Thursday, April 30, 2009

Vela al trezo


My friend Giacomo De Stefano who is a photographer and film maker in Venice, Italy has sent me some great photos of his home. It's been very interesting and even enlightening to experience life almost half a globe away. It's opportunities like this that demonstrate the effective global community that is nurtured by the internet.

With many desperate and challenging issues facing us today, the interaction of people of all races and nationalities in a spirit of community is essential to our survival as a species and that of many other species as well. True dialogue is the key to this struggle, across cultural, spiritual, racial and national boundaries, despite the confusing rhetoric of governments and politicians.





What does this have to do with lug sails (vela al trezo in Italian)? Something as simple and exquisitely beautiful as a well made sail on a worthy craft is a truth understood by people of many nationalities and communicates across cultural and language barriers. More than a metaphor, the lug sail is simple beauty in functional form.









These photos of Regata del Presidente are evidence for this opinion.




Giacomo tells me...

"The Sanpierotta is a flat bottomed working boat designed in a little village called San Pietro in Volta, so...Sanpierotta. They can be 20 to 28 feet and can be rowed or sailed with a lug sail plus a jib or even two lug sails. Perfect for the shallow waters of the lagoon."
[Venice]


All photos by Igor Boscolo

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Great, super great. Thank Michael

doryman said...

Hope you approve, Giacomo. As you know, my Italian isn't so good!

And I hope the people at Associazione Vela al Terzo approve as well...

Unknown said...

I think they will be happy. Igor is happy. For sure.

Go Michael

doryman said...

Great photos! Who could resist?

JEF carpentry said...

Very cool boats , they look like dories . Really dig the rigs .

doryman said...

Working boats with traditional rigs have a time tested quality handed down to us from generations of sailors with a symbiotic relationship with the sea. We are fortunate that these boats have once again gained popularity and grace our landscape with their poetry. I hope to learn more about the sanpierotta and when I do, you'll hear about it here.