1989 IACC Yacht ITA-1

Own a piece of Americans Cup history!  One of the most famous IACC yachts ITA-1 is now for sale!

Italian industrialist Raul Gardini spearheaded the Il Moro di Venezia (Lion of Venice) syndicate to compete in the 1992 America’s Cup.

Design work for the syndicate under the pen of German Frers began at the end of 1988 and construction of the first Il Moro - ITA-1 began in 1989. Il Moro di Venezia I (ITA-1) was the very first hull built for the new generation (IACC) rule, and was launched on 11 March 1990 in Venice. Il Moro di Venezia II (ITA-7) was launched on 7 August 1990 in Palma de Mallora, followed by Il Moro di Venezia III (ITA-15) launched on 15 April 1991 in San Diego, Il Moro di Venezia IV (ITA-16) launched on 15 June 1991 in San Diego and finally, Il Moro di Venezia V (ITA-25) launched on 16 December 1991 in San Diego.

Il Moro di Venezia V won the 1992 Louis Vuitton Cup, skippered by Paul Cayard, and secured her rights to challenge Bill Koch’s America 3 syndicate.  However, despite being heavily favored, she lost the best of seven series to America 3.

The Il Moro de Venezia syndicate ended after the tragic death of Raul Gardini, and in 1994 ITA-1 was bought by the Russian America’s Cup challenge.  Although she never made it to the Louis Vuitton Cup lead up races to the 1995 America’s Cup, they did race her in the 1994 IACC Worlds where she sported a new brown paint job with yellow decks and rig.

After the 1995 Cup she was laid up in a San Diego boat yard until she was bought by a Chicago businessman in 1998 who installed her current Volvo Turbo 72 HP Diesel saildrive. In 2001 Tina Kleinjan and John Sweeney bought her to be part of the stable of IACC boats they were amassing to compete in the IACC Words competition in San Francisco in 2003.  Sweeney and Kleinjan had her repainted stem to stern in her original livery at Windward Yachts, and installed all new rigging. In 2006, she was acquired by a private party and relocated to Vancouver, and is now back in the Bay Area in Sausalito.

Comes complete with supplies container, loaded with rigging gear, tools, sails and support equipment.