Admiral's Cup 1979 - The Italian Team

This post features some photos of the top two yachts from the Italian team that contested the 1979 Admiral's Cup, the Scott Kaufman design Vanina (44 feet long and rating 34.5ft IOR) and the Peterson design Yena. The team's third yacht was another Peterson design, Rrose Selavy. The Italian team finished third equal (sharing third place honours with the Hong Kong team), their best result since first competing for the Cup in 1969, and in what will be remembered as the windiest edition of the series.

Vanina sails downwind in typically fresh conditions, with spinnaker and blooper set to perfection

Vanina finished in ninth place in the individual standings (placings of 16/29/22/8/10), Yena tenth (11/23/30/11/12) and Rrose Selavy 18th (17/22/33/24/17). 

Yena - equally well poised downwind in this photo

Spinnaker take down action aboard Yena

The angular shape of the Kaufman designed Vanina shown here as she sails to windward

Another view of Yena as she sails downwind under spinnaker and blooper

The open transom style of Vanina

Vanina seen here ahead of Police Car but in a spot of difficulty with an errant blooper (photo Guy Gurney)

Vanina was later sold to the US in 1980 or 1981 and became Gauntlet (retaining almost the same sail number - US 18188), and a model view is shown below. Gauntlet campaigned in the 1984 SORC, where she finished in ninth place in Class C, and 31st overall.

Gauntlet during the 1984 SORC (photo Larry Moran)

Gauntlet was based in Muskegon, Michigan, on the Great Lakes after being rescued from New Orleans after a hurricane sunk her while in harbour. Gauntlet was lifted from the harbour bottom 1998 and shipped to Michigan and was cleaned up and restored. Gauntlet had been maintained in excellent condition (see below) and she has been the Lake Michigan boat of the year at least eight times.

Unfortunately for whatever reason she became 'landfill' and was destroyed sometime in 2020/21 (photos below).