Matchless, history and testament of an exceptional Swan 57

Once upon a time there was a different sail, perhaps more romantic, perhaps more passionate – perhaps it is not for us to say. What is certain is that, in addition to the legends, we are left with its keepers today. And, thanks to the many of them, the dream and the memory. Among them, a rare testament, Matchless, a Swan 57 (1978; #006) not only exceptionally maintained, but also so steeped in sailing history that she is necessarily to be counted among the ‘great’ hulls of the Golden Age of Sailing. Also known to ‘veterans’ as Battlecry IV, this is her story and, in part, also a piece of sailing history itself….

Matchless, a testament to sailing that was, and endures

As repeatedly may have been the case, sometimes, it is the past stories and anecdotes of others that can most emphasize ‘pressing’ elements of the present. And, certainly, historical memory and culture, are among them; elements not only to be preserved, archived, but celebrated and shared. Matchless, in this sense, lends itself fully to this theme, evoking and telling us about a period and ethos that must not, and cannot, be lost. We spoke about it with its current owner, Giacomo Bei, who kindly told us about both the exploits, and the present, of this legendary boat of his.

Battlecry IV / Matchless, undisputed witness

In 1975 the coveted Admiral’s Cup was won by the British Team. Joining it is Sir John Prentice, a well-known British yachtsman and owner of one of the participating hulls, the 40-foot Battlecry III. By the end of October 1978, however, he already has a new boat, Battlecry IV, this time a 57-footer, commissioned from Nautor Swan specifically for long and demanding sailing. She will be Swan 57 number 006, an exceptional design by Sparkman & Stephens and launched that very October at the Pietarsaari (FIN) factories.

First sail is aimed at testing the hull, course over England, then heading for the Caribbean. The baptism of fire comes already in the Norwegian Sea, 65 knots in the nose during the first transfer. Then the Caribbean and the ‘testing’ season. The real test, however, will be the Fastnet, it’s 1979…the Fastnet of tragedy, that Fastnet Race that involved over 4,000 people in the largest maritime rescue operation ever in peacetime, taking the lives of as many as 19 sailors. Battlecry IV, with its crew of Brits, New Zealanders and Australians, emerged unscathed, finding refuge in Crosshaven–SE of Cork (IRL)–before running into trouble, thus avoiding the risk of going to further burden the rescue effort, already struggling to assist crews in distress.

Having survived that unforgettable Fastnet, Battlecry IV would later sail the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, changing hands frequently beginning in 1984, the year she was sold by her commissioning owner, Sir John Prentice. It would not be until the 2000s, however, that she would change her name, becoming the current Matchless. With December 2020, she finally passed from the hands of Giacomo Picchi to those of her current owner, Giacomo Bei, who reclaimed her legacy, bringing back the original name on her transom, which today reads Matchless(Battlecry IV).

Matchless, a milestone for the present

Having come into the hands of Giacomo Bei, the current owner, the restoration work begun by Giacomo Picchi is being carried on with the participation of the latter, who to this day assists and follows Matchless as Project Manager at each of her construction sites, ensuring efficiency and care in every single detail. In fact, as Bei tells us, over the course of a three-year period Matchless has now been fully restored, maintaining all its original specifications, except by improving or updating those elements that, such as the navigation systems or the hardware component of the rigging (blocks, rigging, etc.), common sense does not prohibit anyone from going in and improving.

Exceptions made, everything remains faithful to the project signed S&S, from the interior to the deck woods, from the lines to the sail planes, including the teak, still a good 12 mm strong on deck… In short, thanks to enlightened shipyards, where external and specialized structures and workers have been able to meet in a real refit HUB, everything that can be restored has been refitted. The only detail, minor though present, is the transom, whose overboard drains have been moved under the edge, thus simply improving its overall cosmetics.

“The merit of refitting -holdsout Giacomo Bei– goes to Giacomo Picchi as project manager of each phase and as a quality-conscious guardian; Giacomo has always stood by me, helped me understand the world of boatyards (where that is possible) and to this day is an integral and fundamental part of Matchless and its racing team. Next to Giacomo, a special thanks to the person who followed me and patiently put up with me (with an “o”) in every phase of the restoration, Matteo Salamon (founder and soul of the S&S Swan Association as well as owner, with his wife Giulia, of the Swan 47 – Vanessa, one of the most beautiful and best maintained Swan Classics in the world). Further thanks to the shipyards that have helped me over the years (first Valdettaro, then Porto Lotti and today Esaom) along with the nautical craftsmen who, each with their own professionalism, have gradually collaborated on the project: sailmaker Armando Battaglia, rigger (and not only that) Elio Borio and so on for the steelworkers, carpenters, electricians, painters, techs and sailors in love with Matchless, like Pia and Alice.”

Matchless, a testament to the future

Refits, cares, passions and love for one’s boat aside, including even respectable placings, including a class win in June 2024 at Argentario Sailing Week, Matchless is, however, also a testament that looks to the future. Maintained as new, she is only a passing piece of history, a hull that, like so many, will be able to go further, enriching generations to come. And her program for 2025 is a good indication of that.

In June, the Capraia Sailing Rally, followed by the Swan Classic in Marciana Marina. Then, under its Royal Thames Yacht Club banner, the Mediterranean Rally organized by the club of the same name in celebration of its 250th birthday, an event that will move from Sardinia to southern France (and Monaco) in seven stages. Thus, the Voiles de St. Tropez. However, it is perhaps a more ‘long-term’ project that is dreaming, in its own way, ‘eclipsing’ the rest, The Fastnet Race of 2029, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of that legendary ’79 edition. A celebration in which, ideally, it would be not only Matchless that would take part as ‘historic’ and, an edition that, moreover, could allow Matchless to finish, at last, that historic race that in 1979 it started as Battlecry IV. A potentially perfect circle ready to last just as long, thanks to the culture, care and dedication that now accompanies it on a daily basis… basically, an incentive to do likewise, even in our own small way, to keep alive a tradition and a culture that, to us, so much has still come, and which, still, we can enjoy and for which we can do likewise.

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