and early 1990s would in fact see an exceptional increase and development of race courses, both in terms of participation and technology, giving rise to a world until a few decades before unimaginable. Certainly, colossal events such as the Whitbread Round the World Race were an exceptional engine for the development of technologies, but the real and great driving force was, in reality, quite different events: the Admiral’s Cup, the Sardinia Cup and, inevitably, the World Series, be these Half-Ton, One-Ton or whatever.
Exceptional hulls such as Ganbare and Moby Dick, Police Car and Propaganda, rather than Filo da Torcere, Ydra and Resolute Salmon were born precisely for these contexts.
Without condiserating Brava, Brava Q8, Silver Shamrock or Ziggurat.
In short, the regattas were undoubtedly a huge engine for the creation of phenomenal boats, boats that we want to celebrate and about which, today, once again we ask you to tell us about their history, places and current condition. 
From this classic will be born the 916
SAGITTARIUS | Carlini Shipyard
Cantiere Navale Carlini (Rimini); 1971; 12.37 x 3.81 m; Sparkman & Stephens Sagittarius was one of the first major IORs signed by Sparkman & Stephens, sister, moreover, to another great boat, Morning Cloud II.
Designed in 1971 and built by Cantiere Navale Carlini, then S&S’s first choice, she was a boat with a big name, including a first-place finish in Class2 at the 1973 Admiral’s Cup Channel Race.
Interesting in her case is the pen of a very young Frers, then an apprentice at the firm, and who appears here in the water lines.
Refitted to new in 2010, she continues to win, with a victory at the Classic Mediterranean Championship Cup in 2021, and a second place in the 2022 edition. 
TRAMP OF AIRLIE | ‘Officina Meccanica Navale di Pesaro.
‘Officina Meccanica Navale di Pesaro; 1976; 13.7 x 3.7 m; Sparkman & Stephens Tramp of Airlie was commissioned by Torquato Gennari in 1976 as project No. 2222 C2 by the New York firm Sparkman & Stephens, one of three identical boats designed as contenders for the Italian team at the 1977 Admiral’s Cup, which, however, it failed to participate in.
Entirely made of aluminum, she is one of the purest examples of S&S design of the period, with a masthead rig and huge overlapping genoa (classic IOR).
But striking above all are the flush deck, very clean, and the stern, perfect.
Today, restored, she races and sails in England. 
GOLONDRINA | Carlini Shipyard
Carlini Shipyard (Rimini); 1968; 11.24 x 3.02 m; Sparkman & Stephens Golondrina is one of the great icons of the late 1960s. She was built in 1968 as a racing sloop (RORC One ton class – design No. 1922) by Cantieri Carlini, which, at the time, was the leading S&S builder in Italy. Her first owner was Charles Holland, who participated in most of the Mediterranean regattas, in many of which she (then called Ojalà ) was a winner. She was then twice Mediterranean Champion 1970 and 1971, winner of the Giraglia 1971, 12th in the Admiral’s Cup 1971. Excellent in water lines and elegance, she has always continued to race, winning the 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000 Vele d’Epoca di Imperia – 2nd in the 2004 and 2006 Vele d’Epoca di Imperia.
To name a few.
A true legend.
And, today, she is FOR SALE (all information here), an opportunity perhaps more unique than rare… 
- ENTERING A CLASSIC IOR INTO THE CLASSIC BOAT ARCHIVE IS SUPER EASY: CLICK HERE AND ENTER THE BOAT . ALWAYS HERE, ALSO FIND ALL YOUR CLASSIC BOATS ALREADY SURVEYED
Three “tidbits” about Classic Boats
- Want to learn more about the world of Classic Boats (1967-1998), the iconic boats of the period, the legendary designers, the stories and races of the “golden age” of sailing? Check out our section dedicated to Classic Boats!
- Do you have a Classic Boat to sell? Put it (for free) on our classifieds market!
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