Sailboat ‘Shenandoah of Sark’ is now for sale and charter – Robb Report

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A total of 18 sailboats raced around the waters of Italy’s Costa Smeralda in May when taking part in the Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta, but none could compete with the 108ft Shenandoah of Sark. Sailing between Capo Ferro and islet Monaci before continuing past Isola delle Bisce, the topsail schooner made a friendly appearance showing exactly why she remains so admired 120 years after her delivery.

The only yacht designed by naval architect Theodore Ferris is apt to draw crowds. “Wherever we’re going, we’re the most photographed boat,” said Captain Russell Potter. Robb Report. “Shenandoah has a romance that brings an extra level to a vacation at sea.”

Sporty teak decks, steel hull and teak and steel superstructure, maintenance of the boat’s wood varnish is an annual affair. It’s something its current owner, who loves all things classic, including motorcycles and music, is happy to do. He and his girlfriend are professional musicians. This explains the Steinway which sits in the main salon, dappled with light from a large skylight above.

Dinette in the cockpit.

Stuart Pearce

Shenandoah– named after the 55-mile Shenandoah River in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northern Virginia – was built in 1902 at New York’s Townsend and Downey shipyard. The three-masted adventurer was designed as a fast family yacht for an American investment banker who planned to sail around Europe in his retirement. It required performance and long-distance ocean navigation, which Shenandoah delivered. Since then the boat has passed through many owners and sailed under many names.

In 1929 Dutch sculptor Viggo Jarl embarked on a global adventure that took the boat through the Mediterranean, the Red Sea, the West Indies and Colombia, through the Panama Canal to Hawaii and then further afield. in South America. She even sailed 500 miles on the Amazon. At the outbreak of World War II, he removed the engines and masts to render the boat useless to the Nazis.

She was later spotted in Monte Carlo the night Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier of Monaco. In 1952, she was seized in Cannes by the French authorities and abandoned for 10 years. Ballpoint pen tycoon Baron Marcel Bich rescued her, oversaw the boat’s first major restoration, then used her as a mothership for his America’s Cup challenges in 1974 and 1977.

Two major refits have taken place since, a two-year restoration carried out at New Zealand shipyard McMullen & Wing in 1996. The second and most recent in 2019, which included an engine overhaul and a new interior designed by Terence Disdale, although he remained sympathetic to Gae Aulenti’s original. The masts were also replaced with wood from aluminum.

Shenandoah of Sark

The helm station.

Other celebrity encounters included a Mediterranean sail with Caroline Kennedy, daughter of JFK, and in Cannes, Rod Stewart filmed the music video for his 1983 hit “What Am I Gonna Do” on board. But it’s the boat’s ability to excel in strong winds and sheep that stands out. In 2001 she participated in the America’s Cup Jubilee Regatta and competed in Turkey, Israel, Greece and Croatia. She sleeps eight guests in four cabins and typically carries 12 crew. In competition, this increases to 20.

“I’ve been sailing this boat for 14 years and I still love lifting anchor and setting sail,” says Potter, who joined Shenandoah as a sailor straight out of school in 2002. “Like a vintage leather jacket or a good pair of jeans, the appeal will never die.”

Potter rose through the ranks before jumping ship in 2006 to spend six years aboard motor yachts. In 2012 he was asked to take over as captain and he served as skipper Shenandoah from.

Shenandoah of Sark

Main living room.

Bourgeois

The schooner no longer races competitively although she is more than capable of picking up the pace when desired. A LY3 certificate limits sailing in winds above 27 knots on a charter, but guests are welcome to help pull in the lines and the crow’s nest is a big hit with kids who enjoy climbing the ropes Pirates of the Caribbean style.

Fine dining is also a strong point, with the yacht’s chef, Shay van der Kraan, winning the Heart and Sole award in this year’s MYBA Chef Competition in May (sponsored by Robb Report). That said, the formal dining room is rarely used. Instead, owners spend time dining and relaxing on deck in the shade of the cockpit. Like everything else on board, the cockpit has evolved over time. Today, it benefits from a hardtop and lowering windows in the style of a classic car.

When Covid hit in 2019, the owners spent three months on board with their dogs, including six weeks in Croatia and six weeks in Greece. “Owners love sailing in Greece for its winds and the ability to day sail between the islands,” says Potter. “When we have flat seas and strong winds, this boat really lifts its skirts and it puts smiles on people’s faces.”

Now for sale and charter through Burgess, ShenandoahThe next great adventure awaits you.

Click here to see all the photos of Shenandoah Sark.

Shenandoah of Sark

Bourgeois

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