Sail Number:
Type: Schooner
LOA: 161’9″ / 49.30m – LOD: 147’0″ / 44.81m – LWL: 90’0″ / 27.43m – Beam: 24’0″ / 7.32m – Draft: 13’10” / 4.22m – Designer: Charles E. Nicholson – Original Name: Sylvana – Original Owner: Lt. Colonel Courtney Morgan – Year Built: 1910 – Built by: Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard, Gosport, UK – Hull material: Teak and oak planking / Steel frames – Sail Area: – Displacement: 210 Tonnes – Engine: 2 Caterpillar 3306TA Diesel – Flag: – Location: Italy
Historical:
It was in 1910 that SYLVANA, a schooner destined to make history, was launched at Camper & Nicholson’s yard in Gosport. At that time yachting was in its comparative youth, but the class and elegance of this lovely schooner made her stand out. Built for Lt Colonel Courtney Morgan, SYLVANA as she was named was actively cruised in her early years. She was to change hands several times however – and was next acquired in 1913 by Compte Jean de Paulignac a long standing admirer of Charles Nicholson’s designs. In 1921 he sold her to Maurice Bunay Varilla, who renamed her PAYS DE FRANCE and moved her to Marseilles. A year later she was bought by Cecil Slade to be renamed DIANA. Then in 1927 she was bought by Raul C Monsegur, who gave her the name VIRA. It was in 1930 that having been bought by one Miguel de Pinilios, she became ORION. He kept her in Barcelona, where incidentally she lay alongside ALTAIR, the great Fife schooner. In 1935 ORION suffered the effects of an explosion and fire damaging the bridge, wheelhouse and main boom and in due course while ALTAIR’s fortunes waxed, those of ORION gradually declined – for a period at least.
A further significant event for ORION occurred in 1967, when she lost both masts in a storm in the Golfe du Lyons. It was not until the 1980s however that she was found and restored by her new Italian owners. In one key respect they made a significant change and departing from the original gaff sail plan they fitted her with a staysail on the foremast and a small gaff mainsail. It was thus rigged that ORION first made her mark on the Mediterranean classic yacht scene. Nevertheless as time moved on ORION lost her prominence; her reduced rig and power less a match for her up and coming competitors and visibly less grand than her original design had intended her to be. More recently she has been restored to a full gaff rig, which although not identical to that with which she was launched in 1910, has in large part restored her original splendour and power.
After no less than five names and twelve owners, ORION is once again a cult figure for lovers of vintage yachts. In recent years, not only participating in show regattas, ORION has entered far more competitive events, in which she duelled for example with MARIETTE, and crew members having served on both yachts engendering healthy rivalry in the process
In her current ownership ORION was taken to Le Ciotat, the boatyard near Marseilles specially set up to renovate this schooner. He decided to completely rebuild her based on the original plans. In the words of Charles Nicholson’s descendant “This is my boat, the boat my father built, I recognise her as she is now”.
Notwithstanding her tonnage increased with the installation of modern facilities and systems, she is still a very competitive boat. Meanwhile the interiors are spacious and divided up well with private owner and guest cabin with en suite accommodation well separated from the crew’s own spacious accommodation forward.
Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):
- Owner/Guardian: (1910-1913) Lt. Colonel Courtney Morgan (
- Owner/Guardian: (1913-1921) Compte Jean de Paulignac
- Owner/Guardian: (1921-1922) Maurice Bunay Varilla – renamed PAYS DE FRANCE
- Owner/Guardian: (1922-1927) Cecil Slade – renamed DIANA
- Owner/Guardian: (1927-1930) Raul C Monsegur – renamed VIRA
- Owner/Guardian: (1930- ) Miguel de Pinilios – renamed Orion
Resources
Zuzana Prochazka
Sandeman Yacht Company