Tall ship to dwarf 'palaces'

By HELEN TUNNAH

Commander Paolo Bembo simply smiles when asked if he will invite the America's Cup billionaires to step off their floating palaces for a real sail aboard the training ship Amerigo Vespucci.

"We can ask some of them," the Italian Navy officer said, "to show them we have something nicer that money cannot buy."

Amerigo Vespucci, once described as the world's most beautiful tall ship, arrives in Auckland next month for a five-month visit.

The efforts of the Prada syndicate during the last America's Cup (they won the challenger series) sparked huge interest in the event in Italy.

This year there are two Italian syndicates in the challenger series, Prada and Mascalzone Latino. Central to Italy's embracing of the cup will be the Amerigo Vespucci.

The three-masted, steel-hulled ship has a teak deck and goldplating on its bow and stern.

It was built in 1930, is more than 100m long and has a sail area of 2800sq m.

The Amerigo Vespucci, which has a diesel engine, left Italy in May, cleared the Panama Canal in July and is expected off the Bay of Islands on October 18.

The ship and its crew of 430 sailors and officer cadets will be formally welcomed to Auckland on October 21, a day before the start of the Louis Vuitton Cup's second round-robin series for the challengers.

Commander Bembo, who has been at the Devonport naval base since June organising the visit, said he expected the ship's arrival to create a stir.

"I know the effect of this ship on people. Everybody becomes just crazy."

Named after Amerigo Vespucci, the 15th century Italian explorer who gave his name to America, and therefore the America's Cup, the ship has never ventured this far from Italy.

"It has never before been attempted ... it is something unique," Commander Bembo said.

"The ship is 72 and she has never done it before. She will never do it again."

He has sailed on the Navy training ship several times and said it was difficult to describe how special the experience was for someone raised on historic tales of exploration.

"If we lost this ship, we couldn't afford another one. It's something beautiful that we want to preserve for everyone."

The Amerigo Vespucci is expected to make short visits to Wellington and Christchurch after the America's Cup has been decided.

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