Between the 14th and the 20th August 2012, Saint Petersburg, Russia, will come alive as classic boats from around the world flock to the city to compete in the final leg of a classic boat racing series known as the Baltic Classic Circuit.
One of the boats entered is the classic boat TALISMAN, a Bermuda rigged (originally gaff rigged) ketch which weighs 37 tonnes without an engine, and is 18.6 metres in length. Built in 1919, and launched on the 28th September 1920, TALISMAN was designed by Henry Rasmussen and was the first yacht designed by him that was constructed from steel. Steel was not very popular in the early 1900s, but TALISMAN was heralded a resounding success by her owner, Herr Schroder. In 1923, the German sailing magazine “Die Yacht” produced a three page article which included a quote from Herr Schroder about his brand new yacht:
“…all the bad qualities people claim steel to have, are completely false. Most comments about steel yachts are only out of hearsay…and a total lack of experience of building a modern yacht in steel. Furthermore she has qualities no wooden yacht has. The bilges are completely dry and the iron keel gives her a top class steering capabilities. It’s a real joy…she not only has the most exquisite sailing capabilities and sea worthiness but also can be looked upon as a very fast yacht. This gives me great pleasure since so called initiated yachtsmen have spoken about her and Tourencreuzers in general as “fat and slow”…”
Since 1919, TALISMAN has had several owners and several different names in different locations across Europe, including Copenhagen, Germany, and Palma. She has gone through two refits: one in 1955 to convert her to a Bermuda rig, and an almost total refit in 2006, and, this summer she will be on display at the Saint Petersburg Classic Yacht Week as the third oldest registered boat at the event – a sure spectacle of history for every classic boat enthusiast and land lover alike.