There are architectural masterpieces that require centuries to take on their definitive form. The mind goes to Antoni Gaudi’s Sagrada Família in Barcelona, begun at the end of the 19th century and not yet quite finished; it extends even to the Duomo di Milano, or to Florence’s cathedral, the famous dome of which was completed almost two centuries after the laying of the first stone. For some classic boats things aren’t much different. Some of them required decades of work before becoming what they are today. This is certainly the case of the staysail schooner La Volpe, which has come back to life after a long ‘staged’ restoration which, in addition to having brought her back to sailing, has also improved performance and usability by her owner.
Built in Wilmington (California), the schooner in question was launched in April 1927 and had as its first owner Robert A Demateis, an American of Italian roots in the wine sector who called her La Volpe (‘The Fox’ in Italian). The designer was Hugh Morgan Angelman (1886-1967), at the time well-known for his ketch designs and for being a partner of the Wilmington Boat Works shipyard, known by the nickname ‘Wilbo’, the very same facility where La Volpe was built.
In 1927 the schooner, which measured 45ft (13.72m) over deck, and 53ft (16.15m)
