Sail Number: F/0
Type: 10 Metre
William Fife Tonino Specifications:
LOD: 60′ 8″ / 18.50m – LWL: 33′ 2″ / 10.12m – Beam 9′ 4″ / 1.78m – Draft 6′ 5″ / 1.95m – Hull Number: 599 – Designer: William Fife III – Original Owner: King Alphonso XIII – Current Owner: – Year Built: 1911 – Built By: Astilleros del Nervion, Bilbao, Spain – Hull Material: Wood – Sail Area: 1,779 sq ft / 165.31 m2 – Gross Displacement: 14000 kgs – Registration: SP 2552D
Historical:
King Alphonso XIII owned both the 15-Metre Hispania, and the 10-Metre Tonino. 15 Metres were popular in Spain, France, England and Germany. 10 metres were popular in Spain and Scandinavia. Both yachts frequently sailed on passages together. King Alphonso raced Tonino himself, and Hispania, was used to carry the royal party.
Tonino was built in 1911 in Spain for the King Alphonso XIII. The king ordered to William Fife III a smaller racer to enjoy directly as helmsman with a smaller crew. Tonino was built by the Astilleros del Nervion Boatyard in Bilbao. Right after the launch, Tonino started an intense activity of sailing regattas with many victories and successes in England, Spain, France and Italy. On board, Tonino hosted the royal family and many others aristocrats.
Tonino raced a lot up to the beginning of the first world war. The yacht remained under the King of Spain ownership until the Spanish revolution of 1931, when she was sold in Italy. With the name of Vega 1 she became a Marconi sloop, then transformed into a cruising yacht, without altering its elegance and purity. In the sixties, she became the property of some business partners of Milan and twenty years later she underwent a restoration, involving the designers Carlo Sciarrelli and Bruno Veronese.
In 1986, she attends the first Vintage Sails of Imperia and the following year in Porto Cervo. In 1993, the boat, built of oak and cedar, was restored at the yard Canaletti of La Spezia, to her original rig as well as the old name, under the supervision of Bruno Veronese. In 2000, Tonino participated at the regatta of Imperia. She is part of the collection of antique boats of a Italian entrepreneur
Restoration:
1993 – Canaletti Yard, La Spezia, Italy – Original rig restored, major structural repairs.
Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):
Owner/Guardian: (1911-1931) – King Alphonso XIII