The Red Lion (Farr 37)

The Red Lion, the Bruce Farr centreboarder that won the 1977 One Ton Cup, is still going strong! I recently heard from the current owner of The Red Lion, an Italian yachtsman (Marco) who bought the champion yacht in 1980 from her previous owner in Punta Ala. This was a couple of years after the 1978 One Ton Cup series in Flensburg, Germany, where she finished in ninth place.

The Red Lion has been maintained by Marco in excellent condition in her current home port of Salerno, Italy. She undergoes a complete refit every ten years to ensure her wooden hull remains sound. After experiencing some problems with the centreboard, The Red Lion was fitted with a Farr-designed fixed keel in 1984. The new keel and added stability has also allowed for a new and taller mast. For her most recent upgrade the owners made use of the photos attached on an earlier article on the history of The Red Lion, and the name and lettering is now faithful to her original appearance. 

I am grateful to the Marco and his family for providing these more recent photographs of The Red Lion, showing her competing in many regattas in the Mediterranean seas of Italy over the years, including the Italian Championship off Capri in 1986 (where the stunning Bert Richner photograph at the top of this article was taken). Photos like this shows that the fears of yachting officialdom in the late 1970s that boats like The Red Lion would fly to pieces were unfounded.

The Red Lion racing in Capri, 2000 (above and below)

The Red Lion racing in Gaeta, 2002 (above and below)

The Red Lion following her most recent 19-month long refit