1976. When Ugo Tognazzi wanted to do the boat.

Welcome to the special section “GdV 5th Years.” We are introducing you, day by day, An article from the archives of the Journal of Sailing, starting in 1975. A word of advice, get in the habit of starting your day with the most exciting sailing stories-it will be like being on a boat even if you are ashore.

Ugo Tognazzi: I’m going to make my new boat like this.

Taken from the 1976 Journal of Sailing, Year 2, No. 8, September, pp. 40/41.

The great Italian actor tells the Sailing Newspaper how and why he fell in love with sailing and bought a boat. An ironic and surreal reading, there is fun to be had!

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Ugo Tognazzi has discovered sailing and now devotes all his free time to his new passion. From someone like him, of course, one should expect great things: to learn about his plans, his aspirations, we approached him during the shooting of his latest film, “Cattivi pensieri.” The Cremonese actor willingly agreed to explain his new passion to the readers of the SAIL JOURNAL, and it was an interesting experience for the reporter. The interview, in fact, began on the set with Tognazzi saying, “My latest discovery is…” and at that moment Edvige Fenech appears all naked ready to interpret a scene from the film that is a true Tognazzi-show. Ugo in fact is the director and the main actor. His father, son and a cousin act in it, while another cousin is the architect who takes care of the scenes. But, past the shock, here comes the interview.

GdV: How and when did you discover sailing?

U.T. “Mine is a fairly recent discovery. To tell the truth, I had always admired, unfortunately from afar, beautiful sailboats and especially had always liked the chic attire of sailors. Last summer my friend Enzo Jannacci invited me to take a ride on his boat in Bordighera. I gladly accepted, and a week later I showed up on time in that harbor. I was very elegant: white pants, blue jacket with pure gold buttons, a hat that even Admiral Nelson would have envied me, a scarf with the emblems of a famous sailing club. I had worn this outfit because I know that in sailing circles when one speaks of one’s vacht. perhaps 20 meters, one says boat, and I thought that Jannacci, who became very rich thanks to his songs, had one of at least 30 meters. So I arrived at the marina and saw instead that that miserly Enzo was tinkering in a rickety little boat of about 20 feet. Before I could recover from the shock, Enzo had jumped ashore holding some kind of butt-hold. He told me enthusiastically about his boat, a Flying Dutchman, an Olympic boat, he told me, with which, thanks to the strong wind, we could have a very good sail. He therefore invited me to put on the butt-hold, which was then a contraption to be able to put on the trapeze.”

GdV: And you had the courage to get on the boat?

U.T. “To tell the truth, I was scared shitless, which increased considerably as soon as the boat heeled over because of my weight: however, I did not want to let the doctor, who was putting on a lot of airs, understand this, and so, with one of my most beautiful artistic interpretations, I put on a sailor’s act. Having pulled up the sails, we sailed out of the harbor with the wind in our sails (the technical notes I quote I learned later) and as soon as we were in the open sea Enzo made a gybe, unintentional for me, and I took a terrible bombing in the head. We then set off upwind and I got on the trapeze. Hanging from that little steel cable I looked beautiful in my true yachtman’s outfit. We made a long tack as the wind and sea always increased. Jannacci, a megalomaniac, was telling me to admire his prowess; it sounded like hearing Straulino speak. At one point a really strong gust tipped us over and I ended up soaking, ruining my suit. We could not right the boat, partly because Enzo understood little about it. At dusk, when I thought I was going to drown, they came to rescue us with a fishing boat. This is the simple story of my discovery.”

GdV: And after that, let’s say negative experience, did you continue?

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U.T. “Of course. Although with that reckless Enzo I had sailed little and badly, I had been fascinated by the beauty of the sport and had also been struck by its uncomfortableness. So I decided not to abandon it, but to practice it in a manner more appropriate for a person like me. With my usual seriousness, during the winter I read every sailing book in the world and with a private instructor I made countless trips to Torvaianica. Now I talk about windward, slack, mainsail, jib, ship’s point, radiogoniometer, echo sounder and banzigo, in short, applying my well-known intelligence, I have learned everything.”

GdV: Now that you’ve learned everything, do you plan to get a boat?

U.T. “That’s for sure, and maybe now I’ve solved the problem. So, after I learned everything, I realized that for me we needed a very classy, irroversible boat. So I approached all the most famous designers in the world, had talks (let it be known that I speak very good English) with Carter, Miller, Carcano, Chance, Petterson, Stephens, Holland. I have discussed fairings, ratings, skidding tests. I studied drawings of all kinds, had trials in naval tanks. I had almost made up my mind: a 70-meter boat made in collaboration by all the architects. Light alloy construction, inert uranium drift, technical findings of all kinds. I was about to pass the order when, reading THE SAIL DAILY, I found out that in Toulon they launched a 74-meter boat for Colas, who wants to go solo. So I said to myself, if the famous Colas has a 74-meter boat to sail alone, I, who want to sail with company instead, female of course, must have a bigger one.”

GdV: And did you find it?

U.T. “Certainly. I had one of my usual brilliant ideas. Instead of having a new one built, which by the way was going to cost a lot of money because all these architects charge a lot, I decided to save money and become a benefactor of the nation. In fact, I decided to solve the problem of selling the Italia company’s ocean liners, the ones they wanted to turn into clinics, by buying the Michelangelo. With the help of my cousin, who is an architect, I will now transform her into a sailboat. Transformation that should take place in Cremona where a carpenter uncle of mine will save me money. The problem is that this transformation, for economic reasons, must take place in Cremona. I must then convince the relevant ministers to authorize the widening of the Po’s seat (and with this I hope to solve the problem of the Po’s navigability for good). However, I will succeed in this undertaking also because I know important people in Rome.”

GdV: And how will you transform it?

U.T. “It is a job a fairly simple job. On the outside we take off all the decks – I really like the flush-deck line – and put 22 masts. We add a long bowsprit to have a very large bow triangle. The sail plan, without the spinnakers, will of course be a normal thing: 12,000 sq. ft. In optimal conditions with a cross wind we should reach, if my cousin’s calculations are correct, 122 knots. The cruising speed, under normal conditions, will be around 70 knots. The engines will be removed for three reasons: 1st, as an ecological matter; 2nd, because the fuel costs too much; and 3rd, because I haven’t found anyone who wants to make me pitch steerable propellers, and the ones that are there would brake the hull too much.”

GdV: What about the interior?

U.T. “Here my cousin the architect is still studying. In principle we will have my cabin, a little thing of 360 square meters with its own facilities. Also two or three guest cabins, a dining salon, the usual stores for sails and provisions, a big kitchen and that’s it. A simple thing, I recommended.”

GdV: What about the crew?

U.T. “But what crew? With what sailors cost? But we are crazy! The boat will be fully automated (an engineer friend of mine is taking care of that) and I alone will be enough to steer it. I myself, of course will provide the cooking with my usual mastery and so I don’t need anyone else. The guests will have to make their beds: are we in a democracy or not? It will be a boat with a really limited operating cost.”

GdV: What programs do you have?

U.T. “Here the ideas are still a little confused. The primary idea would be this. Depart Cremona, descend the Adriatic, pass through the Suez Canal, then Indian Ocean with stops at some little island in Malaysia, hoping not to meet Sandokan. Then course for Australia and stop in Sydney where I will shoot a film. Then Pacific Ocean and arrival at Cape Horn, where I plan to stop a few days for swimming. From Horn to Rio de Janeiro with a stop for Carnival. From Rio I point north, sail up the Atlantic, enter the Labrador Sea, pass through the ice and arrive in the Glacial Ocean. I descend the Bering Strait and then point to Tahiti to chat with Moitissier. From Tahiti I pass the Panama Canal and go to the Antilles and the Caribbean. From there I go the reverse way because I like to sail upwind and that is Horn, Pacific, Indian, Good Hope and Gibraltar. The idea that fascinates me would be to get to Holland and return to the Mediterranean by sailing the canals, but I think the boat doesn’t fit there. I naturally arrive in Torvaianica where I will have a private harbor built in front of my villa in the meantime. As you can see, a normal little thing that was perhaps not worth talking about.”

John Garassino

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