Gilda, S&S 1710Ref. CP130

Ateliers et Chantiers Ziegler et fils was founded in 1855 by Joseph Ziegler as a small ship repair workshop in Dunkirk, following the rapid growth of commercial and fishing traffic based on steam engines in that port. At the end of the 19th century, the founder's sons, Charles and Albert, bought some shipbuilding slipways in the same city and started a business based on the construction of small merchant ships, large tugs and barges for different uses, which were hugely successful commercially due to the quality and robustness of their work. Two of Charles' sons, Charles and André, constituted the third generation of the family, active between 1918 and 1964, and introduced the construction of small cruising boats, both sailing and motorised, among the shipyard's various activities. Among the former, the 9-metre ‘Mordicus’ series stands out, as well as three similar 7-metre twins, designed to be transported by train. In 1964, the fourth generation of the Ziegler family came into the business with Charles, André's nephew, who immediately embarked on an extensive programme of technological renewal. For the production of recreational boats, this meant using plywood for the hull and deck of a series of 7-metre sailboats called the ZS 710, designed by the famous Van de Stadt firm. The following year, the famous One Ton Cup (formerly the French Cup) was won by a Danish boat, the Diana III, designed by Sparkman & Stephens, and Ziegler was commissioned by a client to build a twin of that boat. The Sylvia II, as she was called (S&S 1710-C23), arrived in 1966, but too late to participate in that year's Cup. We know that she won the first edition of the Seine Week, but from then on, all traces of her history are lost. Her recent reappearance has involved extensive restoration work, but the current owner is unable to continue her restoration due to work commitments. Today, under the name of Gilda, the hull has a secure future, with complete watertightness, as do the deck and cabin. The engine is new. The interior remains to be completely finished and, being empty, shows the robustness of the design and construction, which ensure the boat a future of safe sailing. S&S has plans for different interior versions. Sparkman & Stephens' design no. 1710 was probably the most produced in the company's history, with 17 different shipyards building to this design. Derived, according to some, from the plans of the famous Hestia, it actually features a full keel that had already been surpassed in the years when it was launched by the famous Clarionet, Rainbow and Roundabout, from the 1857 design. Compared to the Hestia, the 1710s have the same dimensions, except for the maximum length, which is greater. The modifications that led to the 1710 were made to allow for mass production, and this became a reality at the Italian shipyard Benello, the client who initiated the design and built the famous Gaia 36, 16 units in fibreglass, based on these plans, and Cheoy Lee, who made the Sigma 36 (the first, 1710/C8), although the most famous was the Finnish Nautor, which built its first model, the Swan 36, based on these designs (the first, 1710/C39), modified with a separate rudder and skeg support. Nautor built the first wooden unit to use as a mould for mass production, and that 1710 is the only wooden Swan in history. The remaining 90 Swan 36s were made of fibreglass. Other famous boats built to these designs were the aforementioned Diana III (1710/C6, built by Walsted in Denmark) and the French Cybèle (1710/C39, built by Poul Molich, also in Denmark), which came third in the 1967 One Ton Cup, both of which were made of wood. The Gilda, formerly Sylvia II, deserves to find a passionate owner who will bring it back to life and sailing for good. There is little left to achieve this!