The twenty-four sails we made for Amerigo Vespucci, including square sails, stay sails and jibs, for a total sail area of about 2,650 square metres, were all made of linen sailcloth.
To make these sails we used 6.624 metres of linen sailcloth, specifically commissioned in different weights, 516 metres of steel boltrope 16 mm in diameter, 1,504 metres of hemp boltrope 36 mm in diameter, 236 kgs of kip leather to trim all the boltropes, and 79,200 metres of waxed thread for hand sewing.
The sails were sewn with 15,880 metres of stitches, all done only by hand, and weigh 5,036 kgs in total.
Story
Designed by engineer Francesco Rotundi, Lieutenant Colonel of the Naval Engineers, the ship was laid down in 1930 in the shipyard at Castellammare di Stabia and launched on 22nd February 1931. Despite been made of steel, she was built to resemble a freighter from the first half of the 19th century. Designed and used consistently as a training ship, from 1946 (when Cristoforo Colombo was surrendered as war damages compensation) to 1952 (when the 1921 brigantine schooner Ebe was acquired) she was the only one of her kind in commission in the Italian Navy.
Besides carrying out training campaigns (including a voyage around the world and several cruises in the Americas and in Australia), she has often undertaken “showing-the-flag” cruises, such as in 2002 on occasion of the America’s Cup races in Aukland, in 2004 at the Olympic Games in Athens or during the 2005 commemoration of the Trafalgar battle.
In 2006, after 75 years of service, she underwent extensive special maintenance at Arsenale Militare Marittimo della Spezia, and the whole foremast, large portions of the planking and any pieces of auxiliary equipment were replaced.




Type | Vintage |
Designer | Francesco Rotundi |
Builder | Cantieri di Castellamare di Stabia |
Yacht Type | Ship |
Year | 1931 |
Hull length | 82.38 |
Length over spars | 100.50 |
Waterline length | 70.00 |
Beam | 15.50 |
Draft | 7.30 |
Sail area | — |
Displacement | 4146.40 |





SAILS | MQ. | |
1 | FORE TOPMAST STAYSAIL | 66 |
2 | INNER JIB | 108 |
3 | JIB | 99 |
4 | FLYING JIB | 105 |
5 | MAIN TOPMAST STAYSAIL | 102 |
6 | MIZZEN STAYSAIL | 47 |
7 | MIZZEN TOPGALLANT STAYSAIL | 45 |
8 | MAIN TOPGALLANT STAYSAIL | 104 |
9 | MOONSAIL | 99 |
10 | MIZZEN MAINSAIL | 145 |
11 | FORE COURSE | 230 |
12 | FORE LOWER TOPSAIL | 166 |
13 | FORE UPPER TOPSAIL | 110 |
14 | FORE TOPGALLANT SAIL | 93 |
15 | FORE ROYAL SAIL | 49 |
16 | MAIN COURSE | 345 |
17 | MAIN LOWER TOPSAIL | 187 |
18 | MAIN UPPER TOPSAIL | 139 |
19 | MAIN TOPGALLANT SAIL | 115 |
20 | MAIN ROYAL SAIL | 49 |
21 | MIZZEN LOWER TOPSAIL | 81 |
22 | MIZZEN UPPER TOPSAIL | 58 |
23 | MIZZEN TOPGALLANT SAIL | 58 |
24 | MIZZEN ROYAL SAIL | 32 |
Contact Zaoli
Phone: +39 0184 481115
info: info@zaoliclassic.com
Opening hours
from Tuesday to Friday,
from 9.30 to 13.00, and from 14.00 to 18.00.
Saturday: 9:30 to 14.00.
Visit our loft at “Marina degli Aregai”,
Santo Stefano Mare, (IM) Italy
ZM DESIGN Srl,
via Gianni Cozzi 1 – 18010
Santo Stefano al Mare
VAT: 01449850088