Oenone, vintage cutter

Fred Shepherd is famous for his cruising yacht designs, rather than for having designed racing yachts. In that category, he triumphed thanks to the elegant sheer of his designs, which in many cases concealed a higher topsides than was usual at the time, but which offered a level of habitability that, combined with a rather original interior layout, produced very liveable yachts that still surprise today when compared to those of their era. Shepherd's boats, although designed for cruising, were not slow. The “Lexia”, which had not been designed for any racing rules, came second in the 1931 Fastnet, on corrected time, behind Olin Stephens' famous “Dorade”, which ushered in the era of the Ocean Racer. Like many English Naval architects, Shepherd always had a somewhat old-fashioned or classic style, unlike other designers such as Giles or Stephens himself, who were looking for new solutions. And the “Oenone” is precisely an example of this: its slender silhouette, high bow and elegant sheer, together with an austere but elegant and original cabin design, take us back to the most typical English design, with narrow, deep boats, modernised with a rounded keel, but without any convexity to reduce the wet surface area, as was already customary in those years for the most modern boats. The “Oenone”, named after a nymph from Greek mythology, is delightfully old-fashioned to the expert eye, but its fractional rigging with relatively small sails and powerful winches make her very easy to handle for two people, as was intended from the outset. The history of the boat is no mystery: In the May 1935 issue of Yachting Monthly magazine, on page 74, it is announced that the 16-tonne “Oenone”, designed by Frederick Shepherd and built for Mr Wardrop by the Berthon Boat Co. shipyard in Lymington, was launched on 6 April and, already fitted out, is awaiting completion of the work... In 1936, the same magazine held a competition for the best design for a 30-foot l.w.l. sailing boat for a couple – a man and a woman – without professional sailors, but with room for two friends. The boat had to be able to be crewed by a couple, but also have good potential in crewed regattas. Twenty-nine projects were submitted. Many of them were inspired by the “Oenone” and the “Amokura”, Shepherd's last two successful creations: the stern overhang, the rigging, the deckhouse and cabin, as well as the interior layout, are reminiscent of the great Frederick's latest projects. The judges for this competition were Thomas Harrison Butler and Laurent Giles. The editor of the magazine was Maurice Griffith. Yachting World published an editorial on the “Oenone” that same year. Her little sister is the “Lively Lady”, the famous boat in which Sir Alec Rose sailed around the world in the 1960s. Its big sister is the “Amokura”, and following in its footsteps, the “Glaramara” and “Heron II” are very similar boats. In the summer of 1938, “Oenone” took part in several regattas in the Solent (Yachting World). In the following years, the boat was found on the other side of the ocean. From 1947 to 1953, she was registered in the Lloyds Register as the property of Jean Combescot and based in Buenos Aires. In 1954, owned by Eric Coupey, “Oenone” was in New York, where she was still registered in 1960, but her home port was Naples and her owner was James C. Ray, according to American Lloyds. In 1963, the boat, under the name “Union”, was owned by engineer Roberto Garolla di Bard, a great sportsman, sailor, rower and former president of the Naples Rowing and Sailing Club. The “Union” remained in the Garolla family until 1968, and Marcello Garolla di Bard, Roberto's son, put together a delightful video reconstructed from Super8 films and gave it to the boat 50 years later. In 1968, the “Union” belonged to Emilio Fede, then a journalist for RAI, the Italian public television station, and her home port was Anzio. From 1972 onwards, all traces of this yacht disappeared from the Lloyds register. Since 1977, the boat has been in Sicily. The owner is Giuseppe Filippone, a passionate sailor. In the 1980s, the “Union” made a brief foray into the newly-born world of vintage boat racing and demonstrated her speed. In good condition until 1985, at that time she was registered with the AIVE, the Italian Association of Classic Boats. The hull has a pitch-pine planking and English white oak frames. The mast was built in 1989 by Cantieri Sangermani, based on the original plans by Frederik Shepherd. The Honduran mahogany interiors and bronze fittings are largely original. From the late 1980s onwards, a gradual decline began which, from 1998 onwards, led to her being abandoned in a square in Palermo. After participating in the first meeting organised in Viareggio by Vele Storiche Viareggio in 2005, the “Oenone” entered the Del Carlo shipyard for her “restoration of the century”. Her elegant interiors and furnishings, which are original, as are the roof and companion-way hatch, have been carefully restored. The deck, which was too worn, has been replaced, as have parts of 20 frames. The frames are new and sturdy, and their planking, which has been largely replaced, is solidly screwed to the frames with bronze screws. The engine, systems and rigging are new. Finally, in the summer of 2013, the “Oenone” set sail for a short trial voyage and took part in the IX Meeting of the V.S.V. The following year, the new sails arrived. In 2014, she received the award for the best restoration in Italy. The Latin motto ‘Festina Lente’ (hurry slowly) and the turtle with sails that appear as a logo on the pulleys of the Oenone are perfectly suited to the long time frame of her meticulous restoration. Today, its owner, a renowned Italian sailor, historian and expert restorer of classic boats, wants to leave her in the hands of the next owner-conservator who will continue to sail and extend the history of this beautiful boat.