Hispaniola, S&S 40′Ref. CP124

Following the overwhelming success of the Finisterre at the end of the 1950s, of which countless replicas were built, Olin Stephens received many orders for boats with a similar sailing programme: fast cruising, without disdaining the possibilities of racing. Some designs kept the retractable keel and the wide beam, typical of the Finisterre, and others, such as the Loki and its series, opted for a deeper fixed keel and less beamy lines. Between 1960 and 1962, Jaime Gallart's shipyard in Arenys de Mar (not far from Barcelona) built 3 units of the latter type, with the same design and different cabins, depending on the preferences of each owner. In the case of the Avante II, which today is called Hispaniola, a more sporty design was chosen, conceived to be competitive in the regattas of the time, whether coastal or offshore. For this reason, the cabin of this unit is somewhat lower and narrower, without sacrificing interior height, but improving the circulation in the side passageways. In her first years, between 1962 and 1970, the Avante II took part in many coastal regattas near Arenys, as well as in the Balearic area. In 1970, during a strong storm and returning from Blanes, the boat got too close to the coast and was dragged towards the beach by the huge waves formed on a sand bar in front of Arenys, breaking the two masts and part of the cockpit. Undoubtedly a lucky boat with a tremendously robust structure, typical of both her designer and her builder, the Avante II was bought by a Basque shipowner and entered the Carabela shipyard, owned by Nick Cañeres, where it underwent a major refit and overhaul, with new masts made of Canadian spruce. In 1986, with her name changed to Hispaniola, she was sold to a lawyer from Madrid who went to live on board, moored in the port of La Rápita, in the south of Mallorca. There she spent 3 whole years, without sailing and adapted for residential use. Since 1989 and until today the boat is owned by the well-known Spanish sailor Jan Santana, who has sailed it in some regattas and in many miles of family cruising, mostly around the Balearic Islands. Having been used as a home for 3 years, she had to undergo many modifications to adapt her once again to sailing and for this reason the boat was moored in Palma for 2 whole years, being maintained by Ignasi Triay, the famous Director of José Cusí's Bribón. The Hispaniola has hull lines typical of Olin Stephens, with a harmonious concave transition between the stem and the keel, very fine lines that are a promise of excellent upwind performance and smooth reactions in the presence of a formed wave. The hull was extensively rebuilt in 2019 at the Astilleros de Cataluña owned by the Morales family. Her yawl rig divides the sails to make it more manageable for a reduced crew, without detracting from the boat's power and even improving her rating when racing. On deck, the helmsman has perfect visibility in all directions and the removable padded backrests offer maximum comfort. The narrow cabin trunk offers very wide, comfortable and uncluttered passageways. A real luxury for a boat of relatively small dimensions. Inside, the layout is quite modern, with the galley (which needs some work to restore its beautiful tiles) on the port side and the chart table on the starboard side. The convertible saloon is another Stephens signature, with a cool folding table. The owner's cabin occupies the f’c’le, forward of the washroom to port and the main wardrobe to starboard. After several decades of great winter and family sailing, at the end of the summer of 2024, Jan Santana commissioned an exhaustive inspection by a European-approved naval engineer, in order to take stock of the boat's condition, which explains the current state of the boat, as well as a history of the maintenance work carried out over the last few years. The report shows that the Hispaniola is in excellent seaworthy condition and only needs cosmetic work, in particular in the galley and the washroom.