S/Y VENTUROSA
THE VISION
It hadn’t been done before. A discerning, European sailor sought a naval architect and boat builder to bring his vision to life: a state-of-the-art sailing vessel, with total redundancy in every system, able to travel non-stop between even the most distant points on the globe. Form would follow function. No compromise on quality. Perfect autonomy.
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
Sparkman & Stephens Inc. (NY) and Glade Johnson Design rose to the challenge of naval architecture and design. But she was built in the Pacific Northwest. Sovereign Yachts, Seattle, WA, worked closely with Sparkman & Stephens and the owner to build the ultimate luxury yacht. The keel was laid in 1989. A life sized, plywood rendering of the superstructure was built to verify sight lines. She would launch in Seattle in 1993, built to Yacht Class under the American Bureau of Shipping.
It may have been her exquisite lines. Or perhaps the tasteful wood and leather interior, or her state of the art replication of all on board systems. The solid stainless steel rigging. Advanced vessel monitoring system. 18 winches. Three steering systems. It all added up to international recognition in 1994, with a ‘Best Sail Yacht 23m-36m’ Award from the International Superyacht Society.
LAUNCH
“This Is Not Your Average Sailboat”
~ The Seattle Times
International Yacht Society Awards 1994 Best Sail Yacht In Class
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WINNER
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International Yacht Society Awards 1994 Best Sail Yacht In Class 〰️ WINNER 〰️
THE FIRST YEARS
Her second owner, a Seattle-area tech billionaire, renamed her ‘Christine’ and sailed her for about a decade. Her third owner, a San Francisco-based yachtsman, recreational pilot and opera aficionado, renamed her ‘Tristan’.
She crossed the Atlantic eight times. She cruised the Pacific Ocean from New Zealand to Alaska and beyond.
She had several refits. In 2007, all rigging was replaced, both masts were removed and reworked, complete sanding and repainting of the hull occurred, as well as major upgrades to the refrigeration, freshwater and heating/cooling systems, and replacement of all carpet and all (6) heads. In 2014, the freezer, washer/dryer and hot water heaters were replaced, and the mizzen mast and rigging were pulled and inspected. A new yankee in 2015. And 2016 saw replacement of all three generators, hull painting and other major system updates.
Bequeathed to a charity foundation in 2015, she was discovered in 2017 in Florida by a Victoria, BC-based businessman and yachtsman, and sailed through the Panama Canal to return home to the Pacific Northwest.
VENTUROSA’S RETURN
During the pandemic, she caught the attention of a Victoria-based sailing couple: an entrepreneur, experienced pilot and yachtsman; and a forest ecologist. The couple acquired her in 2021. Work to restore her started immediately.
Having had four previous owners and many captains overseeing maintenance and repair work all around the globe, Tristan was ready for a comprehensive update.
For the first time since her launch, she was under the care of live-aboard owners, who initiated a systematic refit. Since 2021, the owner-captain has personally attended to all work, updated her with state-of-the-art ship monitoring and navigation systems and undertaken exhaustive maintenance, repair and upgrades.
Following two haul-outs, hundreds of new parts and thousands of man hours of labour, she was renamed ‘Venturosa’ under Canadian registration in 2023.
Two-handed by her owners, since 2021 Venturosa has navigated thousands of nautical miles and spent hundreds of nights at anchor in all seasons, seeking out the remote and savage beauty of the BC Pacific coast.
