The focus of much attention at last weekend’s Mystic WoodenBoat Show was the 55-foot Sparkman & Stevens yawl Santana, fresh from a complete restoration by a team of East Bay experts.

That project won East Passage Boatwrights of Bristol the show’s Concours d’Elegance ’Professionally Restored Best in Show’ award.

Although Santana has had many owners over her 80-plus years, she is known as ‘Bogie’s boat’ for the late actor Humphrey Bogart who owned and cherished the yacht from 1945 to 1957 (actors Ray Milland and Dick Powell are earlier owners). Bogart spent every moment he could aboard Santana, cruising, racing or just using her as a weekend escape. The yacht is also a two-time Newport to Bermuda Race veteran, winning the schooner trophy in 1938.

Said Classic Boat Magazine on Sunday, “Perhaps the star of the show was 55-foot S&S Santana, a restoration that has had the classic boat scene talking for a while, but now here the boat is, and she’s just as jaw dropping as we’d been told. Just one look at the wheel is enough to conjure up images of Bogart and Bacall sitting in the cockpit enjoying, what, a Dry Martini, a Mystic pale ale?”

The ambitious two-year project included replacement of the entire deck, framing and yet another rig transformation for the yacht that was built in 1935 by Wilmington Boat Works in California.

First order of business for the boat’s new owners (names not disclosed) was trucking Santana across country from California to Rhode Island where Loughborough Marine Interests (Portsmouth) contracted with East Passage Boatwrights (Bristol) to begin work in 2014.

“She was originally designed and built as a stay’sl schooner but was converted to a yawl a few years after her launch in the late 1930’s,” says East Passage Boatwrights. “She remained a yawl until 1999 when she underwent a partial restoration and was changed back to a schooner rig.” Now the yacht is a yawl once more.

East Passage Boatwrights describes the project as “extensive” which puts it mildly.

The firm writes on its website …

“A total of 90% of the original steam bent white oak frames were replaced with laminated frames of the same species. Because of electrical corrosion at the diagonal bronze strapping in the areas of the original schooner mast locations, the entire length of the hull was re-planked with genuine mahogany.

“When she came to Portsmouth, the original deck from 1935 was still installed and it had been reduced in thickness from 1-1/4” to ½” in some areas. Although all of the deck beams needed to be replaced, the sheer clamp and beam shelf were able to be re-used. Upon the completion of the deck installation, EPB manufactured new bulwarks, caprails and located and installed the deck hardware. New Sitka Spruce spars were constructed and the sail plan was converted back to a yawl rig.”

Santana was launched here in May and will “join the fleet of other historical Sparkman & Stephens yachts that call New England home including Sonny and Dorade”.

Bermuda results

Since last week’s posting, Bob Manchester and Vamoose, a J-120, of the Barrington Yacht Club finished third in the St. David’s Lighthouse Division Class 6 (all J-120s) in the Newport Bermuda Race last week.

Ray Renaud of the Bristol Yacht Club sailed his C&C 35 Aggressive to an 8th place finish in the St David’s Lighthouse Division Class 3.

Tall ship party

Oliver Hazard Perry Rhode Island will host its 2016 fund-raising party at Newport Shipyard on Friday, July 1.  The party begins at 6 p.m. with cocktails, raw bar and hors d'oeuvres, allowing guests to mingle dockside before touring the 200-foot SSV Oliver Hazard Perry, the largest civilian training vessel in America and the first ocean going full-rigged ship to be built in the U.S.A. in over 100 years. Dinner will be followed by dancing until 11 p.m.

Tickets start at $200 and typically sell out. They cannot be purchased at the door. For more information visit www.ohpri.org/events