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Let’s take a step back and look at the 1960s.
For motor boating it is a magical time; the technological innovations developed during the World War and improved in the previous decade are finally applied on a large scale, and the market is expanding dramatically. This is the period of so many of the great cults of motor boating, the classics of the origins, the ones that will then shape the entire subsequent period, giving way to a veritable explosion between genres, technologies and possibilities.
And it is precisely at this juncture that we find 3 great models, exceptional hulls that we can tell you today not only for what they were, but for what they still are, thanks to the passion of the owners who have shared their story with us…
Before we get to today’s goodies, an aside: why look to the past, to what so many consider to be ‘old boats’? The answer is very simple. Because without these there would be no current ones. Without considering that age should never be a discriminating factor in order to appreciate the goodness of a design (just as architecture and automotive of the rest teach us). So here is why we refer to the great hulls and great shipyards, to Bertram, Chris Craft and Cantieri di Pisa del Caso, because they are the foundation stones on which today’s boating stands. And therein lies the reason for this revival initiative of ours (which, if you are not already familiar with, you can elaborate on at this article). But let’s proceed further: here are the 5 gems shared by our readers with us: two Super Polaris, a Bertram 31 and two Chris Craft Catalina 28s, better known to us as the Super Catalina…
Newport, Rhode Island, 1958. It is here, during trials for the Americas Cup, that we find the fortunate offshoot that will give rise to one of the most iconic and emblematic hulls ever, the Bertram 31. Here, embarked on the 12 Metre S.I. Vim, Richard “Dick” Bertram sees a small 23-foot tender crossing the bay with exceptional speed and stability, despite the difficult weather conditions at the time. Intrigued, he soon discovers it to be an innovative design by C. Raymond Hunt, a hull characterized by a deep-V (deep-V) with a 24-degree deadrise that spanned the entire length of the boat. Impressed, he thus commissioned Hunt to prototype a 30-footer developed on the same principle. Thus was born Moppie, a resounding success that prompted Dick Bertram to market the design. It is now 1961 and thus the fiberglass version, the Bertram 31, is born.
As evidence of this exceptional hull we find enrolled in our historical archives the GP Jambo, an exceptional model from 1973 and restored to new condition by Thunderboat Italia, a company specializing in the refit of these historic American hulls. Exceptional hull not only for the condition in which it is maintained (like new) but also for the details, as it is still complete with a rare as original Tuna Tower of the period, wanted installed by the nobleman who bought the hull in the early 1970s, then in South Africa… Learn more about the Bertram 31 via our dedicated article: you can read it HERE
The 1960s and 1970s saw Cantieri di Pisa gain considerable visibility thanks to a very elegant fleet of motor cruisers, entirely named after the constellations. A production of excellence that will establish the shipyard among the great protagonists of Italian yachting. It was in this context that the Polaris (1961) was born, the emblem of the range, a very refined Mediterranean cruiser in perfect balance between performance and on-board comfort. But it is 1964 that sees the big upgrade: the Super Polaris arrives, a decisive evolution. The hull increases in length, the flying bridge arrives, and the superior sailing qualities transformed the original design into a far more ambitious cruising platform, a small prodigy signed by the pencil of architect Pierluigi Spadolini and internally curated by Gianna Spadolini. In short, she would embody a coherent synthesis of form, function and nautical culture, still a timeless symbol of the shipyard’s legacy.
Testifying to this legacy are two of your pearls, ever present in our historical archives the Super Polaris Diva, from 1964, and Arché, Super Polaris, on the other hand, from 1967. Both refined mahogany cruisers, they still marry the timeless elegance of 1960s Italian naval design with the robustness of a marine, stable and dry hull. To which, moreover, are added surprising volumes for the time, ensuring on-board comfort that makes the range, even today, a perfectly usable classic. Learn more about the Polaris and the Super Polaris via our dedicated article: you can read it HERE
With the Chris-Craft Super Catalina we approach an exceptional case, the brand’s only Italian-American product. Born out of Chris-Craft’s European expansion of the 1960s (Fiumicino plant), the Super Catalina was produced between 1970 and 1978 under the aegis of Chris-Craft of Italy S.p.A., thus distinguishing itself as the only model of the Catalina family to be built in Europe, a characteristic that makes it a rare case, capable of fusing American manufacturing pedigree with Mediterranean cruise sensibilities.
They make a great case for this in our historical archives several outstanding specimens, including Scaramacai, a 1974 specimen still in excellent condition today, a testament to how well this hull was conceived from its origins, turning out today as it did yesterday to be a timeless object, an excellent marriage between Mediterranean necessities and the original spirit of 1960s American boating. Learn more about the Super Catalina via our dedicated article: you can read it HERE
Would you in turn like to celebrate your boat and share a piece of boating history with us? Write to our Classic Boat editorial staff (cl*********@***********re.com) or find out how to do so through this article here
Raccontaci e celebra la tua Classic Boat, farlo è semplicissimo!
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