North Wind 47Ref. VP276

After a successful experience in the field of cruiser-racers, where the shipyard had created a true legend in the 1970s with the NW 40, North Wind turned to a then young Marcelo Penna to create a model that would set another milestone, even at an international level. The great Argentine naval architect, based in Spain, started at work inmediately, aboard his own vessel, a… North Wind 40! When the new North Wind 47 was launched in 1985, it set a benchmark in Spanish sailing. From the outset, the new boat rubbed shoulders with the best models in a sector, that of pilot houses, which was just then beginning to make its mark on the cruising sailboat market. According to the well-known journalist Enric Roselló, one could almost say that the NW 47 was a precursor that was ahead of its time and is almost more relevant today than it was then. Of course, he also adds that the lines that close at the stern and the deep V along the entire length of the keel denote its age, but how we love those classic lines! They speak to us of smooth passage through the waves, easy course maintenance and noble reactions... in short, the virtues of a classic cruiser that also offers performance that is still impressive today, with an elegance that a modern boat cannot easily match. The NW 47s were made in two basic series, distinguished by the position of the engine: under the cockpit (between the galley and the owner's washbasin) in the first series and under the saloon floor in the second. In both, the construction is of excellent quality. It could be said that, apart from the hull, everything else is made according to classic construction methods: there are no counter-moulds (apart from those for the ceilings) and everything is made of wood worked with ancient and profound wisdom. None of the competing boats, Moody, Oyster, Farr Pilot House, etc., had the same philosophy. And North Wind managed to maintain that philosophy until it closed down in 2010. The commercial life of the NW 47 spanned a fairly long period: almost ten years of continuous success. Its success actually continued with the revamped NW 50, essentially the same boat with minor improvements, which remained in production until 2004. An ‘urban legend’ tells that, with a boat on display at the Madrid Boat Show, a South American customer, who had just arrived by plane, asked to be allowed to rest for an hour in the cabin during the lunch break. So they let him, and when he woke up, that gentleman bought a unit from the shipyard! The Bella Silvianna is in enviable condition thanks to its passionate owner, who has spared no effort in caring for his boat. The first series had a slightly stern-deeper seat due to the weight of the engine. In this unit, through a naval engineering study, the generator was placed in the bow, along with a precise amount of lead ingots, to correct the issue, achieving an increase of more than one knot in the boat's average speed. The deck, rigging, interior woodwork, engine, electronics: everything is in perfect order and keeps the boat ready to sail without any problems whatsoever. Her impressive water and fuel capacities allow for extremely long stays on board.