The Venetian boats seem intensely tied to their magic scenery to be exported anywhere else. As with the extraordinary city of which they are an expression (from the proud and sumptuous gondola to the more humble “sandali”) they all have a unique and incomparable character. So natural is their gliding in the canals, along wonderful palaces reflected in the water, or through the melancholic islands of the Laguna. How ungainly they could seem elsewhere! It will seem strange, therefore, that we are proposing a new, re-elaborated and corrected version of the Sanpierota; the potential clients from Venice will almost certainly prefer the authentic “Sanpierota”, while others may remain disconcerted by technical solutions which are difficult to find in boats from other geographical areas. The main reason why we were led into this experiment is that these technical solutions – although anti-conventional – seem to have their validity and go beyond the particular scope for which they were determined. Any narrow boat, with a flat bottom, a large rudder - which also acts as a centreboard – with a sail - extended in length and not in height - will offer certain advantages, as well as a few disadvantages. Among the advantages, undoubtedly, we have:
- short construction time, facilitated by a flat bottom and by the lack of a centreboard trunk;
- limited resistance of its narrow racy hull, whose chine (as soon as the boat starts to heel)
contributes to reduce leeway;
- low draft;
- simplicity of manoeuvre and abundant free space at the bow of the mast;
- concentration of structural strains in the rear zone of the hull. The main disadvantages - as with all narrow hulls with a flat bottom - is little space if one expects to turn it into a real cabin cruiser. With our “Sanpierota” we have given up this idea: we have limited this space to afford a covered rest area for two people, with the possibility of mounting an awning inside the spacious cockpit available, to be able to stay overnight with the boat anchored or, when necessary, even on the beach. It may seem little for a 7 m. boat but we have to consider that in terms of cost and work, this type of boat is more comparable to a 5 m than to a 7 m boat. Sail performance may not be exalting when sailing close to the wind, but even in this case, if we compare it with boats having the same cost, the comparison will not play totally to its disfavor. It seems, therefore, that there are valid motives into proposing this boat even to those who do not keep it in Venice or in its surroundings. Obviously, it is on a lagoon or on the delta of a river with shallow waters that the boat gives its best. The construction, in line with the principles we have just set out, is very simple and fast.